Oh, the color and texture of the late spring garden. I find myself sitting outside in the evening as the kids wind down their day, pulling weeds and touching the surface of so many leaves. Rough. Smooth. Waxy. Fragrant. Sharp. Fuzzy. I get lost in the minutia of it and feel the day slip away and a centered calm come in.
sage
pea vines
green beans
beets, kale, and chard
brussle sprouts
zucchini
red and yellow onions
chamomile and lemon balm
kohlrabi and a chinese cabbage who's name I forgot
so many brassicas
The lessons of the garden are many. Among them are these:
1. For all the planning that goes into the garden, you never know what you'll get.
2. Inviting the kids to plant along side me is more important than straight rows.
3. No matter the season there will be successes and failures.
4. I'd rather eat a few bugs (or bug nibbled leaves) than pesticides.
lamb's quarters
This season we hauled composted manure from two local farms (when I say "we" I mean "Pete". Thanks, babe.) In the compost have been plenty of surprise weed seeds of various species.
One that is especially prolific is lamb's quarters. Do you recognize it? The leaves are covered in a soft bloom and are thick and moist a bit like spinach. This is one weed that I won't be pulling! Lamb's quarters are a nutritious wild edible. And since my lettuce is bitter already, why not eat my weeds? As summer begins most of the tender wild spring greens are becoming tough and unpalatable. But Lamb's quarters are just beginning their delectable season. Use like spinach, raw or cooked. So delicious, and effort-free.
Enjoy!
Yum! We love lamb’s quarters. Super tasty!
We’ve seen it in our CSA shares and at the farmer’s market 🙂
Thanks Rachael. I get so busy pulling “weeds” I forget to eat some of them.
How fitting. We made the switch to mostly buying organics in the last few months and last night a baby slug rolled out of the lettuce. Never in my whole life have I seen a bug in my food so I freaked out really badly and refused to eat it. I knew WHY it was there and why would I want to eat something a bug wouldn’t want to eat, but it was the first time it had ever happened to me – need some time to adjust my thinking still. My husband’s cousin suggested soaking everything in salt water to make them abandon ship and die off in the water, rather than just rinsing off (which I had done and clearly did not work).
A few years ago I was lamenting to my mom – ah, mom the bugs are eating my lettuce. Oh, she said, you must have real good lettuce, if its good enough for the bugs to eat so it is for you (now i know that’s not true for everything ) but it gave me a new perspective on bug nibbled leaves 🙂
It is protein, Cassandra. 😉
Rachel
Lori,
Wise woman. Shes right you know. I have hardly a plant that isnt nibbled in my garden. Thats just the way it goes!
~ Rahcel
Love all the green photos! Have you ever had battered and fried zucchini flowers? We don’t have fried food much, but we ate them in Italy last summer and they were quite a treat 🙂
We might have to try that. I think coconut or almond flour would work well. Sounds great!
~ Rachel
went out looking for lambs quarter today. i’ve been weeding a little too much lately. next year i plan to save some seeds and grow them on puspose.
Wow I had no idea that was lambs quarters. i linked to your blog explaining why we should have trusted our chickens’ judgment a long time ago!
http://www.jeanetics.net/2011/06/trust-chickens.html
Come over. I have PLENTY! (Especially after four days away!) Theyre on the menu tomorrow over here…
~ Rachel
Bird brain = smarty pants. Or smarty no-pants as it were. :0) Let me know how you like them if the chickens decide to share. ~ Rachel