Summer purslane
Portulaca oleracea
Other names
Duckweed, Little hogweed
Similar veggies:
Salad mix, lamb’s lettuce, winter purslane
A quick introduction
Summer purslane is a type of green that is unknown to many of our members. It grows in summer and has small succulent leaves. The taste is refreshing and reminiscent of cucumber with a hint of lemon. When cooked it can become a little mucilaginous which is not to everybody's liking.
Storage
As with all leafy greens we recommend washing summer purslane in cold water (we do pre-wash it at the farm), then dry it and store in a closed container in the fridge. This way it will keep for almost a week.
Season
Summer
Suggestions for preparation
We like summer purslane most in raw preparations as the texture is refreshing and crunchy. The tougher parts of the stems should be removed. This green is popular in Turkey and pairs well with pomegranate molasses, yoghurt and mint.
Do you want some salad inspiration? Here are Stadsgroenteboer Andres' basic guidelines to make a filling salad.
Make sure you have at least a few of the ingredient types below:
-Crunchy & juicy elements like kohlrabi, carrots, turnips or summer purslane!
-Spicy elements such as mustard greens, rucola or radishes.
-Green elements like carrot greens, lettuce and radish tops (if very tender).
-Spring onions, chives or young garlic.
-Filling elements like roasted sunflower seeds, walnuts, hazelnuts, sprouts, tofu or mushrooms
-Some delicious edible flowers such as nasturtiums, borage or rucola flowers.
-A vinaigrette with good olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and whatever else you like.
And voilá, there you have your salad!