Especially in Indian
regions, almost anything might turn up picked and sold in mercados as potherbs -- herbs
boiled in water to make "greens," like turnip greens or spinach. Here are the
two most commonly encountered:
 Quelite, or
lambs-quarters, Chenopodium alba of the goosefoot family, is shown
at the top in the photo. Quelite is a weedy herb found in much of North and
Central America, and when you cook it, pour off the first water, and then eat it, it's
much improved by the addition of butter and lemon juice. -
- Verdolaga, or
purslane, at the bottom in the picture, is a succulent herb, Portulaca oleracea
of the purslane family. It grows as a weed in much of the world, including most of North
America. Nonetheless, it's one weed that tastes good cooked and seasoned with a little
butter and lemon juice.
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