Purslane, anyone?

It seems like the seasons are going in reverse right now in Holland. Winter is back, with a vengeance. The radiators are on full blast, my woolen socks are once again covering my feet and I feel the need to eat hearty stews and warm beverages.






The markets though are in a different mode. Spring produce is abundant and I'm constantly dazed by the variety of green vegetables and colorful fruit that is on offer. I'm in a bind. What to go for?






Of course fresh produce always wins in my book so yesterday, when I went to my greengrocer's, I spotted strawberries, green asparagus and a bunch of purslane that I needed to bring home at once.






Today, I made strawberry ice cream and I ate purslane. A lot of it. We ate it in a salad for lunch and then later, for dinner, it was served alongside a juicy fillet of grilled sea bass.






In Greece, when someone talks too much and too fast, we say that they must have eaten purslane. It's because purslane gives such a pleasant, refreshing feeling to the mouth that one might get the urge to talk more than usual. I, even though I've had my fair share of the leafy green weed today, will not say too much.






All I'm gonna say is that if for whatever reason you haven't tasted purslane yet, do it. The green, succulent leaves have a somewhat sour, lemony tang and the thin, tender stalks have a peppery kick that is reminiscent of rocket.






Purslane gets a bad rap because it grows everywhere, even back yards and roadsides, but this weed is so incredibly flavorful it surely doesn't deserve to be shunned.
Why don't you give it a try?


P.S. Strawberry ice cream, coming soon!










Purslane Salad with Cucumbers, Red Onion and Feta

One thing that would complement perfectly the flavors of this salad would be a handful of black olives, but unfortunately I was out. I will definitely add them the next time I prepare it though, which will be very very soon.

This salad will feed comfortably two people for a light lunch. Pair it with some rustic bread and a glass of white wine or serve it alongside a piece of fish or chicken, or even a beef steak for dinner.

The quantity as well as the thickness of a cut vegetable make a difference in the overall flavor of any dish. I love slicing the cucumber and onion in this salad super thin so that their flavor isn't prominent and does not overpower the taste of the purslane. Eh, I also needed an excuse to test out my new mandolin, which is perfect. The old one went right in the bin.
If you don't have a mandolin, slice the cucumber and onion as thinly as you can with a sharp knife.






Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients
200 g purslane, leaves and tender stalks
1/3 of a large cucumber, very thinly sliced (about 20 slices)
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
Salt, to taste
100-150 g feta
1 ½ Tbsp red wine vinegar
4-5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Special equipment: mandolin (optional)


Preparation
Rinse the purslane under cold running water and drain on a clean kitchen towel or kitchen paper.
I don't bother chopping it up. I just separate the upper leafy part from the long stems and cut the stems into manageable pieces.

Toss the purslane with the sliced cucumbers and red onion and sprinkle with the salt. Arrange in a salad bowl or platter, crumble the feta with your hands over the top and drizzle with the red wine vinegar and olive oil.

Serve immediately.