summer greens

I have already mentioned lambs quarters and I have mentioned wild leeks but I have yet to talk about purslane - verdolagas as I grew up to know them. This wild and unruly green used to grow in the cracks of my parents driveway and since I spent so much time at the farm of my grandparents I wanted to eat this green thing that my mom and dad were trying so hard to irradicate. Even my neighbors mom said these were good to eat and I said 'I know' , yet my parents wanted to get rid of these weeds as most people do. Problem is now it is being sold in farmers markets, yup -driveway weeds at $3.99 a pound and a pound is HUGE and as Jacques Pepin would have you subscribe or perform or what ever- he wants to turn a profit - he's smart- so each serving, and depending on how you serve it to, could cost any where from 2 dollars an ounce on up. I cooked up a pound tonight (thats 16 ounces) and I have probably at least 4 more pounds. Lets do some figuring for a moment. Sell by the pound or cooked by the ounce - plus I find them not buy them...cooking is my only out. I refer back to my childhood as a point of reference for a lot of what I cook. This green is exactly what I am talking about! Welcome to my verdolaga patch. What you see in this clip is partial of what will grow again two maybe three more times - its a hearty weed.



Just cook them and eat them should be their motto!



You can also eat them like this, say for instance if you dont want to use a bowl.....