A Bumper Crop, in Front of My House

It's time for a break from politics' 'silly season', and time for a perennial favorite topic of mine... Longtime readers will know that I am partial to purslane (Portulaca oleracea), a succulent weed that looks like a miniature jade plant. Purslane is either loved or hated, and I've been firmly in the 'love it' camp since childhood. Lately, purslane has gained some cachet due to its oddly high omega-3 fatty acid content.

The New York metro area is experiencing perfect purslane weather- hot and dry. Purslane is perfectly adapted to this sort of weather, being able to employ a CAM photosynthetic pathway during dry days, which allows the plants to keep their stomata closed during the heat of the day.

I located several small patches of purslane on the job and made sure to harvest only the tips of the plants, so they will continue to produce their purslicious bounty. Having returned home with this bounty, I found a couple of decent-sized plants right in front of the house, and grabbed them:

A fistful of purslane... not a bad score. While there are recipes for purslane out there, I feel that a simple presentation is the best- the texture of the plant is succulent, a bit crunchy, so I feel it's a shame to cook it. So far, I've mixed it with tahini and lemon juice and eaten it on toasted pita. Tomorrow, it'll be purslane and yogurt, in a tzatziki-like preparation. The plant tends to sprawl all over the place once it gets established, so I'll be eating quite a bit of the stuff in the coming months.

Summer Crop, Bumper Crop

Having had a few days over 90F (32C), there is a bumper crop of purslane (Portulaca oleracea) onsite:

Longtime readers will know that purslane is one of my all-time favorite foodstuffs. Purslane has high levels of omega-3 fatty acids and has gained some cachet in the foodie community.

I picked a passel of purslane- this particular bunch will be dressed with tahini and yogurt (this will set off the purslane's tartness nicely) with a hint of garlic, to be served on slices of stale ciabatta bread fried in olive oil. Purslane is succulent, and while traditionally cooked in Mexican and Indian cuisines, I prefer to eat it raw because that crunchy, succulent texture is a large part of the plant's appeal to me.

Purslane's ability to thrive in the heat is due to its ability to 'switch on' the CAM photosynthetic process to conserve water. I made sure to pluck the stems off of the plants, leaving the roots (possibly to the chagrin of our horticultural staff, sorry guys!) in the ground. I'll be eating purslane for months, and will probably try pickling some, like Martha Washington did, for the cold, purslaneless months.

POSTSCRIPT: Poking around the t00bz, I find that purslane is an ingredient in Rooh Afza, which is commonly consumed on Eid-al-Fitr on the Indian subcontinent. Happy Eid, folks.

Purty Purslane

It's been a busy day for me- I left Virginia around noontime and drove to the vicinity of my workplace rather than to my home. I had enough time to do a little grocery shopping and then hit a local Korean restaurant for some bibimbap before clocking in. When I got the work, I called mom to let her know that I had arrived safely. The drive home wasn't too bad, though I did pass through occasional bands of heavy rain, and at times it looked like apocalyptic thunderstorms were pounding the regions to the sides of the highway.

Needless to say, I was blissfully ignorant of current events until I reached the outskirts of the New York metro area, where I could pick up the local CBS radio affiliate. I still have some catching up to do. I figure I'll put up a quick post, and then get to the business of catching up...

One of the ornamental potted plants my mom has is a fancy Portulaca, which longtime readers will recognize as an old friend:

I must say, those are some pretty flowers- this is a much showier plant than its scrappy cousins growing up through the cracks in the sidewalk... its leaves are every bit as delicious, though.