I am still eating weeds, and it's got people talking. This time my weed du jour is purslane.

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) also known as Verdolaga, Pigweed, Little Hogweed or (my favorite) Pusley, is a succulent plant that is found most commonly in Mexican, Greek, and Middle Eastern cooking. It grows rampantly in our Mediterranean climate and it is readily available at the Hollywood Farmers Market. It gets very little attention as far as I have noticed. In fact I have walked past bunches of it every Sunday for years without looking twice.

But all that changed today because of a very knowledeable young woman named Andrea. You see, I was reading Fork Fingers Chopsticks recently and Andrea did a purslane salad that convinced me it was time to try this weed myself. I am very impressionable you know, so don't jump off a cliff I just might follow you...

Of course my personality disorders probably don't interest you. You are here to learn about this weed I have been whacking on about... Well, it is a low-growing, creeping plant with small paddle-shaped green leaves and a thick reddish stem. Elizabeth Schneider describes it quite well in her book Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini:

Perky purslane has oval, juicy-slippery, medium green or yellow-green leaves (more like pads) and a mild, fresh flavor brightened by a tart finish. Wild purslane (it grows naturally in most organic gardens, so “wild” seems an exaggeration) and cultivated purslane can be quite different… At its best (usually wild), purslane has a sorrel tang and a hint of tomato; mediocre purslane (usually cultivated), can be bland and slimy but still looks cute.