Purslane Salsa

Purslane

This time of year, a lot of gardeners are talking about weeds. Tired of pulling them, tired of fighting them. You might not know it , but you can eat some of them. Purslane is a very edible “weed” and is growing like crazy right now. It is tolerant of hot, dry weather. The thick, fleshy leaves and stems are pretty hard to miss. Purlane tastes good raw or cooked. The flavor is a little lemony. Quite pleasant. I like to use the leaves raw, in a type of salsa or relish. So if you are tired of pulling weeds, look and see if you have purslane. Then you can think of it as harvesting, not weeding.

Purslane Salsa

2-3 cups purslane leaves and small stems, broken or cut into bite-sized pieces
½ c. chopped sweet onion
½ c. chopped sweet pepper
½ c. cider vinegar
½ c. oil
¼ c. chopped cilantro
Salt and hot pepper sauce to taste

Wash purslane and place in a medium bowl. Add vegetables and stir. Combine vinegar, oil and seasonings in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake well. Pour over purslane mixture and mix well. Cover and chill. Serve with tortilla chips.

purslane