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Yummy and Nutritious Sidewalk Weed


"We're having sidewalk weed again."

"Oh joy," said the husband.

Not really. He didn't say that. He just ate it. Until a few years ago, he didn't know that the weed he saw growing wildly along the sidewalk and on vacant lots was edible. Ha! Then he met me.

Specifically, I'm talking about purslane, also known as pigsweed. Portulaca oleracea is its scientific name. The Mexicans call it verdolaga. The Mama calls it kakalangay (an approximate Ilocano spelling to what I hear). Not ngalog, she says. That's something else.

Have I lost you? I'm talking about the fleshy, pinkish looking weed that spreads out on the ground. It look anemic and very unappetizing. Water it, and voila, you have what you see in that photo above. It is good to eat.

Very good to eat, in fact. Tasty, too. The weed, okay the herb, is high in vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, potassium, and a whole bunch of the B-vitamin complex. It's also rich in omega-3 fatty acid goodness. Better than fish oil, unless you like fish oil.

When I was a kid, the stuff grew wild in the backyard. Now and then, the Mama boiled it and mixed it with tomatoes and fish sauce. I didn't care for it, but that could've been because of the heavy fish sauce.

Today, I like eating purslane. More so, when I learned that it provides me with the nutrition I need, particularly omega-3. And, these days, it's a summer staple food ever since the year Mama cooked it and the husband  didn't gag or say "Yuck."  In other words, we eat it often. The mama harvests the wild growth from between her vegetable rows. This year, it wasn't coming in quick enough for her, so she planted some in a box. And, that means, I'm continually thinking of new ways to cook the herb.

Last night, I added about 2 lose cups of purslane to my kahula pork recipe. Earlier this week, I created this tasty, quick and easy corn recipe.

Ingredients
Corn from two corn cobs
2 hand fulls of purslane
1/4 cup of diced chives (or green onion)
1 tablespoon butter substitute (or butter or olive oil)
Black pepper
Salt (optional)
Steps
  1. Heat fat in pan.
  2. Saute purslane until slightly limp (less than a minute).
  3. Add corn and chives. Stir frequently.
  4. Add black pepper and salt to your taste. Remove the pan from the heat when the veggies are done to the firmness that you like.
If you don't feel confident about digging it out of your yard or the streets, then you just might find purslane at your farmers market.

Want to know more about purslane? Well, then, here you go:
P.S. I just linked up to these Friday linky parties. Check 'em out!
Saving Money and Living Life: Faboulous Friday Linky Party
The Shabby Nest: Frugal Friday
Whistlestop Cafe Cooking: Friday's Favorite Linky Party
 P.P.S. I love a party. Here are three more I've just joined. Recipes galore at these ones.
Foodie Fridays
Wholesome Whole Foods
Fight Back Friday 

    Comments

    1. Seriously?
      I have never heard of this~ but I'm game to try just about anything. Bill, Now, THAT is another story!

      ReplyDelete
    2. Yep, Sandi, seriously. :-) You can eat it as a raw salad or cooked in beans, stews, and whatever else you can think of. Thanks for stopping by.

      ReplyDelete
    3. Lorelei aka HawaiigirlJuly 16, 2010 at 7:06 PM

      I *think* I just pulled and threw out a whole bunch of this stuff when I was weeding today. Think it grows in Hawaii? The kids will be just thrilled if it's edible (ha!).

      ReplyDelete
    4. Lorelei, yea, I bet it does grow there. And I bet it tastes better than the it does over here just because of the water and the air. I'm glad you stopped by.

      ReplyDelete
    5. Hi,
      That looks good.
      Thank-you for stopping by my blog.
      I hope to talk with you again.
      From Follow Friday and Over.
      I am following you now too.
      Have a great week.
      http://www.lisasglutenfree.com
      http://misc-oceansky.blogspot.com

      ReplyDelete
    6. Thanks so much for coming to visit me! This looks great! Following along now ... :)

      foodfloozie.blogspot.com

      ReplyDelete
    7. This is great news! I have this stuff growing all over. Also lamb's quarters and plantain. Lamb's quarters is good with hot peppers and garlic, stirfried in olive oil. (Well, probably anything is good with hot peppers and garlic, stirfried in olive oil.) :-) thanks for visiting Cranberry Morning!

      and thanks for the purslane recipe!

