Hello and welcome to my first blog post with the Lakewood Patch! Thanks for stopping by. The premise of my blog here will be about the various wild edibles we have in and around Lakewood - how to gather, prepare and use them. Some will be for eating, some will be for medicine and some will be just for show :)
The first plant I would like to talk about is one of my favorites - Purslane (Portulaca oleracea). While today, Purslane can be found almost anywhere here in the United States, it originated in either Persia or India where today it is still eaten and appreciated. In Europe and Asia, several different varieties have been developed and it is a prized garden vegetable.
A low growing, smooth, herbaceous plant, purslane will cover your yard if given the chance. It produces thick, succulent, reddish-green stems with branches that can reach from 4-10 inches. Its flowers are small and yellow - only opening in the morning. (They are so small in fact, that unless you are specifically looking for them, you will probably miss them).
While they are no poisonous look a likes, there is a plant called Spurge (Chamaesyce species) that sometimes likes to grow along with the Purslane. This plant produces a milky white sap and has thin, stringy stems. These plants look nothing alike, but take care not to accidentally toss some in with your Purslane. (Note: I have picked Purslane countless times from many different places around Lakewood and I have never encountered Spurge.)
All parts of this wonderful, prolific "weed" are edible and very nutritious. This plant provides iron, beta carotene, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus and it's a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids which helps prevent heart disease and nourish the immune system.
You can snip off the leaves and add them to your salads if you want to keep this wonderful plant growing in your garden, or you can rip it up, root and all, snip off the root and add the entire plant to salads, stir fry and pasta dishes; it even makes a great pickle! If you allow the plant to go to seed, collect the seeds and add them go baked goods, cereals and granola or use them instead of poppy seeds.
Next time you are out weeding your garden, see if you spot some Purslane and give it a try! It has a wonderful, mild, lettuce-like flavor that will be nothing short of a lovely addition your next salad!
Happy Foraging!
