an ID

[rushthatspeaks]

The thing the farm share sent us that had stems as well as leaves has been positively identified by fiddledragon as purslane.

Comments

[zdenka]

Really?! That's amazing! My only reference for purslane is in the Biblical book of Job, where something or other is described as "like the slime of the purslane; you cannot eat it." Huh. Well, I don't know about the slime, but the leaves are quite good (and non-slimy, thankfully).

[rushthatspeaks.livejournal.com]

fiddledragon cautioned us not to freeze it, on the grounds that it disintegrates into a hideous mass of mucilaginous slime. I imagine it may do this if cooked incorrectly in other ways, too, and that once it does there is nothing to do but throw it out.

[zdenka]

Cool. I've learned something new today.

[larryhammer]

Ah! We got some of that from our farmer a couple months ago. It stir-fries well.

---L.

[breadandroses.livejournal.com]

oh! i didn't picture it as that small, for some reason.

I just made a very tasty salad with purslane, adapted from a few versions of a Turkish recipe I found around. Take the leaves off the stems, add some sliced cucumbers, then make a sauce of plain yogurt, minced garlic, and salt, with a bit of ice water to smooth it out if need be. Mix all together, adding fresh herbs like mint, dill, and or cilantro if you like.

[signy1.livejournal.com]

Hmm... I've been pulling that out of my garden all summer. I should have tried raising it instead-- goodness knows it was the most successful plant in there.