Every year I regret I that I haven't planted epazote (Chenopodium ambrosioides) to sell at the farmers market. It's easy to grow and people tend to ask about it. Somehow I'm always too busy and it's such an easy thing to grow, even in a pot, that I don't understand why people don't just grow it themselves. Or hunt for it.

I was walking to a favorite taco shack with my kids. The short cut is along the railroad tracks and as we were walking, I spied my favorite weed- epazote!

The tops were starting to bolt but there were lots of leaves. As I looked around, it was all over the place. I tasted a leaf and the wild, naturalized epazote has a much better, stronger flavor than the cultivated type you occasionally find at the greengrocers. The flavor is something like mint and gasoline but it's really good. I like it as part of a quesadilla but most people know it as an herb that is said to cut the flatulence caused by beans. A sprig or two in the post during the last 10 minutes or so is traditional. I don't know if it works but I like the taste.

Nico will try anything on a dare (moments later he "mooned" the passing Wine Train) but even he had trouble with the plain epazote and ended up spitting it out. Better to save it for the beans.

Dried epazote is available but I think it's pretty worthless.