Compostman wrote:
"Steve" wrote in message
...
To warp this thread around to something half way serious, I have often
wondered if I am wasting my time pulling and hoeing the weed Purslane. It
only gets several inches tall and forms a dense carpet that would probably
exclude other taller weeds. If I keep letting it go to seed, I think it
would soon be the only surviving weed in the whole garden.
Maybe it wouldn't be good with some plants like carrots or spinach but I
can't think it would compete much with corn or cabbage.
This thought came to me when I was really tired of weeding last summer and
it's probably more an indication of laziness than it is a good idea.

Steve
PS don't tell me to eat the stuff. I know it's edible but it tastes bad
raw and I will not likely ever bother to try it cooked.

Maybe you don't like the taste of it, but I think purslane makes an
excellent salad. I chop up the stems and leaves, maybe some onion, add oil
and vinegar. Unlike many salads, it improves with a little age.

Any vegetation growing where it is not wanted, is a weed. That is the
definition. I have to say I regard twich or couch grass as the worst
thing I have as I have always had clay soils and it is a biatch to pull
ot from that. And when pulled, you only need a few cells left behind
and it regenerates.

The thing with that is that it has large doses of the hormone used on
cuttings. It is chock full of the vegetable worlds own version of
testosterone.

As for puslane. I had heard of it and though it was called pursilane.
This is what the web has to say on it:

Purslane an heat-tolerant, drought-tolerant flower which ... blooms
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The smaller blooming "weedy" cousin of the cultivated Dolly Parton
[picture he
http://www.plantanswers.com/12_mos_x...e/Purslane.jpg ] have
suddenly become the belles of the garden among creative chefs and
nutritionists.

Purslane is acclaimed for .. its cooking possibilities--its tinker-toy
eye appeal, crisp texture and lightly tangy taste--and the scientific
discovery of its potentially healthful omega-3 fatty acids.If this
weren't enough, it has above average values of Vitamins A and C and
provides all of these goodies with only 15 calories in a 100-gram
portion.

Eaten extensively in soups and salads throughout the Mediterranean,
Russians dry and can it for the winter. In Mexico it is called
VERDOLAGA and is a favorite comfort food, eaten in an omelet or as a
side dish, rolled in tortillas, or dropped by handfuls into soups and
stews.

The human body might be able to convert into other, related kinds of
omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) found in fish oils. Researchers see
evidence that these substances lower blood pressure and cholesterol
levels as well as make the blood less likely to form clots. But ages
before this scientific finding, purslane was eaten as treatment for
arthritis, inflammation and heart disease and to promote general good
health.

Purslane is a succulent low-growing plant which is very tasty and
crunchy. The entire plant can be used, the stems being most succulent.
Purslane grows all over the world, often in disturbed soil. Purslane
can be used as the main salad ingredient, lightly seasoned with diced
onion, vinegar, and oil. The plant is good cooked with soups, steamed,
sauteed, or pickled. Add it to omelets.

IDENTIFYING PURSLANE
Purslane sprawls along the ground with its fleshy, succulent, highly
branched stems. The stems are round and tinted red. The flavor of the
raw stems is mild, slightly sour, and the texture is crunchy. The
leaves are paddle-shaped (obovate), flat, and alternately arranged. The
small flowers are yellow, sessile, and contain five two-lobbed petals.
The small seed capsules produce abundant black seeds.