In the Weeds

Use underappreciated purslane in your next salad

If you're looking to brighten up your salad bowl, grab a bunch of purslane, a versatile ingredient that is making the rounds at local farmers' markets right now. Purslane is actually considered a weed, but in the right hands, it can be a gourmet green.

You'll generally see purslane, or verdolagas, used in Latin or Middle Eastern cuisines, but some of our local chefs have elevated it to star status. Served raw, the crisp, subtly flavored (and omega-3-rich) green is perfect for salads. You can pick the leaves off for a more elegant presentation, or chop it coarsely, stems and all. It picks up a slight tang when cooked, and makes a great addition to soups and stews.

At Larry Nicola's Mexico Restaurante in West Hollywood, whole purslane sprigs are tossed with tomatoes and chunks of avocado for a refreshing salad; it's also sautéed and served alongside thick pieces of pork carnitas. At Tavern in Brentwood, you'll find purslane leaves in the fattoush salad.

Craft L.A.'s new chef de cuisine, Anthony Zappola, likes purslane's slight bitterness paired with sweet corn and summer tomatoes, or in a savory watermelon salad (click here to download the recipe). "Use it like an herb," he says. "It complements just about anything."

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