Gather about 10–15 shoots to serve 3 or 4 people. Peel off the bigger leaves on either side, leaving the topmost leaves on. Bring a pot of water (about 4 quarts) to a boil, then add the cleaned shoots. Boil for 7–10 minutes. Toss out the water (this step is important—we don’t want to ingest this water) and sauté the boiled and drained shoots in a little salt and butter for a few minutes. Serve with other spring veggies or as a side dish.

Photo by Anurag Agrawal, Cornell University, author of Monarchs and Milkweed. More at Herbivory.com.