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OK, I’ll admit, the name of this plant-based sandwich is misleading. You won’t find any lamb here. Instead, I’ve used a common garden weed known as “Lamb’s Quarter’s.” The flower stalks that appear in late summer give a great texture and flavor to these plant-based patties, not to mention loads of nutrition. 

The morality of plants

What a strange view our society has of weeds, which are plants that are able to grow heartily in a variety of locations. These are plants that know how to adapt, how to make a home in a new landscape. Many of these so-called weeds are actually filled with powerful nutrition and health benefits. Why do we spray them with harmful herbicides when instead we could harvest them and enjoy the vitality they bring to the supper table? 

Who has the authority to label something as a weed? Plants that are considered weeds here are treasured medicine or food in other parts of the world. They’re displaced and adaptive, which makes them unwanted. It’s true that introduced species can become invasive, choking out native plants and shifting ecosystems. Perhaps if we, as a culture, learned to identify and eat these voracious visitors, there would be less need for control measures like pesticides, and a lot of people would get access to free, nutritious food. This is known as “invasivore eating” and I absolutely love that phrase! When you are eating an invasive plant, you can harvest as much as you’d like - perhaps even some extra to share with a friend or neighbor. You’re getting a delicious meal on the cheap and helping maintain the balance of the landscape while you’re at it. Just be very cautious to forage only in areas that haven’t been sprayed. 

Harvesting such delicious “weeds” often puts me in a reflective mood. As I pull stems and work carefully, I think about the people that are disdained for their presence in this country; New Americans, many of whom are seeking asylum from unsafe conditions. They bring with them the hope of a new life, the strength of leaving their home behind, and cultural richness to share with their new neighbors. And yet, there’s no denying that New Americans face judgement and even fear or violence. I find this reaction cold and confusing. After all, isn’t the expectation for humans to learn how to adapt? We are constantly encouraged to go new places and try new things. We should honor and welcome those who have landed in our midst. I am certainly grateful for the people in my life who have found a home here and made it a more culturally rich place to live. 

This recipe is a reminder that “weed” is just a title, and that some of the best things in life can be buried under the judgements of others. Look beneath the title. 

Weedy Patties: 

These nutritious vegan patties get a little extra flavor from the addition of curry powder and dijon mustard. They go wonderfully with the spiced chutney below! 

Ingredients: 

1 (15 oz) can of chickpeas

½ onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 c. flour

1 1/2c. packed lamb’s quarter florets (will cook down to about 1 c.)

1 ½  tsp. Salt 

½ tsp. Pepper

1 tsp. Turmeric 

2  tsp. Curry powder, optional

¼ c. flaxseed meal plus ¼ c. hot water (or an egg) 

1 Tbs. dijon mustard

Directions: 

1. Drain the chickpeas and reserve both chickpeas and liquid. Add the chickpeas, onion, and garlic to a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, mix the flaxseed meal with the hot water and let sit for 5 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, add the lamb’s quarter florets to a small saucepan with a couple of cups of water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 3 minutes, then strain. You should have about a cup of cooked florets. 

3. in a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, pepper, turmeric, and curry powder.  

4. Add the flaxseed “egg”, lambs quarter, and dijon mustard to the food processor and briefly pulse to combine. Add the dry mixture and pulse again. You should have a mixture that can be formed into soft patties. If it’s too stiff, add some of the reserved chickpea juice and pulse to loosen up. Patties can be formed and pan-fried over medium heat with some oil until golden. 

Dutch Crunch Buns: 

These are such a fun textural component to a burger or sandwich! The “Dutch Crunch” refers to the topping, which is a mixture of sugar, rice flour, and a couple other things that cracks and hardens wonderfully during baking. The bread is soft with a nice bite from the coating, and they look lovely too! I based my recipe on this one combined with my mom’s famous potato buns. 

Soft Potato Buns: 

1 ½ c. almond milk

2 Tbs. non-dairy butter

⅓ c. mashed potato (yukon gold is great!) 

3 ½ - 4 c. all-purpose flour

1 Tbs. active dry yeast

1 Tbs. brown sugar

2 tsp.  salt 

Topping: 

1 Tbs. active dry yeast

½ c. warm water

1 Tbs. granulated sugar

1 Tbs. vegetable oil 

¼ tsp. Salt

¾-1 c. rice flour 

Directions: 

1. Heat the almond milk and vegan butter in a small saucepan over low heat until warm and melted, then add to a blender with the mashed potato and puree until smooth.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together 3 1/2 c. flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the almond milk mixture after it’s cooled and use the hook attachment to mix into a soft dough. (If it’s too sticky, add that extra ½ c. flour, especially if you live in a humid climate.) 

3. Knead, either by hand or using the dough hook, until the dough is elastic and smooth. 

4. Shape the dough into a ball and place into a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until it doubles in size, about one hour. 

5. Line a baking sheet with a non-stick silicone mat or parchment paper. Punch down the dough and divide into 10 pieces. Shape each into a ball by pinching the outer edges towards the middle, then place them pinch-side-down on the tray. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise again until puffy, about 40 minutes. 

6. Preheat the oven to 425F. Mix all of the topping ingredients together until smooth - you should have a thick batter-like consistency. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes. 

7. Spoon the topping evenly over the top of each bun, keeping it mostly on top (it will move slightly down the sides on its own.) Use all the topping. 

8. Bake the rolls until they are puffy and the tops are cracked and golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool. 

Watermelon Pickle Chutney: 

This recipe is based on a classic family recipe, with the addition of some pickled watermelon rind for extra flavor! It’ll make extra, so jar up anything you don’t eat right away to enjoy later. 

Ingredients: 

1 c. watermelon rind pickles, chopped (optional) 

2 crisp, slightly tart apples, peeled, cored, and chopped

½ c. chopped onion

1 tsp. Minced garlic

1 ½  c. dark raisins

¾  c. brown sugar

¼ c. lime juice

⅓  c. apple cider vinegar 

½ tsp. Allspice

½ tsp. Cloves

½ tsp. Ginger

Pinch black pepper 

Directions: 

1. Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the mixture is thick. 

2. Transfer to sterilized jars or a serving bowl. Keeps in the fridge up to 2 weeks, or you can freeze it much longer. 

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