If you look up Purslane you will learn many interesting things about this delicious succulent. Most notably is that while it's a weed which creeps up through patio stones and around gardens, it's also a "super food" and contains more Omega-3's than any other green plant, according to research first published back in the 1980's in the New England Journal of Medicine. In Morocco, when I was growing up, the mother of a friend of mine used to come over and fill whole bags full of purslane from our garden, because back then we didn't really eat it much. But now we know better, because it's delicious, healthy and free. And it has an almost buttery texture which offsets other sorts of leafy greens, especially kale, which has a bit of a roughness to it.
At some point last year, we were given the green light to include a few tree nuts into our kid's diet--and so I added a handful of chopped up almonds here, for some crunch and protein. I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the weight of this event. It's been the better part of a decade since we had any nuts in our home, and now, NOW, I'm posting our first recipe with some as a garnish (which is totally optional, of course, if you're avoid almonds.) Feel free to substitute almonds for another crunchy food of your choice, like sunflower seeds, pistachios, dried peas, roasted chickpeas, or whatever you wish. But if you can eat almonds, I'm very happy to report that they taste pretty, pretty, pretty great in this dish. And in general.
Ingredients:
1/2 bunch of kale
3 cups of purslane
1/4 cup chopped roasted almonds
1/4 raisins or other chopped dried fruit
fresh parmesan cheese
For dressing:
1/4 cup of good olive oil
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1.5 tablespoons (aprox) of apple cider vinegar (or other if you prefer)
To prepare:
Wash all the greens well.
Remove the ribs from each kale leaf and chop into thin ribbons, no more than 1/4 inch thick, and place in a large salad bowl.
Trim thicker parts of stems off purslane and add to salad bowl.
Finely chop the almonds and add along with raisins.
In a separate bowl, mix dressing ingredients well to combine, then toss over salad and let sit about 20 minutes before serving.
Using a cheese slicer, grate wide curls of fresh parmesan over top before serving. This salad pairs well with grilled fish or meat, and travels well for picnics or potlucks, too.
Enjoy!
At some point last year, we were given the green light to include a few tree nuts into our kid's diet--and so I added a handful of chopped up almonds here, for some crunch and protein. I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the weight of this event. It's been the better part of a decade since we had any nuts in our home, and now, NOW, I'm posting our first recipe with some as a garnish (which is totally optional, of course, if you're avoid almonds.) Feel free to substitute almonds for another crunchy food of your choice, like sunflower seeds, pistachios, dried peas, roasted chickpeas, or whatever you wish. But if you can eat almonds, I'm very happy to report that they taste pretty, pretty, pretty great in this dish. And in general.
Ingredients:
1/2 bunch of kale
3 cups of purslane
1/4 cup chopped roasted almonds
1/4 raisins or other chopped dried fruit
fresh parmesan cheese
For dressing:
1/4 cup of good olive oil
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1.5 tablespoons (aprox) of apple cider vinegar (or other if you prefer)
To prepare:
Wash all the greens well.
Remove the ribs from each kale leaf and chop into thin ribbons, no more than 1/4 inch thick, and place in a large salad bowl.
Trim thicker parts of stems off purslane and add to salad bowl.
Finely chop the almonds and add along with raisins.
In a separate bowl, mix dressing ingredients well to combine, then toss over salad and let sit about 20 minutes before serving.
Using a cheese slicer, grate wide curls of fresh parmesan over top before serving. This salad pairs well with grilled fish or meat, and travels well for picnics or potlucks, too.
Enjoy!
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