>Winter Make-up Week 4 (Quelites)

>THIS WEEK’S SUBSCRIBER MENU
• Salad Mix
• Spinach
• Pea Shoots
• Wild Greens
• Green Garlic

COMING SOON
• Beet Greens
• Green Onions
• Pea Shoots
• Peas

Here’s a link to Mariquita Farm’s photo essay on making GREEN GARLIC PESTO:
http://www.mariquita.com/recipes/greengarlicpesto.html

There are times when we are over-run with weeds, usually after it has rained substantially after being very warm for weeks. Kind of like now. Our future carrot patch is full of wild plants, mostly Amaranth (pigweed) and Chenopodium (also called lamb’s quarters, white goosefoot, or fat hen). The Latinos call these plants Quelites. This is a common weed that is one of those marvelous wild plants that’s completely edible, delicious and nutritious. Use it where you would spinach, raw or cooked. I have purjured these recipes from the Mariquita Farm website (they are a market farm in California, and they have an amazing website, farm, and newsletter.)

It can be eaten raw in salads, pasta salads on sandwiches or use in soups or stir-fry. Steam it like spinach and serve like a side dish or put in an omelet or lasagna. It is quite versatile as a garnish and the mild flavor blends well with other vegetables.

GREENS TACOS
courtesy Mariquita Farm

This recipe is one of my favorite breakfast recipes, but of course it would work at any time of day. Please note the amounts given are approximate, I don’t measure anything when I make these. You could use more or less of any one of these ingredients.

3/4 pounds greens, such as lambs quarters, cleaned well and sliced into approximate 1 inch pieces
2 teaspoons cooking oil
2 stalks green garlic, cleaned as a leek and chopped, or another alium family, whatever you have on hand (onion, green onion, garlic, leek…..)
Pinch red pepper flakes or cayenne
2 Tablespoons cream cheese
4-6 small corn tortillas or 2-3 larger flour ones

1. Heat the oil and add the garlic, having the greens ready to go, and cook garlic for about 30 seconds. Then add greens and cook until bright green and wilted, add red pepper (and salt and black pepper if you like). Take off heat and stir in cream cheese.

2. Heat tortillas, divide filling among them. Eat and enjoy.

QUELITES (Lamb’s Quarters) AND BEANS
courtesy Mariquita Farm (adapted from The Vegetarian Times, July 1997)

1 pound fresh lamb’s quarters or spinach — bigger stems removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 stems green garlic or 3 cloves ‘regular’ garlic — minced
3 leeks — finely chopped
1 cup canned pinto beans — rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper — to taste

1. Rinse greens several times to make sure that all sand and grit are removed.

2. Steam greens in tightly covered pot until wilted. Drain greens and finely chop them. In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic/onions and cook, stirring frequently, until leeks are soft, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Stir in greens, beans and chili powder. Cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until heated through.

4. Season with salt and pepper and serve.