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A Garden Harmonizer

Author: admin

Naif in the Forest by Darrell Berger

Wing Tips to Hiking Boots: Musings of a New, Full-Time Poconos Resident 

My first encounter with purslane was as an invasive weed in our driveway. I went to some trouble to remove it, without success. 

It spread to our stone walk. If I pulled the larger stems, the smaller formed a rather attractive green border, so I left it. When it spread up the side of the garden, it appeared it would take over every open space. I started pulling again. 

Enough eventually spread that it didn’t look like a weed any more. It looked like ground cover. It was a soft, textured mat for our several bushes and flowers. Like The Dude’s living room rug in “The Big Lebowski,” it pulled everything together. 

Then a friend who is an expert in the forest told me it was edible! Pliny the Elder, the natural philosopher of the first century, called eating purslane a way “to expel all evil.” That might have been his pre-scientific way of explaining how healthy it is, containing a remarkable combination of omega three fatty acids, antioxidants and minerals. 

I gathered some and began to prepare it for dinner. I discovered that pulling the leaves and smaller stems from the larger was almost as tedious as weeding them from the driveway. When I was finished, the large bowl of purslane had shrunk to a pathetically small amount that was edible. 

I sautéed it by itself, wanting to acquaint myself with it, unsullied by more familiar flavors and textures. It did, as I had read, taste a bit like okra without the viscosity. The taste was strong for its volume, like it would play well with others. Next time I’ll make sure to pick only from the largest plants, to reduce preparation time, and to mix it with other greens. 

A weed when it stands alone, this succulent becomes an attractive ground cover when it surrounds more colorful plants. Palatable but slightly bitter as a solo, it adds flavor to other greens in the frying pan.  Purslane, kale and chard harmonize very well. Purslane is the David Crosby of invasive weeds. 

** Warning: Please do not pick & eat any forest plant, without the advice of an expert.

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