Purslane - Weed It or Eat It?

For years I would "weed it." Until, I found out that you could "eat it." And, that its nutritional benefits are extensive. I had forgotten about it this year since we moved from the country and into town (although still a New England country town); it doesn't grow in my yard, yet. I stopped by a local farm today to pick up some asparagus and strawberries, and there it was! Freshly wild gathered.

Benefits:

• Full of minerals: calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium - most American's eating a MAD diet (Modern American Diet of processed and fast foods) are deficient in these important minerals
• One of the few plants offering a high amount of  omega-3 fatty acid in ALA form (other forms DHA and EPA are obtained from seafood). Omega-3 fats are not produced in the body and you must get them from food. They play important roles in brain health and are the building blocks of cell membranes.
• High in Vitamin E (provides 6 times more than spinach)
• Rich in vitamins A, B, and C. 

How to eat it?

• raw in salads
• lightly steamed
• lightly sauteed with a little olive oil, garlic and salt

For more information:
Chocolate and Zucchini
Mother Earth News
Edible Wild Food