Lambsquarters (Chenopodium album)
Lambsquarters is an annual weed, with tiny green-blue flowers, which grows within one season. It is an aggressive, introduced weed found on distributed and cultivated land and is often sprayed with herbicides. The leaves of Lambsquarters are grey-green in colour and are rich in calcium, phosphorus, iron, and vitamin A. It is important to collect Lambsquarters from areas that have not been sprayed with herbicides. Lambsquarters also contains oxalic acid, and can cause digestive irritation so it is important to consume it in moderation.
Did you know? A single Lambsquarters plant can produce over 70,000 seeds.
Before foraging for the required ingredients, we recommend taking a look at our Sustainable Foraging Guide!
Culture Connection
Lambsquarters was cultivated by the Eastern woodland peoples in the Americas, including the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) and the Anishnaabe (Ojibway). There are only around ten different places in the world where we can trace the origins of agricultural development, and it is now recognized that cultures in areas north of Mexico developed their own agriculture. In Southern Alberta, stowed away Lambsquarters seeds from 1500 A.D. were found by archaeologists in lands occupied by the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot).
Lambsquarters was an important food source for many different nations. The Anishnaabe, Haudenosaunee, Elnu (Mi’kmaq), Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Sioux), Iñupiat and many other nations all used lambsquarters for its leafy greens. The Anishnaabe and Niitsapi both gathered lambsquarters seeds for food. The Anishnaabe would grind the seeds into flour to make bread. Lambsquarters was also used as medicine by many different cultures. The Nehiyawak (Cree) used a decoction of the plant to treat arthritis, and the Haudenosaunee used a cold tea made from the whole plant to treat diarrhea.
Ingredients
3 cups lambsquarters leaves, rinsed and chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
3 tsp. butter + 1 tsp for buttering the tortillas
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2/3 cup shredded cheese
2 flour tortillas
Method
Filling
In a large skillet, melt 3 tsp of butter and add chopped onions and garlic. Cook until onions are softened and translucent and garlic is fragrant.
Add fresh mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are browned and juices have evaporated
Add the lambsquarters leaves and cook until wilted
Quesadillas
Butter the outsides of two tortillas and place one butter-side down in a large hot skillet
Add 1/3 cup of shredded cheese to the tortilla, then the lamsbquarters and mushroom filling, and the remaining 1/3 of the cheese on top.
Place the other tortilla on top with the buttered side facing up
Cook until the bottom is evenly browned and crispy and flip
Top with green onions and cilantro and serve with salsa and sour cream
Recipe adapted from here.