Purslane.....the healthy, edible weed

Common in our yards but little known in the kitchen, Purslane is both delicious and exceptionally nutritious.
Given there seems to be dozens of people landing on my blog after searching for info about Purslane I thought I would repost for those readers that missed it..

Regarded by many as a weed, common purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is also known as duckweed, fatweed, pursley, pussley and wild portulaca.
Purslane is somewhat crunchy and has a slight lemony taste. Some people liken it to watercress or spinach, and it can substitute for spinach in many recipes.

Young, raw leaves and stems are tender and are good in salads and sandwiches. They can also be lightly steamed or stir-fried or simply make a wonderful fresh garden salad with it.

Purslane has: High levels of soluble fiber help lower cholesterol Six times more vitamin E than spinach Best known plant source of essential omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) Seven times more beta carotene than carrots Rich in vitamin C, magnesium, riboflavin, potassium and phosphorous

Purslane may be a common plant, but it is uncommonly good for you. It tops the list of plants high in vitamin E and an essential omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).

Purslane provides six times more vitamin E than spinach and seven times more beta carotene than carrots. It’s also rich in vitamin C, magnesium, riboflavin, potassium and phosphorus. Omega-3s are a class of polyunsaturated essential fatty acids.

Your body cannot manufacture essential fatty acids, so you must get them from food. Unfortunately, the typical diet contains too few omega-3s, a shortage that is linked to a barrage of illnesses including heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

In addition to ALA, other omega-3s include eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids mostly found in aquatic plants and animals, especially oily fish. Nutritionists now think all forms of omega-3s need to be plentiful in our diets plants such as purslane may be part of the missing link to better nutrition.

Ethnobiologists — scientists who study the relation between primitive human societies and the plants in their environment — believe that the plants humans ate long ago provided a greater proportion of nutrients than the plants we consume today.

They estimate, for instance, that humans 40,000 to 10,000 years ago consumed an average of 390 milligrams per day of vitamin C from wild plants and fruits. In contrast, the average human today consumes just 88 milligrams of vitamin C per day.

One cup of cooked purslane has 25 milligrams (20 percent of the recommended daily intake) of vitamin C Records show that wise folks in the East Indies and in Persia were chowing down on this glorious weed 2,000 years ago. Folks in China and Mexico, in Europe and Africa were all getting into Purslane munching long before it was ever introduced to most other countries.

Purslane can be confused with another plant that is dangerous to eat, so before you go grabbing a handful to eat
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT PLANT!  
Read THIS link to double check

Pickled Purslane Recipe Ingredients
1lb loosely-packed purslane stems and leaves
800ml cider vinegar
3 garlic cloves, sliced
10 black peppercorns
200ml water
30g sea salt

Method: Add the water and salt to a pan and heat until the salt dissolves then set aside to cool.
When cold, bring a pan of water (unsalted) to a boil.
Plunge the purslane in this and blanch for 5 seconds.
Drain and rinse under cold water then mix with the salt water in a bowl.
Allow to marinate for 10 minutes then top-up with the vinegar.
Leave for 10 minutes then divide the purslane, garlic and peppercorns between clean jars.
Top-up with the vinegar and salt mixture and seal securely. Store in the fridge for at least 2 weeks before using.
This makes an excellent accompaniment to omelettes or fish. It's also good when used sparingly in sandwiches.

Cucumber-purslane-yogurt salad
5 large Cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into quarter-round slices
1/4 pound Purslane, large stems removed, washed and drained well
2 tablespoons each, Fresh chopped mint, cilantro and chervil
4 cups Whole milk yogurt
1/4 cup Virgin olive oil
3 cloves Garlic, puréed with the blade of a knife
2 teaspoon ground Coriander kosher Salt and ground Black Pepper
Place the cucumber, purslane and herbs into a large bowl.
In another bowl, stir together the yogurt, olive oil and garlic, coriander and season to taste with salt.
Add the yogurt mixture to the vegetables and mix well.
Add a pinch of ground black pepper.
Taste the dressed cucumber-purslane salad for seasoning, adding a little more salt if needed. Serve chilled.
Enjoy:)

New additions......

