Custom Weedy Greens Mix

Create your own weedy greens mix from the following suggestions. There are no correct amounts—just play and experiment. Your mix can last up to a week in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Bull mallow (Malva nicaeensis)
Chickweed (Stellaria media)
Chicory (Cichorium intybus)
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
Lamb’s quarters (Chenopodium album)
Miner’s lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata)
Nettle (Urtica dioica)
Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)
Sowthistle (Sonchus oleraceus)
Wild lettuce (Lactuca virosa or Lactuca serriola)

Add salad greens and/or baby spinach, kale, beet, or mustard greens from your garden or from the market. You might also add any herbs that strike your fancy, such as lemon thyme (pull leaves off the stem and add whole); chopped parsley or cilantro, chervil, tarragon, oregano, mint, and/or chives; and edible flower petals, such as from calendula, violets, or borage.

TIPS

• Pick vibrant looking weeds that are turgid (fat and vital) with unblemished leaves.

• If possible, harvest in the morning for long-lasting freshness.

• Baby weedy greens are milder and sweeter, whereas mature plants have a more bitter taste.

• Do not harvest in toxic areas, such as near busy streets (car fumes), adjacent to houses (most paint is toxic), or in any landscaped areas that you suspect might be maintained with chemicals.

• No trespassing, of course!