Too simple to call a recipe. But the most simple meals are sometimes the best.
I bought a fat bunch of purslane for $2.50 at the Borough Hall Farmers' market. Mostly, I like it for its crunch. Its mind-boggling nutritional value is a secondary consideration. More omega 3 than anything else, for a start, so put away your fish oil capsules. And: "Purslane in particular is an anti-depressant food. According to James A. Duke, PhD, purslane has up to 16 antidepressant compounds; among them are magnesium, potassium, calcium, folate, and lithium. Purslane also contains essential fatty acids." James A. Duke.
At home I plunged it into a deep bath of cool water so that it could revive. It wilts fast in the sun. After a few hours it had plumped back up again.
My lunch:
Half a cup of Greek yogurt
Pinch of salt
1 small garlic cove, mashed to a pulp
About 10 mint leaves, chopped
Mix this all together and keep cold. Pick half a cupful of purlsane leaves, stir half of these into the yogurt, and arrange the rest on top. Eat with pita wedges or crackers or good bread.
So glad to see someone else praising purslane! I love the stuff, and somehow feel better when I eat all of these strange and interesting semi-wild greens. Keep on keeping on! :)
ReplyDeleteNext friday you can weed and feed at the farm :)
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favorites ... sorry I didn't know to pick it from the sidewalk cracks when I was growing up in Mississippi. Chopped purslane, tomato (perfect match), cucumber, maybe some small pieces of dried bread to absorb the tomato juices, a few chopped mint leaves. Add couscous or beans if you want. Olives? Dress with lemon juice and olive oil. I vary the ingredients on whim. Good with a small piece of sauteed fresh fish. Or canned tuna.
ReplyDeleteHi V - do you have any favourite West Coast greens?
ReplyDeleteFrank - excellent idea...
James - you should write about food, you've made me quite hungry! I love the bread idea. And tuna. Last night we had bruschetta topped with the raw purslane leaves and just-cooked end- of-season garlic scapes, with lemon, olive oil and garlic.
Add ground sumac, transparently sliced red onions, minced flat leaf parsley to the chopped mint, and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses with a healthy pinch of a light salt like pink himalayan. Serve w/ pide, naan, lamb, adana kebap, and a fork. Drink aryan, a pale ale, or a sharp yet soft white, from anywhere that moves you.
ReplyDeleteYummy.
Pritha
Pritha - Brava! Brava!
ReplyDeleteIs this the purslane that's growing in my garden - with lovely pink blossoms - a cousin to portulaca?
ReplyDeleteHi webb - This purlsane is Portulaca oleracea, and you can eat the ornamental one, too, if you like.
ReplyDeleteI like to eat purslane mainly because it is filled with health goodness. I am going to try this recipe with crackers. Can't let go my crackers either. thanks for the simple recipe.
ReplyDelete