It has been a few very interesting weeks for me; my husband had to go to Sweden for work and … yes, I tagged along again! Soon after coming back, we both fell ill with Covid, and all that explains both the lack of recent posts, and the lacklustre state of my backyard: Weeds reigning free!
The good news is that we are both starting to feel better, and also that some of the weeds are the always welcomed (at least in my garden) purslane (Portulaca oleracea):
I have posted before about this noble and edible weed, which is now endemic around the world, in any region at altitudes from sea level to 2600 m (8500 ft), and latitudes between 50°N and 40°S, or even further North in America and Europe. Even though crops like spinach, swiss chard and lettuce have displaced purslane at the table, and nowadays many gardeners see purslane as a nuisance, in recent years it has been identified as the highest plant source of Omega-3, an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and some B-complex vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine and carotenoids, as well as fibre, and dietary minerals (namely, iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and manganese.) For this reason, many “Field-to-Table” enthusiasts have added a new dimension to their eating rainbow with these nutritious greens, and foraging for common purslane has become a popular activity. For details on how to safely identify and grow purslane, click here to go to my page: Seed to Table – Purslane.
Some Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries continue to consume purslane as a vegetable. In the United States, some up-scale vegan restaurants now feature purslane in salads, soups, and main courses. In Mexico, called by its Spanish name, verdolaga, it has always remained well established as a key ingredient in several traditional dishes, cooked with eggs, or in stews, especially with pork.
For more details and recipes, check out these posts:
Purslane – Redeeming an Ancient Crop
A Green Summer Harvest
My Slice of Mexico 
I hope you are on the mend, it seems to have been a tough summer for covid. interesting about the purslane. It may be a weed in my yard–I’ll check it out.
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Thank you, I think I am feeling a little better every day, just still get tired easily. There is a covid “summer wave”, apparently with more contagious strands.
Purslane is one of the usual suspects in the weed mix; just make sure to check my link on how to safely identify purslane, and differentiate from toxic weeds, such as spurge. Happy foraging!
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