Purslane

[doak]

Any one ever try this "weed" in salads or stir fries?
dpak

[reinbeau]

Yep, I use it in salads, heck, when I'm weeding I eat it fresh out of the soil!

[Jessaboo]

Love it but in small doses or else some of our family get "intestinal distress"

This is our favorite purslane recipe. It is a great "take along" and it only gets better the longer it sits so make a larger batch and have it all week. It is obviously easy to adjust if you prefer more or less of any specific ingredient. Sometimes I add a tomato for taste and color. I like to use coarse salt when smashing the garlic but any salt will do.

1 cucumber
1/2 of a red onion
1/2 cup puslane leaves and tender stems
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 - 1 small garlic clove
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper (or Crazy Jane's Mixed Up Salt)

Peeling cucumber is optional but it should be seeded. I usually peel it in stripes (which leaves it about 1/2 peeled).Chop into bite sized pieces. Quarter onion and slice very thin and add to cucumber. Add purslane and parsley. Smash garlic with a few pinches of salt until it is smooth. Add vinegar. Wisk in oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour over cukes, toss and refrig for at least one hour.

- Jess

[Vetch]

My grandmother used to collect it whenever she went into the mountains (she lived in Denver). She would pick bags and bags, and freeze it. It is popular in the Greek, Italian and other South European cultures - the salad recipe you gave sounds somewhat familiar. Purslane is a good source of omega-3 oils.

[Cindi]

Oh Purslane, my hate....sorry.   Somehow Purslane got into one particular garden bed, my corn patch.  It is the most invasive species of flat growing ground cover that I have ever seen.  It took over everything last year in that area, despite my futile attempts to eradicate it by weeding.  This year I spread about 6 inches of turkey poop all over that area, with the hope that it burned the stuff right up.  I will know soon if it worked.  I would love to buy purslane already grown and picked.  But having it around my gardens, what a nightmare....not going there, not doing that.  Beautiful and the most wonderfully great day, be careful of where you plant purslane.  Cindi

[Scadsobees]

My dad once got so sick of all of it that he picked it and cooked it up like spinach.  We all tried some.

Haven't tried it since.

Dandelion cookies are aweful too, btw....