Lisa's Sharebook 

Did you see the purslane article by Brigitte Mars in the "Food" section of C2 today?

A variety of purslane grows in much of North America as a weed in areas where the earth has been disturbed, usually where there is no grass.  Some farmers will be happy for you to get rid of it for them.  It tends not to be so clean by the side of the road.  Very tasty, briefly pan-fried in good oil or butter.  Though it has the mucilaginous quality of okra, it cooks much faster and has no spines, and is full of healthful essentials. 

There's plenty of free food outside, available for a minute's work, if you know where to look and what you're looking at.  But "organic" wild greens are hard to find unless you're off the beaten path. 

Purslane's Portulaca relative the "moss rose" is beautiful and much easier to care for than rosebushes. I'm definitely a Portulaca fan. 

And here's a tip: if you ever wonder if a weed you see might be good to eat and can positively identify it in a book or online, a last name of "sativa," as in Portulaca sativa, tells you it's been considered good food for a long time.