Health & Fitness
Purslane: a wonderful weed!
I am a local chef who enjoys wandering around Farmers Markets in search a beautiful seasonal ingredients. My blog will hopefully demystify them and give you a few ideas and recipes for your table.
There are a few great things about visiting different Farmers Markets. First, you always find the nicest Market Managers willing to help you find just want you need – and second, you can find different vendors at different markets. I had my mind on doing something with lettuce greens this week and remembered a vendor at the Greenwich, CT Farmers Market: Two Guys from Woodbridge. Since I live in Port Chester that market is a breeze to get to. The Two Guys do a wide a variety of hydroponic greens on their farm and bring them contained in their root balls. That allows the greens to continue to thrive until you get them home. (Brilliant!) As I perused the table I noticed a small bunch of greens called purslane and decided to give them a try.
Let’s talk about Purslane. The other day I posted a picture of it on my Facebook page and my friend Ersilia, who owns Olive Oils of the World commented that she thought that was the stuff growing around her driveway. Well, truth be told, purslane is considered a wild weed in the U.S. So you’re probably saying to yourself: “Okay Maria, so why would I want to eat a weed?” Here is the amazing thing about this edible leafy plant: it’s completely loaded with vitamins and nutrients. It has more Omega-3 fatty acids than any other green leafy plant. It’s a rich source of vitamins A, B-complex, C, Iron … the list goes on and on. So my response: “Why not?” (Although I would add that it’s probably makes more sense to get this from a farmer rather than foraging around your driveway!)
Purlsane has a complex flavor, it’s slightly sour, salty and herbaceous. In scouring through my many recipes I wondered just how it might play in a soup? I came across a Food and Wine recipe that looked pretty interesting – so I thought I would give it a try. I did a little adjusting based on some things in my pantry, with great success. The result was a lovely cold zucchini soup that I would like to share with you today.
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To read more about purslane and see my easy recipe using it click here.
Maria Reina is a personal chef, caterer and recreational cooking class teacher in Port Chester, NY. In her free time she loves hanging out at local Farmers Markets in Westchester County doing cooking demos with seasonal ingredients. In addition to her blog you can follow her on Facebook and Twitter
