Purslane

I find it fascinating how you can go about not knowing/seeing something and then you end up seeing/reading about it at every turn. Such is the case with purslane. The above and below images captured last Saturday at the Pike Place Market, in one of my favorite organic stalls, run by the ever knowledgable Max. There they were, looking all green and pretty and looking like something I would love in a vase as well as a salad. Max said it was the super-est of the super foods. Purslane. I made a note of it on my phone. Snapped a few photos of the leafy goodness and snapped up a few bundles. Then I start seeing reference to it all week long at Hawthorne in my reading. Richard Olney used it in his cooking. I keep seeing reference to it in food magazines I peruse. Seriously, I had never heard of it a week ago and now I am seeing it at every turn. Love it! My bit of research finds that some folks adore it, others not. It can be used as a ground cover and is terribly invasive, so some see it as a pesky weed. Others regal purslane for culinary usages. It is cursed and curried all at the same time. I think it would look beautiful alone in a vase or mixed in with roses or some other bloom. Or snip all the little fresh blooms and mix in with arugula for a peppery salad. Tag, you are it. Now you know about purslane if you did not already. My guess is you will now see reference to it in the coming week. Funny how that works.