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Seasonal Eats: 5 Ways to Enjoy Lambs Quarters
A Bunch of Lambs Quarters from the Highland Park Farmers' Market (Heather Parlato/LAist)
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Lambs quarters (sometimes seen as one word, lambsquarters) is a wild edible leafy green that usually appears in farmers' markets in early spring, but with the exceptionally temperate winter we've had in Southern California, many spring greens are arriving early. It's a good substitute for spinach or chard without the oxalic bite and a great substitution or supplement to either in any recipes you find. Lambs quarters adds a soft, toothy crunch to salads, and can easily be blended into smoothies for a great source of vitamins.
Belonging to the chenopodium family, commonly called goosefoot, it's most closely related to seeded plants like spinach and quinoa. Allergic people, take heed, goosefoot pollen is a weed allergen common to many people in the cause of hay fever, so take a small taste before having a meal if you're not sure. Mildly anti-inflammatory with a glycemic load of 1, it's are a good source of Niacin, Folate, Iron, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Thiamin, Roboflavin, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.
5 ways to enjoy lambs quarters
Lambsquarters Breakfast Ramekin -- pack a punch of green vitamins when you sauté lambsquarters and bake them up with an egg for breakfast.
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Lambsquarters & Peach Green Smoothie -- if you're a fan of green smoothies, this article has a simple healthy preparation for you at the bottom of the page.
Lambsquarters salad -- this salad has the fresh, bright flavors of lemon, cilantro and garlic.
Lambsquarter sauté -- treat lambsquarters as a sauté green and enjoy it with onions, lemon juice and sesame seeds.
Lambsquarters and Beans -- this hearty recipe is great for a side dish in the cooler months of late-Winter / early-Spring.
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