Greens are good for us.  All those health gurus tell us that.  But if you go to the supermarket the choices can be so limiting. And expensive.  This is just one more reason to grow your own.  Or to forage.  We have cheeseweed posted as our foraged plant that ties to this post because there is lots of cheeseweed sprouting up across the Soutwest right now – especially in vacant lots. One nice thing about cheeseweed – it is one of the more easy plants to identify, harvest, and prepare.

Foraging is just fine and dandy – but then you have to prepare those foraged greens in such a manner that you enjoy eating them. We often simply “stir fry” things.  Let’s make it sound better to the family and call it by the fancy name “Sauteed Greens.”  Or “Sauteed Cheeseweed.”  Depending on your lifestyle of course, but some of you may wish to leave out that word with “weed” in it.

Healthy Cheeseweed

As a food, cheeseweed contains vitamins A, C, and a number of the B’s as well as iron, and other various minerals. It also contains antioxidants like polyphenols and flavonoids that fight free radicals in the body.

See our overview article discussing Cheeseweed – here.

More about how to recognize and harvest cheeseweed in Forage Cheeseweed – here.

Other spring greens to forage – on our YouTube – here

Sauteed Cheeseweed

Ingredients

many hands full of cheeseweed - chopped into about 4 cups
1 large onion, diced or simply chopped *
cooking oil **
salt and pepper to taste – or lemon, or vinegar
large frying pan or wok

Preparation

Step 1
Remove the leaves from the main stem and wash. You can leave the “leaf stems” or petioles, just be sure you chop them because they can be a bit tough.

Step 2
Chop the cheeseweed leaves coarsely.

Step 3
Dice up your onion and put it into the pan, browning as much as you desire.

* Some alternative to oinion are scallions or garlic chives.  Either way, the oniony flavor pairs well with the cheeseweed.

** When it comes to cooking oil – these greens are mighty fine cooked in bacon grease.  If you were raised on the Southern staples of collards or mustard greens you will know what I mean.  Butter works well too.

Step 4
When onions done as you want them, add the cheeseweed. Put a lid on it so the moisture coming our will help it steam.  It will shrink in size.

Step 5
Season to taste with salt and pepper or even lemon or vinegar. You can eat this as a side dish or on pasta. I like it on chickpea pasta for a meal free from both gluten and any deadly nightshades (tomato). (that’s the cover photo.)

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