Expounding on purslane

I posted this image on instagram a few days ago, but feel like I still have more to say about this tasty little weed. 

It was late in the evening on a Wednesday. I was sitting on the kitchen floor in my underwear unpacking our weekly bag of veggies from Utility Research Garden when I pulled out this beautiful, luscious bunch of purslane. Although I had already eaten and was quite stuffed, I still felt compelled to pick off the succulent leaves and shove them into my mouth.

Although purslane is a pretty pervasive "weed"—and can be found growing in the cracks of sidewalks, along streets, and in the shittiest of soils—it had been a while since I had eaten any. I love the texture/taste: slightly crunchy (and slimy due to high levels of pectin) and lemon-y and spinach-y at the same time. I love to grab sprigs of it and munch off the leaves before enjoying the tougher and slightly sour stem.

Apparently it has more omega-3 fatty acids than any other leafy green and more beta carotene than spinach. 

My mother has always kept a couple potted purslane plants around and I as a kid would always get excited about eating the little leaves. Oxalis was another favorite of mine.
 
I haven't tried any recipes that include purslane, but maybe that's because I like it best right off the stem, as is. We do occasionally toss it into salads. And I bet it would be tasty in soups or stews or omelets! This also sounds pretty tasty!