Purslane

[Anna Friedman Herlihy]

Didn't get any hits on this question in the Foraging topic, so I thought I'd post a separate topic.

I think I have a bunch of purslane growing in my vegetable garden (yes, I kind of let the weeds get the better of me the past month). Can anyone confirm my id?

If this is purslane, any thoughts on recipes, seasonings that go well, etc. I did find some recipes on the internet, but they use the purslane as an accessory to the main ingredient. I'd like to showcase it.

Here's the pic.

Thanks much!

[mrbigjas]

purslane tacos. rancho gordo posted this recipe sometime last year. heat up some lard or vegetable oil. put in a couple cloves of garlic, and some sliced onion. when it's soft, add the purslane, cook till wilted, serve on fresh corn tortillas with some kind of cheese (i use cotija) and maybe a squeeze of lime. it's damn good. i have it relatively often throughout the summer. in fact i have some in my fridge right now waiting for this treatment.

[Nyleve Baar]

Definitely purslane. I can't bring myself to eat it, despite all the wonderful things I hear about it as a food. To me it's just a horrible noxious weed that can take over a garden in mere minutes. Leave a molecule - ONE SINGLE ATOMIC PARTICLE - of this dratted plant/monster in the earth and it will grow into a larger and more aggressive weed in front of your very eyes.

Having said that, bon appetit and good luck.

[mrbigjas]

that's why you should eat more of it--just think of all the omega-3 fatty acids! you won't have to eat fish oil pills, so you can save the world fish population and your garden at the same time...

[ChefCrash]

Purslane, aka Farfaheen or Baqli in Arabic.

The leaves only are used in:

1-Purslane salad (Purslane, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, s&p, dried mint).

2-In Tomatoe salad (same dressing as above)

3- In Fattoush

4- "Fatayer", a Middle Eastern pastry, the filling for which is made with Purslane, finely diced onion, Sumac, olive oil, s&p. The filling is placed in 5" rounds of basic dough, then wrapped into a triangular shape and baked.

[Pontormo]

There must be an earlier discussion somewhere since Marlena Spieler wrote an article in the NYT that inspired a number of shoppers at my local farmers market.

If you have really good, freshly dug waxy potatoes, boil them. Cut into chunks when still hot. Peel, too if you want and then drown them in wine vinegar when they're still piping hot. S & P. Fry up some bacon (or pancetta, guanciale...) and drain it except for the little bit (t or T) you pour over potatoes. Toss w washed purslane, stems and all, though cut into bits. A little EVOO and a squirt of lemon juice.

[KatieLoeb]

I just saw purslane for the first time at my local farmer's market last weekend. Tasted a little piece and thought it was awful. Tasted like lawn clippings smell - too green and clorophyll-like for me.

Perhaps I'd enjoy it more cooked. The tacos idea sounds intriguing.

[Anna Friedman Herlihy]

Hey thanks guys!

The tacos and the fatayer sound especially fab (even got some sumac powder in my spice cabinet--love it on lamb).

Very excited about this "extra" veggie that has appeared in my garden. Maybe I should forgo weeding for a month about the same time next year!

Keep the ideas coming please

[heidih]

Great suggestions so far. I spent time digging around in my magazine piles because I just know that Saveur had a piece about the big central mercado in Mexico City that I am convinced had an entire ode to a pork and purslane stew. Maybe someone else will kick in on this. I really like the idea of using the "weed" in the yard.

[rancho_gordo]

This is my purslane entry from my blog.

[Lindacakes]

It's been said before, but I think it's wonderful in salad. Baby mesclun, purslane, some fresh goat cheese, red onions, just delightful.

I can't wait to try the tacos, and try it cooked in general.

[hummingbirdkiss]

Definitely purslane. I can't bring myself to eat it, despite all the wonderful things I hear about it as a food. To me it's just a horrible noxious weed that can take over a garden in mere minutes. Leave a molecule - ONE SINGLE ATOMIC PARTICLE - of this dratted plant/monster in the earth and it will grow into a larger and more aggressive weed in front of your very eyes.

Having said that, bon appetit and good luck.

←

omg me too ..me too ...come please harvest to your hearts content!!!! I will get my omega's elsewhere..I would rather buy a pill ... it is horrible here...there are friends and bullies ..purslane is a bully and I don't like it!!!

be careful if you choose to put it in your yard!!!!

ok even if you buy it and accidenly drop a piece on a sidewalk crack that shit will grow!!!

Edited August 8, 2007 by hummingbirdkiss (log)

[mrbigjas]

This is my purslane entry from my blog.

←

hm, i know i got the idea from you, but that doesn't look like exactly what i remember -- did you do a step by step picture series or something on here or another board or something? i remember talking about whether to use lard or oil... well, whatever. i mooched the recipe and have made it numerous times, including last night. katie, i got it from the farmer's market this past week. $1.50 for a big ol' bunch--probably a pound and a half or so--which, you know, i know it should be free since it's a weed and all, but i can't complain about $1.50.

RG, you should really try puerco con verdolagas sometime. it's fantastic.

[Mottmott]

...  katie, i got it from the farmer's market this past week.  $1.50 for a big ol' bunch--probably a pound and a half or so--which, you know, i know it should be free since it's a weed and all, but i can't complain about $1.50. ...

←

Right; give the guy a break - he did pick it. I've been eyeing that stand more than buying. It makes me feel guilty. I want him to succeed as he brings some interesting things to the market. But I've been too unenergentic to try anything I can't cook (quickly) off the top of my head. Indeed, I'm mostly eating raw these days.

[Nancy in Pátzcuaro]

Be sure you pick it before it blooms. It makes a undistinguised yellow flower, and then the purslane becomes tough and too bitter for my tongue. Otherwise I love it--a bit of raw leaf in a salad is very tasty. But the best is with of egg in a taco.

N.

[rancho_gordo]

This is my purslane entry from my blog.

←

hm, i know i got the idea from you, but that doesn't look like exactly what i remember -- did you do a step by step picture series or something on here or another board or something? i remember talking about whether to use lard or oil... well, whatever. i mooched the recipe and have made it numerous times, including last night. katie, i got it from the farmer's market this past week. $1.50 for a big ol' bunch--probably a pound and a half or so--which, you know, i know it should be free since it's a weed and all, but i can't complain about $1.50.

RG, you should really try puerco con verdolagas sometime. it's fantastic.

←

Try this one.

And I will try it with pork! Thanks.

[Anna Friedman Herlihy]

Okay, so how come when I did a search on purslane, all I got was one hit in the foraging topic (not the one that Rancho Gordo just posted)???

But that is beside the point.

I made the tacos tonight and they were fabulous. Even hubby thought they were "interesting" (which means if I feed it to him a couple more times, he'll be fine with it on a more regular basis). The texture was really great--much more toothsome than other greens--and this honey-sweetened sheep farmer's cheese I had went well. I served them alongside a smoked turkey black bean soup that I made with the remnants of a turkey we smoked on Sunday. I've got a bunch of the purslane/garlic/onion/pepper mixture left (I thought it would cook down more, like other greens), so I think it will make for an excellent omelet filling in the morning.

Anyway, looking forward to trying some of the other suggestions in this thread, plus Rick Bayless has a recipe for that pork and tomatillo stew (and I've got plenty of tomatillos in the garden right now), so I will try that too.

If anyone in Chicago needs some purslane, just let me know via pm. Our whole 1/4 acre yard is organic, and I realized on a walkabout today that we have lots of it, besides what I found in the veggie garden.