Lamb's quarters - Eat that weed!

I am LOVING my garden.  I love going out and puttering, pinching a leaf here, pulling a weed there, squishing a grub here and there... It's been amazing to see things grow.  We've been eating lettuce and peas so far, and the tomatoes will be ripening soon. One of the earliest and most bountiful crops was not actually something I planted, but rather a stowaway which I suspect made its way in through the manure we mixed in to the soil.  Chenopodium berlandieri, otherwise known as lamb's quarters, or pigsweed, or goosefoot (why is it always an animal's something?) grows commonly in North America and is often mistaken for a mere weed.  It turns out that this prolific plant is a relative of the beet, spinach, quinoa and swiss chard and makes for a deliciously nutritious side dish.  It was actually some friends who immigrated from Nepal who introduced me to this "weed" while showing me around their plot in a community garden.  

As you can see I probably couldn't grow more weeds if I actually tried.  

If you happen on these beauties either in your garden or anywhere else, just pinch the stem from the roots and throw in a colander to rinse.

Then steam them just until limp - about 5 minutes. When they are still small these are quite tender and don't need much cooking.  

Add some butter, salt and pepper, vinegar if you like that kind of thing (I do).

Enjoy beside your go-to meal.  

Voilà!  Weeds for supper.