Purslane Potato Salad
Purslane is one of those highly invasive, yet highly nutritious weeds that no one in their right mind would deliberately cultivate, it gets out of control super fast. Many cultures use this succulent plant in salads and stir fries. Within this little weed are omega-3s in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), and other great nutrients, such as vitamin E, vitamin C, beta-carotene and glutathione.
Purslane is in the news lately not just because of it’s high Omega 3 content. Research is showing that this weed is capable of bioremediation. Put simply, purslane is capable of removing BPA from landfills and wastewater. Scientists confirmed that the plant was not simply absorbing the BPA and accumulating it in its own tissue and speculated that the plant was metabolizing BPA into a compound that does not have endocrine-disrupting activity. This is one weed I want to get to know better!
This week, I spotted some plump, fresh bunches of purslane for sale at J&A Bialas’s stand in Pleasantville. Adina smiled when I asked her if they were growing purslane on their land. Let’s just say they foraged it!
I brought home my bunch of purslane and perused recipes on the Internet to find a way to serve this nutrient rich green leafy in a way that my family would eat it without asking questions. Potato salad seemed like a good solution. It came out great!
Here’s the recipe I put together:
PURSLANE POTATO SALAD
Serves 4-6
In a medium pot, boil 5 cups chopped potatoes until tender. Drain and set aside to cool. In a bowl, mix 1 cup purslane leaves and buds (flowers and stalks are edible as well, if you choose), and 1 cup chopped scallions with greens. Add potatoes and mix well.
For the dressing: 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill, 1/2 cup mayonaise, a pinch of cayenne, some salt and pepper.
