I'd like to introduce you to the Urban Foraging Handbook.

The ColorChallenge by @kalemandra focuses on the color green for every Thursday and what better way to celebrate this color than by examining the lush, growing, GREEN food that exists all around us. Believe it or not, there is free food growing just up the street from you. You only need to know where to look. I will focus on the foods that grow in most areas of the world, aside from the extremes of hot and cold, so that you have the likeliest chance of finding the plant in your area.

So, for this week we will focus on the little known Lambs Quarters, or Wild Spinach.

You all may be familiar with the powdery white tops of the lambs quarter plant. You also may be thinking, "But, that's just a weed. I just pulled all those weeds out from in between my sidewalk! How can such a plant be edible?" And, yes, they are in the common sense just that: a weed. BUT they are also a weed that you can EAT! And you can eat a good portion of lambs quarter plant, because it is mostly leaves! We’ll handle the recipes, don’t worry.

How to Recognize the Plant:

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You can immediately recognize this plant because of the "white powder" that clings to all the leaves, particularly the new growth. This powder is not harmful to eat, but you don't really have to worry about it anyway, because most of it comes off after washing the leaves. ALWAYS wash your food before you cook and eat it. Wild food in particular may have other toxins (car exhaust fumes, animal urine, etc).

As with all plants that you harvest from the wild and that you have not eaten before, you should try a little before you eat a bunch. Even with the normal grocery foods some people have allergies, i.e. strawberries and peanuts. Here's ow you check for an allergy:
1)Take a small amount of the plant that you are going to eat and rib it on the inside of your forearm. Wait 15-30 minutes to see if a rash, blotching or itchiness develops.

If you are fine after #1, take a small amount again and rub it on your lips. Wait 10-20 minutes to see if any swelling or itchiness occurs.
If you are still fine, I recommend one more step. Eat a small amount and wait up to 45 minutes to see if nausea or any of the previous symptoms occur. If not, you are good to eat this plant again.
You don't necessarily have to do this every time you gather the same plant, as long as you thoroughly wash your harvest. For example, I no longer test Lambs Quarters before I eat them. Just wash and cook. I DO suggest though, that if you are in a different country that you test the plant again. You never know how a different strain of plant will affect you.

Harvesting the leaves:

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The leaves on Lambs Quarters are really the only part of the plant that I recommend, but no worries because the plant is mostly leaves anyhow with a thin central stalk. Simply break the stalk about 5-7 in (13-18 cm) from the top and take the whole piece home with you. The plant will regrow and the new leaves (which grow at the top) are the best parts. Harvest this plant like you would spinach; when the leaves cook down there is much less than when you started so you need a significant amount to begin with.

At home, pluck the leaves from the stem and wash them. Throw the stems away. Pat dry the leaves and use them in the same ways that you would use spinach. Raw on sandwiches (really good with bacon and cheese) or in salads (add walnuts and cranberries with a dark balsamic vinegar dressing). Or lightly sauteed with a pinch of salt and white and black pepper. You only need 5-10 minutes to cook; saute onions and garlic before and then add the leaves for a really nice dish.

My favorite Lambs Quarter dish? Spinach pie with the spinach replaced by lambs quarter. Just saute the leaves as above, add cream and butter and let bubble for a few minutes. Take some filo, or croissant dough, and spread the saute into the middle of the dough. Fold the dough over, press the edges to seal them and then bake according to the dough package. It usually only takes 20 minutes.

Well, I hope you all go out and at least look at the weeds differently!

If this information was helpful or interesting to you, please upvote and repost so that we can reach as many people as possible. Ignorance breeds hunger and when there is so much natural food to be eaten in nature it seems a shame that people go hungry.

Did our ancestors go to the grocery store? I think not!

Until next time my friends,

@jennswall

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