      ReplyDelete
    8. Thanks for stopping by my blog and the comment. I'm really interested in this post. I like to eat raw wild greens but I'm not always sure about what I'm picking. I ran across an unsprayed patch of nettles, got gloves and cut them for steamed greens. I don't see purslane in Montana. Does it only grow in warmer climates? Good post.

      ReplyDelete
    9. I just recently learned this was edible. I went right out front and pulled some from the sidewalk and had a nibble. It's good! Sadly, I don't think I could come up with two cups. But maybe if I transplant some to a protected spot and let it go... How else do you use purslane?

      ReplyDelete
    10. Hi and thanx for coming by my blog from Friday Follow!
      Your blog looks interesting though I do not cook, so this post is not really calling to me. But your other posts look fun and intriguing! I will be back!

      ReplyDelete
    11. I am always nervous to eat weeds. I am always afraid I will pick something poisonous - I really need to step out of the box!
      Your mama sounds like an amazing woman!

      ReplyDelete
    12. Hi!!!

      Thanks for stopping by my blog and visiting the Follow Friday 40 and Over Blog Hop!

      I am now following you. And what a great blog you have!! I'm really looking forward to our friendship!! Please follow me back if you haven’t already done so!

      I would also like to invite you to join the Over 40 Bloggers Club!! Take a look and join in the fun!

      Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!!

      ReplyDelete
    13. Hello, hello, everyone and welcome to my blog. Thanks for coming by and leaving your comments. I feel like it's a party going on here. Whoo-hoo!

      Lisa, Yenta Mary, and Java, thanks for becoming followers to my blog. I appreciate it. :-)

      Cranberry Morning, I so agree. Anything cooked with garlic and hot peppers in olive oil is just yummy!

      Manzanita, I'm glad you liked this post. I've always wondered about nettles, but haven't found a source for 'em yet. I've read that common purslane grows mostly in warm and temperate climates.

      Maggie, I've cooked also purslane in bean dishes, fried rice, and stir fries. I'm going to experiment combining it with basil soon.

      Brenda Susan, drop on by anytime. I never know what I'll write about next. :-)

      Christy, yep, the mama is very amazing indeed.

      Java, thank you! I shall definitely check out the Over 40 Bloggers Club.

      ReplyDelete
    14. this is fascinating. that weed looks like a jade plant, but i'm guessing it's not a jade plant at all. jade plants have those thick leaves i always want to bite into, but never do.

      ReplyDelete
    15. Wow, very interesting! I've never heard of this before but I think we have some growing here. I'll have to have my husband look. Thanks for the info!

      I'm stopping by from Java's 'Follow Friday 40 & Over'. I wanted to say hello and share some comment lo♥e.

      I really like your blog! I can't wait to read more and get to know you a little better. I just became your newest Follower and I would be really honored if you would take a few minutes to check out my blog and follow me, too, if you like what you see.

      In the meantime, I hope you are enjoying a beautiful Sunday!

      Blessings,

      Teresa <><

      ♥ Too Many Heartbeats ♥

      ReplyDelete
    16. Ed, the jade plant is definitely not purslane, but the two are related. I had to go look and found a blog talking about elephants eating jade plants. Here's the link http://elephantseyegarden.blogspot.com/2010/03/spekboom-jade-plant.html. I don't know if I'd really want to try eating jade plant until some humans tell me it's okay.

      Teresa, thanks for stopping by and I'm happy to know you like my blog. I will definitely go check out yours.

      ReplyDelete
    17. Well you learn something new everyday!!!!!!!! I was just pulling some of that out of the garden, mentally hating it as it grows so fast once it gets started. So nice to meet you on FF.

      ReplyDelete
    18. Jacqueline, pleasure to meet you too. Glad you stopped by.

      ReplyDelete

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    Thanks for the good cheer. :-)

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