Super Purslane: A Weed You Can Eat

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Wednesday, October 01, 2014

Amelie Rousseau, GoLocalPDX Contributor

For all of you who believe that one person’s weed is another’s delicacy, look no farther than your own backyard.

Of course, in savvier-than-thou Portland, y’all know that weeds can be food. This week GoLocalPDX offers you urban foragers a new superfood favorite: purslane.

A trailing ground cover, purslane makes up for its short stature by packing a serious nutrient punch. Full of vitamins A and C, riboflavin, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and manganese, and omega-3s, this “weed” isn’t kidding around. Purslane got its big break in the U.S. after Michael Pollan dubbed it one of “the most nutritious foods in the world” in his book, "The Omnivore’s Dilemma" in 2006.

It's everywhere

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is like an overplayed Maroon 5 song. Once you begin to recognize it, you notice it everywhere. Red-stemmed purslane crawls up through the cracks of NE Mississippi Avenue's sidewalks and hides under perfectly manicured hydrangeas along NW 23rd. Humble, but tough as nails, purslane’s water-rich leaves allow it to outlive other plants during these hot dry months.

Purslane grows all over North America, but the creeping herb originated in the hot, arid climates of India and Iran.

The stems, leaves, seeds, and flowers are all edible. In India, women add it to lentil dal in place of spinach or sauté the leaves into a spicy tomato curry. Take a handful of purslane stems to your next summer canning party and snuggle them in between your cucumber cornichons or spicy radish kimchi to add a crisp lemony flavor.

Take it from Martha. No, not that one: the first first lady.

Mrs. Martha Washington writes in 1749: "Gather ye pursland when it [is] stalkie & will snap when you break it. Boyle it in a kettle of fayre water without any salt, & when it is tender, make a pickle of salt & water, as you doe for other pickles. And when it is cold, make it pretty sharp with vinegar and cover it as you did ye other prementioned pickles."

Purslane is best fresh in salads, but can be cooked into stews, soups and omelets. For more ideas on cooking purslane, check out Euell Gibbons’s recommendations in "Stalking the Wild Asparagus."

Note: If a snapped stem oozes a milky-white substance, do not eat it. This is purslane’s inedible doppelganger, ‘Spurge,’ which has much thinner stems and less fleshy leaves.

 

Salade Khorfeh: Shirazi Style Purslane Salad

This simple vegan side dish is a year-round Iranian staple. Here in Portland, it’s perfect for using up July’s garden cucumbers and tomatoes. Serves 4-6 people.

Ingredients:

●     2 cups purslane leaves

●     5 Persian cucumbers or any small and seedless cucumbers, peeled and diced

●     4 medium ripe tomatoes, diced

●     1 small shallot, diced

●     10 fresh mint leaves, slivered (or 1 tsp dried mint)

●     1/3 cup olive or vegetable oil

●     1/3 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice

●     Salt and pepper to taste

In one bowl, combined all chopped vegetables. Put oil, mint, and lemon in a small jar and shake to combine. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh mint on top. 

An urban farmer and master gardener, Amélie Rousseau writes for fellow explorers and eaters of the plant kingdom. It's a jungle out there. 

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