It's not a weed! It's a Superfood!
From the Community Garden to Our Kitchen
I used to get paid to pull this “weed” out of my neighbor’s garden when I was a kid. She called it pigweed. Deb, the cat lady who went to my church, would sit out there in her aluminum lawn chair in 90-degree heat and smoke unfiltered Camel cigarettes while watching me pull the pigweed that grew everywhere amongst her prized zucchini. Little did I know that my 10-year old hands were pulling out a superfood vegetable that was loaded with nutrients including omega 3 fatty acids. Purslane also contains magnesium, iron, calcium, manganese, vitamin C and vitamin A. According to Healthline.com it’s one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet!
Purslane can be eaten raw or cooked, but just like kale, dock and many other dark green leafy veggies it contains a lot of oxalates and if you eat a ton of it on a regular basis it can lead to kidney stones in some people. So keep everything in balance alright?
Many years later on a hot, July afternoon, we were pulling "weeds" at our community garden plot. I learned a few things since the days of Deb and now my daughter Wanda knows that purslane is not really a weed. We've discussed it at length:) So she decided to collect some in our harvest bag alongside the fat, red radishes that her little sister Ivy had just pulled. The intent was to make a refreshing smoothie when we returned home. And she did. And it was delicious. Here's her recipe if you'd like to try it too!
Wanda's Purslane Smoothie:
-One handful of purslane leaves, removed from stem
-One banana
-One handful of frozen mango
-2 cups of either kefir or yogurt
-Optional: add protein powder
Blend at high speed until creamy. Enjoy!
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