Purslane Recipe

For the last few weeks Purslane has been revealing herself out of all the cracks in the pavement, rocky crannies and gutters all over Kaeo and I have been liberating it from certain death by poisons daily, popping it into the safety of my yard and little glasses of water in the kitchen. I created this delicious Purslane Recipe for my Middle Eastern Mezze class a couple of weeks back which is perfect for this time of year to make the most of the tomatoes and cucumbers coming to the end of the season.

Traditionally used in soups, salads and dips in Middle Eastern cuisine. Salsas and sauces like Chimichurri in Latin American cuisines and in Southern style curries or as an accompaniment/edible garnish to rice dishes. I have been enjoying as a toast topping and in sandwiches. Its leaves have a succulent type texture and a slightly lemony flavour, but its lack of flavour is made up by its nutrition profile which is pretty impressive.

This shot is from my Toast Post Tuesday this week and features some of this amazing nutrient powerhouse Purslane topping some of the tastiest locally grown tomatoes which are nestled into my Mushroom Pate which I made with some forged pine bolete mushrooms (scroll down for Recipe tag), on top of my daily sourdough toast, rubbed with garlic, drizzled with hempseed oil and smothered with marmite. It was as tasty as it looks and a breakfast of champions with all the health benefits piled there on a piece of toast.

Purslane is rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids, more than any other green vegetable. It is high in vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and magnesium along with relatively high in Iron also which is absorbed better when eaten with vitamin C. It has more beta-carotene than carrots, it stimulates blood circulation, reduces wrinkles, scars and blemishes, reduces inflammation in stings, strengthens bones and is good for soothing nerve pains and assist in healing nerve damage.

The minerals and anti-inflammatory properties present in purslane make it a great choice for people who want to strengthen bones and help in the prevention of osteoporosis. Calcium, magnesium, iron, and manganese are all elements required to develop bone tissue and speed bone healing.

Turkish Inspired Salad

~New Recipe~

Most Turkish inspired salads have a very similar backbone of ingredients, tomato, cucumber, red onions, parsley and extra virgin olive oil. In this version I have added walnuts for an earthy crunch, pomegranate molasses for its delicious tang and last but certainly not least, the super weed Purslane in the mix for some amazing texture and health benefits.

Vegan | Gluten-free

Serves 4-6

Gather your ingredients and prepare the following into a large bowl:

1 small red onion, finely sliced

2 T pomegranate molasses

zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp salt

Mix together well and leave to marinate while you prepare the following and add to the bowl as you go:

½ c green olives, pitted

6 tomatoes, quartered

1 cucumber, quarter lengthways and sliced

1 c parsley and/or coriander, finely chopped