A ragweed and mugwort patch growing wildly in Brooklyn.
The male flowers of giant ragweed. Magnified on a laptop screen their structure is organized and exquisite, alien and efficient.
The washed leaves of common and giant ragweeds ahead of cooking.
A favorite recipe: Picnic tarts filled with blanched ragweed.
The mature flowers—blanched or steamed—go into savory, custardy tartlets or hand pies, and are tossed with barley or lentils in warm salads.
Dried, the male flowers keep indefinitely and can be deployed as a flavorful ingredient in seed crackers and breads.
For the curious, the only time the pollen becomes an issue is when these dry flowers are stripped from brittle stalks. A mask worn for five minutes during prep is the pandemic-trained answer.