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Netanya Sadoff
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July is the month our gardens oft experience a spike in issues. From pests to weeds to fungi, lots of unwelcome guests find their way into our precious veggie patches as the sun shines bright and hot overhead. Fortunately for us, many of the so-called weeds we so detest are actually native and delicious edible plants! Furthermore, the height of summer is also the best time to hunt for chanterelles, a delicacy sought by professional chefs and mushroom lovers alike.
This recipe focuses on easy-to-find (and hard to mistake) fungi and plants. Namely, we will be using chanterelle mushrooms and the common garden weed Chenopodium album, known colloquially as lamb’s quarters, wild spinach, or white goosefoot.
Closely related to both quinoa and spinach, lamb’s quarters is characterized with an earthy, nutty flavor and tender, velvety leaves shaped like an arrowhead. It often worms its way into garden beds and pathways, as well as disturbed areas like old parking lots and unmanaged yards. I personally find it growing plentifully along my driveway and the sidewalk.
When harvesting lamb’s quarters, be sure to only harvest plants from areas not sprayed with pesticides and at least a few feet from the nearest sidewalk. Young plants are most desirable, as older specimens become more bitter and brittle with age.
If you can’t find lamb’s quarters to forage, don’t worry! You can substitute in arugula or spinach for lamb’s quarters, or any other dark, leafy green for that matter. I personally opt for arugula, as it’s nutty, slightly bitter flavor is most similar to lamb’s quarters in my experience.
Chanterelle mushrooms benefit from being soaked in a cool bowl of water for 30 minutes to help dislodge hard-to-remove dirt. Scrub mushrooms vigorously with a bristly brush to remove dirt and debris.
Chanterelle mushrooms are one of the darlings of foragers and foodies across the Northern Hemisphere. They are easy to spot, difficult (but not impossible) to mistake for poisonous lookalikes, and taste absolutely heavenly in stews, frittatas, sauces, or simply sauteed in your choice of oil or fat.
Chanterelles are less likely (but not impossible!) to be found in or around your garden, especially when compared to the plentifulness of lamb’s quarters. To find wild chanterelles, try heading to a wooded park and scan the forest floor for patches of yellow-orange mushrooms in the subsequent days following cool, rainy nights in mid-late summer. Chanterelles form symbiotic mycorrhizal relationships with trees, and are especially common near and around oak trees.
True chanterelles are distinguished from wannabee lookalikes by their wavy, concave cap and veining, rounded gills that branch out like a tree towards the top of the mushroom. They also smell faintly of apricots—a trait missing in poisonous lookalikes such as the false chanterelle (Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca) and Jack-O’-Lantern mushroom (Omphalotus olearius).
For more information on identifying and foraging chanterelle mushrooms, check out our partner The Forager Chef’s page on chanterelles.
If you want to experiment with chanterelles but don’t want to risk picking your own, we get it! Fortunately, chanterelles can be found fresh at select farmer’s markets, co-ops, and specialty stores in July and August. Dried chanterelles are more affordable, and can be found year-round in the same places, as well as some grocery stores such as Lunds & Byerlys and Fresh Thyme.
Note: I get it, I’m also a garlic fiend! However, this recipe uses very delicate flavors and aromas that can be easily overpowered by too much garlic. I use either one small garlic clove or half of a large garlic clove to add a complementary flavor while allowing the chanterelle and lamb’s quarter’s to really shine.
Step 1: Cut large chanterelles into bite size pieces, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
Step 2: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter under medium-low heat. When the butter is melted, add in your chanterelles and sauté on medium heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
Step 3: Throw in your lamb’s quarters (or other dark leafy greens) minced garlic, and red pepper flakes. Sautee until the garlic aroma mingles in with the chanterelle and becomes mouthwatering, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 4: Pour in the wine, then put the sauce on a low simmer on a back burner, covered.
Step 5: Boil a large pot of salted water over high heat. Once boiling, add your ravioli and cook as instructed on the packaging. Drain the water in the sink then throw the pasta back into the pot. Add the sauce into the pasta pot and toss together until well integrated.
To serve, divide pasta into bowls. Top each bowl with fresh oregano and grated parmesan, and enjoy.
Netanya Sadoff is a bold young writer and educator with a passion for all things gardening. A lifelong plant enthusiast, Netanya is delighted to contribute to Northern Gardener as their Marketing Intern since June 2025.
Follow them @Net.Sadoff on Instagram.
The post Recipe: Ravioli with Foraged Chanterelles and Lamb’s Quarters appeared first on Northern Gardener.
This recipe focuses on easy-to-find (and hard to mistake) fungi and plants. Namely, we will be using chanterelle mushrooms and the common garden weed Chenopodium album, known colloquially as lamb’s quarters, wild spinach, or white goosefoot.
