As with every garden, there is always lots of weeding to do. The Ballibay garden is no exception. My father always told me a weed is nothing but a plant growing in the wrong place. They are not inherently bad, they are merely in need of re-location. Today we moved some mint that had sprouted all over the beds into one location in the “George” garden where most of our herbs are located. One weed that is thriving in the garden beds of Ballibay is lambs quarters.
Lambs quarter can frequently be found growing on disturbed soil, and along the fringes of fields and banks. Left undisturbed, they can grow four feet in height with multiple branches. I know lambs quarters well, I spent my childhood pulling this pesky weed out of my mom’s garden never knowing that it had other qualities.
Nowadays, farmer’s markets across the country sell lambs quarters. The foodies will tell you that lambs quarters are absolutely delicious, with a flavor that can be compared to spinach or chard with an earthy, mineral rich taste. If you enjoy leafy greens such as kale, collards, and spinach you’ll love lambs quarters.
Today in the Balli-garden as Erica harvested some fresh spinach for salad, I realized that lambs quarters could easily find a good use in the kitchen. Chef Holly added them into a veggie soup, it was delicious. Truly a win win situation: we cleared part of a bed for more spinach, carrots and radishes, the kitchen got some yummy greens for lunch.
Weeds become much less of a nuisance when you can eat them.