Planted out this week were a couple of elderflowers. For those not that familiar with them, Elderflower is used for its antioxidant activity, to lower cholesterol, improve vision, boost the immune system, improve heart health and for coughs, colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections and tonsilitis. Elderberry juice was used to treat a flu epidemic in Panama in 1995. I am also going to try making elder champers (champagne for those not aussie) lol.

Also planted out was a Davidsons Plum. A small to medium sized tree with large, dark green, leathery, divided leaves. The new foliage, produced throughout the year, is vivid pink. Pendulous clusters of reddish-brown flowers are followered by purple, edible fruit, resembling small plums, which ripen in late Summer. A great bush food for either eating straight from the tree or making into jams, cordials etc.

Davidsons Plum contains high levels of the antioxidant called anthocyanins which appear as natural red pigments. It also contains lutein, vitamin E and folate, Zn, Mg, Ca, Mo and a high potassium:sodium (K:Na) ratio.
Some studies support the view supplemental lutein helps protect against Macular Degeneration and the development of cataracts.
It is known anthocyanins produce hydrogen which supports cellular health, promoting generally better all year round health.

Increased intakes of antioxidant anthocyanins resulted in a 13.7 per cent increase in levels of HDL cholesterol (good) and a 13.6 percent reduction in levels of LDL cholesterol (bad) in a 2009 study involving 120 people in the US.
 
Hope your week is going well:)

Sultry Sunday...

Amazing what a little time will do!
Things are progressing, although slower of course than what I would like.....nothing unusual for this woman who wants things done now LOL!

The kitchen garden (all the goodies I use a lot of) is planted outside the back door off the patio and is really doing extremely well now we have shaded it.
In here you can find carrots, borage, feverfew, silverbeet, parsley, the last of the tomatoes, celery, soapwort, curry plants, the last of the capsicums, the goji berry, blueberry, onions, leeks, elephant garlic, coriander, peas, rosemary, strawberries and a few other bits and bobs:)

As you can see, I am taking no chances this winter after last winters 19 frosts in a row, this year everything that might be the slightest bit sensitive is covered with 50% shadecloth!

This is the White Sapote-Casimiroa edulis
Other names: Zapote blanco, Casimiroa
Intro: Although a member of the citrus group, it is nothing like any citrus. Do not eat the seeds-they are poisonous!

History: Originates from Central and South America.
Shape: The fruit is round to oval.
Weight/size: The fruit are 7.5 - 12.5cm in diameter.
Colour: Thin skinned, green when immature and remaining green to golden when ripe.
Taste: Rich sweet flesh tasting like vanilla custard.
Storage: Best eaten fresh. Allow to ripen at room temperature. Fruit will be soft when ripe. Ripe fruit is quite perishable, but it may be refrigerated, however, it is best to use fruit as soon as possible.
May be frozen whole, as pieces or as pulp. The fruit may be stored in the refrigerator when firm and unripe and then taken out and left at room temperature to ripen.
Preparing/serving: Primarily a dessert fruit. The soft fruit may be halved and scooped out, avoiding the pulp near the skin. It can also be used in milk shakes and sherbets. It is frequently combined with milk to produce ice-creams and milkshakes. With added lemon or lime juice, the fruit makes a good jelly, and also sherbets.

The berries (youngberries, boysenberries, loganberries, raspberries etc are all taking off this year, of all of them the boysenberry would have to be my favourite, sweet, crisp and beautiful flavour.

These will all cover the fence in time to come, so far the birds have left them alone!

The Cherimoya Sophia is new, it's possible that no known fruit compares to the delicious taste of the cherimoya. They're absolutely amazing when devoured icy-cold from the freezer

Given this too is really meant for tropical areas as the white sapote is, I am hoping it will find its' secluded area enough to keep it growing! I think summer will be more of a challenge for this one.

The dragon fruits are now putting out new growth, it will be interesting to see if this wire suport on the side of the workshop is sufficient, we may yet need to further support if the commercial pictures of them growing are any indication of what's needed.

At last count we have over 40 fruits, the idea being of course to be completely self-sufficient in that area, besides which NOTHING purchased can compare with the taste of sun-warmed fruit straight from the tree/vine!

My latest purchase.....2 gorgeous weeping cherry trees. I am hoping they will do ok here, one for the front garden and the other at the side of the pond.

And that's it from me, time to head back out and enjoy the cool weather......nothing worse than trying to garden in 45C heat.......did I mention I love the cool and detest the heat......