Lamb’s Quarters – Chenopodium album
Closely related to both quinoa and spinach, lamb’s quarters is characterized with an earthy, nutty flavor and tender, velvety leaves shaped like an arrowhead. It often worms its way into garden beds and pathways, as well as disturbed areas like old parking lots and unmanaged yards. I personally find it growing plentifully along my driveway and the sidewalk.
When harvesting lamb’s quarters, be sure to only harvest plants from areas not sprayed with pesticides and at least a few feet from the nearest sidewalk. Young plants are most desirable, as older specimens become more bitter and brittle with age.
If you can’t find lamb’s quarters to forage, don’t worry! You can substitute in arugula or spinach for lamb’s quarters, or any other dark, leafy green for that matter. I personally opt for arugula, as it’s nutty, slightly bitter flavor is most similar to lamb’s quarters in my experience.
Chanterelle mushrooms benefit from being soaked in a cool bowl of water for 30 minutes to help dislodge hard-to-remove dirt. Scrub mushrooms vigorously with a bristly brush to remove dirt and debris.
Chanterelle mushrooms – Cantharellus sp.
Chanterelle mushrooms are one of the darlings of foragers and foodies across the Northern Hemisphere. They are easy to spot, difficult (but not impossible) to mistake for poisonous lookalikes, and taste absolutely heavenly in stews, frittatas, sauces, or simply sauteed in your choice of oil or fat.
Chanterelles are less likely (but not impossible!) to be found in or around your garden, especially when compared to the plentifulness of lamb’s quarters. To find wild chanterelles, try heading to a wooded park and scan the forest floor for patches of yellow-orange mushrooms in the subsequent days following cool, rainy nights in mid-late summer. Chanterelles form symbiotic mycorrhizal relationships with trees, and are especially common near and around oak trees.
True chanterelles are distinguished from wannabee lookalikes by their wavy, concave cap and veining, rounded gills that branch out like a tree towards the top of the mushroom. They also smell faintly of apricots—a trait missing in poisonous lookalikes such as the false chanterelle (Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca) and Jack-O’-Lantern mushroom (Omphalotus olearius).
For more information on identifying and foraging chanterelle mushrooms, check out our partner The Forager Chef’s page on chanterelles.
If you want to experiment with chanterelles but don’t want to risk picking your own, we get it! Fortunately, chanterelles can be found fresh at select farmer’s markets, co-ops, and specialty stores in July and August. Dried chanterelles are more affordable, and can be found year-round in the same places, as well as some grocery stores such as Lunds & Byerlys and Fresh Thyme.
Recipe: Ravioli with chanterelles and Lamb’s Quarters
Cooking time: 25 minutes. 2 servings.
Ingredients:
- 1 package refrigerated cheese ravioli, about 9 oz.
- I use ricotta and lemon zest ravioli from Trader Joes, but use your favorite!
- 2 cups fresh or rehydrated chanterelles
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup lamb’s quarters (or, sub spinach or arugula for 1/2–full cup)
- 1/4 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
- 1 tsp fresh oregano
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Freshly grated parmesan, to taste.
- 1 tsp lemon zest (optional)
Note: I get it, I’m also a garlic fiend! However, this recipe uses very delicate flavors and aromas that can be easily overpowered by too much garlic. I use either one small garlic clove or half of a large garlic clove to add a complementary flavor while allowing the chanterelle and lamb’s quarter’s to really shine.
Make the sauce
Step 1: Cut large chanterelles into bite size pieces, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
Step 2: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter under medium-low heat. When the butter is melted, add in your chanterelles and sauté on medium heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
Step 3: Throw in your lamb’s quarters (or other dark leafy greens) minced garlic, and red pepper flakes. Sautee until the garlic aroma mingles in with the chanterelle and becomes mouthwatering, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 4: Pour in the wine, then put the sauce on a low simmer on a back burner, covered.
Cook the ravioli
Step 5: Boil a large pot of salted water over high heat. Once boiling, add your ravioli and cook as instructed on the packaging. Drain the water in the sink then throw the pasta back into the pot. Add the sauce into the pasta pot and toss together until well integrated.
To serve, divide pasta into bowls. Top each bowl with fresh oregano and grated parmesan, and enjoy.
Netanya Sadoff is a bold young writer and educator with a passion for all things gardening. A lifelong plant enthusiast, Netanya is delighted to contribute to Northern Gardener as their Marketing Intern since June 2025.
Follow them @Net.Sadoff on Instagram.
The post Recipe: Ravioli with Foraged Chanterelles and Lamb’s Quarters appeared first on Northern Gardener.