Eating Wild: A Picnic with Purslane

Each year as spring turns to summer, I look at the wild plants unfurling around me with a question: How can I feed my friends and family with this? From root to shoot and leaf to fruit, nature provides us with a bounty of delicious and healthy foods as long as we are patient, keep our eyes open, and care for her in return.

Summer foraging provides a welcome opportunity to get outdoors after months of chilly temperatures when green and growing things are in short supply. It is a pastime that asks you to slow down and learn about your space, to remember and to recognize what you see around you. Foraging also, like so many of my favorite activities, often ends with an outdoor meal that tastes better when shared. And whether it be the more relaxed outdoor gatherings of years past, or – as has been the case for most of us recently – simply finding some time and a bit of green space to safely enjoy with those in your household, eating outdoors with others just feels good for the soul.

My favorite kind of summertime meals are the ones that take advantage of the abundance of wild leafy greens available during the warmest months. Throughout June, July, and August, I rarely have to search out cultivated varieties of greens if I don’t want to, since plants like nettle, lamb’s quarters, jewelweed, and lady’s thumb grow wild around much of the northeast in even the smallest pockets of growing space. But when I’m planning a true summertime picnic, there’s one wild green that I always turn to, knowing it will be right where I left it the year before: purslane, prepared in the form of a simple and delicious relish.

The traditionalist in me has long felt that a summer picnic just isn’t a picnic without some hot dogs, and my years living in southern Arizona led me to understand the true beauty of loading up those hot dogs with every topping possible. (Look up Sonoran hot dogs when you get a chance – you won’t regret it.) Nowadays, in honor of that southwestern marvel, I will cover a hot dog with whatever condiment I have available, including, but not limited to, mustard, mayo, ketchup, cheese, bacon, pickled red onions, jalapeños, baked beans and chili. But if I had to pick just one topping, it would be relish; that finely-chopped, spreadable bite of briney goodness. Store-bought relish does the job, but I prefer to make one from scratch using delicious and easily identified purslane – a wild plant that has more visually in common with the decorative succulent in your windowsill than with your garden salad greens.

Purslane (Latin name Portulaca oleracea) is a highly nutritious annual plant that could be mistaken for a perennial for how efficiently it returns year after year. Identified by its signature jade-like green leaves and reddish, juicy stems that grow close to the ground, purslane’s high nutrient content gained it some recognition at farmers’ markets and high-end stores years ago, when cultivated varieties were sold for lofty sums. But if you live anywhere on the east coast near disturbed soil (in other words, anywhere there are people), then there’s no need to go searching for this ingredient in a store or farm stand. Simply take a moment to explore your yard or neighborhood’s green spaces, because purslane is everywhere and you’ve certainly seen it before, whether you realized it at the time or not.

Purslane is a common sight on Cape Cod in gardens, along roads and trails, and on farms, and provides wild-food enthusiasts with a bountiful plant that can be harvested beginning in late spring and throughout the warmest summer months. Gardeners and farmers who try to remove purslane from their planted beds know that, if even a bit of the plant is left in or on the ground, purslane will very likely return to those spaces. While this might not be ideal for those looking for a perfectly manicured landscape, it means that purslane can be harvested sustainably without worrying about diminishing the supply of a wild plant species.

Chopped purslane is delicious raw in salads or lightly sautéed as a vegetable side, but purslane’s crisp leaves and stems make it an ingredient perfectly suited for pickling. Relish made from purslane serves as a great side dish on its own but really shines on hot dogs or sausages. Depending on what wild and cultivated plants you have available, purslane relish also works well with a variety of add-ins. I often throw a handful of chopped daylily buds – the edible naturalized orange variety – into my recipe, which turns the brine a vibrant reddish color, along with a few yarrow leaves and flowers from the garden for an extra layer of flavor. Though the relish is best within the first few days (it will become less crisp and more mucilaginous over time), it will store for up to a month in the fridge and can be used in much the same way one might use traditional cucumber relish or sauerkraut.

As with many recipes prominently featuring foraged foods, I have yet to serve this relish without it becoming a topic of conversation. Invariably, a friend or family member will ask about the recipe, and since both the preparation process and plant identification are fairly simple, this relish is a great gateway recipe for those who may be intimidated by wild edible plants and more complicated cooking.

This summer, though time outdoors and the ability to gather may be in shorter supply for many of us, I hope that you and your loved ones are able to join together in nature for a meal and some warm conversation, however that may look. I plan to be right there with you, relish-covered hot dog in hand. What better way to appreciate the season, our place, and one another?

*NOTE: This piece was written several months prior to its publication date. Please follow any and all current CDC, state, and local guidelines regarding time outdoors and social distancing relevant to COVID-19. Always consult with experts and refer to field guides for 100% positive plant identification before consuming any wild plant, taking care to note any potential lookalikes. Pick wild plants from areas unlikely to be treated with harmful chemicals, and do not pick plants from protected spaces. As with any new food, integrate wild plants into your diet in small quantities to gauge any dietary sensitivities, and consult with a doctor if you have any questions or concerns about specific health issues or medication interactions.