Purslane - what do you do with it?

[tcamp]

I've encountered a good source of pesticide-free weed and wonder what you suggest?

[GilaB]

I made a WONDERFUL simple salad this past week with purslane (big stems removed, but I didn't pick every leaf off the smaller branches), chopped good peaches, and minced sweet onion, dressed simply with good olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. My guests, none of whom were particularly adventurous eaters, devoured it.

[foodarts56]

We would always look forward to purslane in the spring and my mom always made it into a delicious little stew with braised pork riblets, onions, garlic, green chile and tomatoes. Black beans and corn tortillas always on the side. Even better re-heated as leftovers (rarely any).

[EricMM]

I feed it to my tortoises. I've tried to like it, but I can't. Don't like the sourness. (I hate sorrell also).
Not a fan of most weeds....I like store bought dandelion, sauteed, but not the stuff from my garden. That goes to the tortoises also, along with plantain. But I do have fond memories of the nettles I used to pick in college....they tasted good. And they didn't sting when I grasped them firmly.....

[corncakes]

We had a wonderful dish with purslane in Istanbul at the Cukor Meyhane. It was thick yogurt mixed with raw grated celeric and chopped purslane. Delicious with fish or chicken or as a dip. Back home, purslane is hard to find so I make it with chopped arugula and a squirt or two of lemon juice instead.

[corncakes]

Just noticed my typo....that's celeriac....celery root....just in case anyone thought I was trying to say celery! It really is a terrific little condiment....

[JungMann]

I do something similar but mix purslane and scallions in thick yogurt mixed with garlic, sumac, Aleppo pepper, mint and rose water. Celeriac seems like an interesting textural change.

[corncakes]

mmm...I'll try this one too!

[Chowrin]

evil evil stuff, just like okra. Marked in my house as : Do Not Eat.

[Bacardi1]

No, not "evil evil stuff". It's simply a matter of personal preference.

[Chowrin]

am expressing my personal preference.

[ta24jc]

Here...I'm not gonna type the whole link, I'll just let you read it for yourself:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portulac...

Just be aware that raw purslane has a tendency toward being slightly laxative. Which, in all, may not be a bad thing, speaking dietarily. As an aside, I have this stuff growing in my garden, in pots and in buckets, and have seen it for SALE at farmers' markets for upwards of $2.00/pound.

[GhostofaFlea]

In Dunlops "Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook" there's a Hunan recipe which stir-fries purslane with chiles and ginger, then finishes them with a slosh of vinegar.

[ipsedixit]

Some previous ideas here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/643387

Personally, I would sautee with some EVOO, garlic, and onions, then puree and make purslane soup.

[huiray]

How about a sautée? My friends and I shared a dish of it as a side when we last ate at Barbuto in NYC and it was revelatory especially with the main dishes we had.

[Bacardi1]

I've never had it cooked. What is the texture like? Does it get slimy or stay relatively crisp?

[huiray]

Relatively crisp. The dish we had was more along the lines of a sauté/stir-fry, if that makes sense. It was soft-crunchy, interesting taste, accompanied well the seared ribeye it was presented with - but it went swimmingly with the (famous) Jonathan Waxman chicken as well as a fabulous pasta dish. IIRC it evoked just slightly stir-fried watercress, although the flavors are not the same. I could imagine that it would turn to mush if you cooked it to death; and would suspect that it might have a slimy texture as well - but I have not done that to find out. :-)

[Bacardi1]

Thanks! That's what I was thinking as well - that since its interior is a bit muciliginous(sp?), it might get slimy when cooked. If I try it, I'll have to remember to keep it quick.

[Madrid]

eat your books has a lot purslane recipes. hate to hear about burning it....but it is a weed, like nettles and the "sour grass" we found as kids in NC...I love sorrel now.

[Querencia]

Look in "Walden". Thoreau mentions eating it. I think he boiled it. Although Bacardi's salad sounds better to me.

[Bacardi1]

I remove the tiny fleshy little leaves from the stems, discard the stems, & sprinkle/toss the leaves in green salads. They add a nice tangy sort of citrusy flavor.

And for those who really become fans of Purslane, there are dometicated versions available from seed companies. Leaves are larger & plants are less scraggly. There's even a gold-leaved type.

[chefathome]

The patches of it in our garden on our farm when I was growing up were so extensive that we had to pick it and burn it. Each tiny piece of it would grow very quickly and make dreadful mats all over. We often picked several 5-gallon pails of the stuff. So, my purslane memories are not the fondest.

Getting beyond that, I agree that it is best in salads with a tart vinaigrette.