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Where to Get Them

If you think, "Why would I buy weeds when I can find them in the backyard?," a new book by John Kallas, PhD, Edible Wild Plants, is an excellent guide to identifying and cooking 17 of the most common wild greens. (However, it pays to be cautious. "Some wild greens have poisonous look-alikes," says Steve Brill, who leads foraging expeditions in the New York City area.) If you'd rather have someone else do the foraging for you, farmers' markets and upscale grocers are a good place to start.

How to Cook Them

Wild greens can range in flavor from mild (lamb's quarters) to pungent (wild mustard) or bitter (dandelions). You can soften intense flavors by cooking the greens with sweet vegetables, like carrots or beets, or adding soy sauce or ham. Still, some greens pose unique challenges. "You have to wonder who first decided to pick stinging nettles and put them in a pot," says cookbook author Jesse Ziff Cool. "But they make a great soup."

Here's a cook's guide to four common varieties:

Chickweed (far left): The tiny, delicately flavored leaves can be used as a substitute for sprouts.

Lamb's Quarters (A.K.A. Wild Spinach) (second from left): Try tossing it into a salad; the flavor is mild enough to use in place of domesticated spinach or lettuce.

Purslane (second from right): With a crunchy texture and hint of lemon flavor, it makes a delicious garnish for salads.

Dandelion Greens (far right): Look for baby greens in early spring, when they tend to be more tender and less bitter.

Make your own gingered dandelion greens with this simple recipe

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