Lamb's quarters: from ground to plate

What's the hardest thing about gardening? Digging holes? Keeping bugs away? No, for me, it's processing all the food I grow. I give so much away. Here's lamb's quarters from ground to plate. This morning I harvested about a dozen 4- to 5-foot stalks.

Lamb's quarters are a super food, very similar in taste to spinach but more nutritious and thrive in the heat. These "weeds" also produce loads of seeds -- upwards of 50,000 per plant or more -- that are a pseudo-grain, something like quinoa. I still haven't tried processing and cooking the seed.
 
Here are 2- to 3-foot lamb's quarters, great for eating fresh or for letting go to seed. Below are even more seedlings taking root. I'll have greens all summer long.

 

 It's time to process lamb's quarters.

I defoliated the stems and rinsed the leaves. It filled three 8-liter bowls.

I'll save the stems for kindling. I hoped they'd work as garden stakes, but they are too brittle.

 The roots and bottom foot or so of the lamb's quarters go to the chickens. They don't eat the roots, but their weight makes it easier for the girls to peck off the tender greens.

 Into the pot they go for a quick steaming.

Cooked lamb's quarters reduce in volume considerably. The serving ar left was stewed in veggie broth with carrots, garlic, and oyster mushroom. The other two batches, simply steamed with light sprinkling of salt, will go to the freezer.