Uglyagnes told me that one of her plot neighbors has been cooking purslane, so I thought I’d give it a try. I bit off a leaf and found it juicy with a mild citrus flavor – like a tame sorrel. Searching Epicurious revealed a few recipes, some of which, to my amusement, implied that purslane was something that one could only be lucky enough to find at speciality markets.

Salad with Purslane

I was most excited by the recipe for Grilled Zucchini Salad, but I modified it to include lentils and a chopped cucumber. It was the perfect way to use some of my Wickenden Street farmers’ market purchases. The result was quite delicious and a good use of “weeds”!

I roasted the beets and paired the two with cubes of piquant blue cheese and a balsamic vinaigrette. It was so delicious, it’s definitely going to become a fall tradition. The dressing was inspired by a recipe from Food & Wine. The amounts below will make salads for at least 4, if not twice that. I kept the ingredients in the fridge and mixed salads as needed.

For an unusual but delicious pairing, try the salad with Hitachino Nest “Real Ginger Brew“.

Here’s the recipe: (click link to view)

Salad
1 pomegranate
1 bunch golden beets
2 tbs olive oil
1/4 lb blue cheese (Cashel Blue is a good one)
baby romaine (mine was from Olivia’s Organics)

Dressing
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
4 tbs olive oil
2 tbs water
1 1/2 tbs quince paste
salt and pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 400. Cut the greens off the beets (don’t throw them out, they’re delicious sauteed with garlic). Peel the beets and cut into cubes or wedges. Toss with olive oil, and if desired, a bit of salt and white pepper. Roast on a cookie tray until tender, about 30-45 minutes (depending on how large the pieces are).

2. Peel the pomegranate and remove the seeds to a little bowl. Cut the blue cheese into 1/4 in. cubes.

3. To make the dressing, blend all dressing ingredients for about a minute. My Oster Beehive blender has a great mini jar that’s perfect for making and storing dressings.

4. Toss salad with dressing and garnish with cheese, pomegranate seeds and roasted beets.