Lamb's quarter vs. Spinach

Does anybody question their sanity when they spend a lot of time and effort pulling and hoeing lamb's quarter out of the garden and spend even more time coddling spinach plants?
I have eaten lamb's quarter but it was awhile back, but I'm thinking I should give it another try.

Definitely a favorite of mine. None grew here when I moved in but birds must have brought a few seeds because after 2 years a small but productive patch began to flourish in one corner. Sometimes I combine it with Swiss chard and beet tops. I long ago stopped pampering spinach.

We LOVE Lambsquarter!! Look forward to it every year from my dedicated Lambsquarter bed since it reseeds itself every Fall. We also have Poke established around the fence perimeter for some more great tasting wild greens.

Well, there is PLENTY of both poke weed and lamb's quarter around here so I have no excuse not to eat my greens.

Pleeeeze do!!!!!! (eat your greens). Good with pepper sauce & hot cornbread!!

Agreed, but I have had a bit of a hard time finding decent cornmeal anywhere anymore. Used to grind my own from Hickory King corn with a Corona hand mill but I am too old for that anymore. I don't care to eat the stuff from the supermarket. I will keep looking and trying for something really good. And then a mess o'greens!

Young lamb's quarters leaves are ok, but I don't like anything in my garden that grows like a weed - even if it is an edible one.

GREAT nutition!!! from lambsquarters, no matter the age. Exceeds anything you can buy in a market.

what is it? None here as far as I know...

Drew

It's a common green wild plant with a spinach-like look and taste. It has a slight whiteish powder on the underside of it's leaves. I found a set of photos in the plant files that you can look at.
It may be good to eat but if I didn't already have it I wouldn't plant it.

Hey, Roseone33! Can you please help me find those pictures in the plant files? I have tried and tried to get to it, but I just can't find it. I'm wondering if I have any growing on my land, since I do have plenty of poke and am always looking for new greens to eat. Thank you!

Well, heck. With that and the dandelion population here, guess there's no point my doing any greens I need to purchase seeds to grow.

My grandmother took me foraging with her (many,many! years ago) and she especially looked for "dock." It had dark green, slightly wavy leaves that grew fairly close to the ground. There didn't seem to be a lot of it around, but it was delicious cooked for supper. I'd like to find it again, but although some of the wild things that spring up here look a bit like it, I've been hesitant to experiment. Anybody know the botanical name?

yuska..... Yellow Dock= Rumex crispus

LarryD

Thanks! - I'll look for a source.

It took me awhile but I finally got there. I don't know how to explain it to you or anyon else. Maybe some one more computer savy will explain it to you. Good luck!

Thanks anyway, Rose. I googled it and found this information:

http://indianspringherbs.com/lambsquarters2.htm

My allergist said my tests showed that I was highly allergic to lambsquarter. I mentioned that I had eaten lambsquarter greens from time to time in my childhood, and she advised that I not eat any more lambsquarter to avoid provoking the allergy.

MM

Fortunate that you were able to find the source of your allergies. As I'm sure you know, there are plenty of other spring greens. Hope you feel better.

When I plant lettuce and radishes I scatter the seed in a 4'x15' bed in early March. Nothing happens till the weather is right. Along with the lettuce and radishes we get lambs quarters coming up once the first two have established themselves. Weeding and thinning supply many meals for the 3 of us and some friends before it is time to plant bush beans there.

very nice idea!

Does it look like this

That is IT!

I don't have any dock now but if ya wish and remind me in June I'll have tons o seed by then, fairly good medicinal, let it seed a few years ago so a friend could gather some, she didn't gather anywhere near enough, not to bad as a young green but rough as an adult.

I have dug out dock roots by the bushelful and dumped them in the woods. Yes, they are medicinal, but they can also be a noxious weed around here. I've never tried to eat them.