Turning backyard weeds into dessert

First you pick weeds.

When Wanda Coyan first mentioned her recipe for real marshmallow, the weeds part was a mystery.

Coyan has a knack for finding fascinating uses for the same weeds that are cursed in other gardens. Lambs' quarters show up in delectable salads, while nettles morph into tasty lasagna filling.Seeds from the white-flowered shepherd's purse that infests our back lot become spicy Indian pepper to Coyan's experienced eye, while yarrow is nature's fever reducer or a poultice for bleeding. So its no surprise that Wanda would know that a pesky weed holds the secret to the perfect marshmallow topping.

Here is her surprisingly easy recipe for making real marshmallow:

1. Locate a wild mallow weed or three. An extremely common yard pest, the mallow or cheese weed bears tiny pink flowers (tasty in salads, Coyan points out), and is easy to identify by its tiny green fruits resembling miniature cheese wheels. Gather a handful or two of the biggest cheese wheels you can find, pluck off the green outer leaves, and wash well.

2. Cook the cheese wheels in a small amount of water (approximately 3⁄4 cup) for 15-20 minutes, or until the water thickens to the consistency of egg white. Strain out the cheese wheel fruits with a sieve and discard. Let the liquid cool.

3. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla to the liquid and beat with an electric mixer. As the mixture begins to foam, slowly add 3-4 tablespoons of powdered sugar to taste. Continue beating until the froth triples in size and the marshmallow forms firm peaks. Spoon onto your favorite cake or dessert.