This is an edible weed that grows wild in the yard. People
unfamiliar with it weed it, but we eat it. It makes a very nutritious salads. The
flavor is lemony and the leaves are meaty and delicious. It looks like the jade
plant.
During my weekly visits to the farmers market looking for
purslane, I was unable to find it. I
mentioned my disappointment at work, and one pf my colleague surprised me with
a big bag of purslane from her yard. I was so thrilled and promised to share
the dishes I make with her.
This is a popular Summer green that we consume in Iraq, and
we call it Berbeen.
Rinse it well, and make sure it is pesticide free. Use the
stems as well as the leaves for these recipes.
Purslane Tomato Salad
1 cup purslane, chopped (use the thin stems and leaves)
1 large tomato, diced
2 Persian cucumbers, sliced
¼ cup of onion, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
In a salad bowl, pour
the olive oil and lemon and add salt, and stir. Add all the vegetables and
stir. Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
You can sprinkle 1 teaspoon of ground summac on it if you
prefer. You can top the salad with feta cheese too.
Purslane Onion Salad
For this recipe, use sweet Vidalia onions.
1 onion, sliced
2 cups purslane, sliced
1 tablespoon sumac
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Put the onions in a small bowl and sprinkle salt and sumac
over it and stir. Cover, and set aside for one hour to wilt and change color.
Strain it (do not rinse it), and set aside.
In a salad bowl, put the purslane and add the onions. Pour
the lemon juice and olive oil and stir. Sprinkle more ground sumac over it if
you prefer.
Decorate with slices of tomatoes, and serve with chicken or
kufta kabobs.
Purslane Yogurt Salad
2 cups purslane, chopped (leaves and stems)
1 cup plain yogurt
1 clove of garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Put purslane in a salad bowl. In another small bowl, pour
the yogurt, and add salt and garlic, and olive oil and stir. Pour the yogurt
over the purslane and stir. Cover the bowl and store in the refrigerator. Serve
with rice dishes
Enjoy
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