It’s fine to shop at farmers markets and grocery stores for recipe ingredients. But what if you could gather some of them by foraging—and, at the same time, help rid your region of non-native plant species that are harming America’s ecosystems? According to the National Wildlife Federation, about 42 percent of today’s threatened or endangered species are at risk because of invasive species. Be sure to forage only in nonpolluted areas, and verify plant identity with an expert or a smartphone app. Here are four invasives to look for—and ideas for serving them up.

Native to Armenia, the plant has thorny thickets that smother other species, block access through woods, and injure livestock.