Steamed Shepherd’s Purse with Lemon and Oil

So simple it is hardly a recipe. Yet the brief steaming is what makes the case for this vegetable, to my taste. The rosettes become succulent yet firm, with a collard-kale tinge, but softer. Small plants of about the same size will cook evenly and look prettiest.

Figure on 2 or 3 ounces of cleaned shepherd’s purse per serving. If it’s small and tidy, you won’t need more. If it’s straggly or dirty, buy about 4 ounces per person to allow for trimming.