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.