In the summer, I become a Greek island cook and gardener, my patience and ingenuity put to the test by an overflow of squashes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and weeds. Among the latter is purslane, which runs rampant but invariably ends up in either my salad bowl or stew pot. The Greeks call this prolific weed glistrida, which means slippery, and say that it turns you into a chatterbox or makes your tongue slip. I have never been able to find anything but empirical proof of that, mainly in my own urges to sing its praises. Purslane is no doubt a weed of distinction.

It is indeed one of the healthiest foods we can eat. Its therapeutic values have been known for eons. Pliny the Elder, one of the earliest chroniclers of plants, called it the guardian against all ills. Purslane is high in vitamins A and C, iron, phosphorus and calcium. It is one of the richest plant sources of Omega-3 fatty acids and is a veritable antioxidant bombshell. In Greek and Mediterranean folk pharmacopoeia, purslane has been used to treat headaches, stomach pains, ulcers and eye ailments.

For gardeners, it is a weed that serves a higher purpose: The deep roots help bring nutrients to the top soil, the juicy leaves and stems provide moisture, and purslane's tenacity keeps other, peskier weeds at bay.

Horta culture

For me, the plant is an emblem of the best of Greek cooking, a member of the considerable range of wild greens, which are really nothing more than edible weeds, that Greeks call horta. Most wild greens grow in Greece when it rains, between November and May; purslane, together with amaranth and black nightshade (from which strychnine is derived but which is delicious and safe before it flowers) is readily available for the plucking from June to September.

Greek cooks only avoid purslane when it starts to produce tiny, black poppy-like seeds and grow large and tough in the process. But the array of dishes in the regional kitchen attests to the ingenuity of generations of impoverished country cooks who had to wring as much nutrition as they could from what was around them. In many Aegean Island kitchens, purslane is stewed with zucchini and amaranth and plenty of olive oil or cooked in tomato sauce with lots of onions and garlic. One delicious recipe, popular among the Greeks from Istanbul who came back as refugees almost a hundred years ago, calls for cooking it with onions, garlic and thick Greek yogurt. In salads, from the classic Greek village salad (tomatoes, cucumbers, feta, onions and olive oil) to other, more diverse summer salads, it is a lovely addition that provides volume, crunch and a mild quenching acidity. I have learned to pair it with cucumbers, green olives and red wine vinegar, a dish I co-opted from a local cook, Popi Karimanli, on my native island, Ikaria.

Maybe the best thing of all about purslane is how easy it is to procure gratis, so long as you recognize it in fields and gardens, an easy enough thing to do. Look for deep green, fleshy leaves reminiscent of a succulent, and thick flexible stalks.

Tzatziki (Greek Yogurt Dip) with Purslane Cucumbers and Herbs
From my forthcoming book, "The Country Cooking of Greece" (Chronicle Books)

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

Directions

1. Wash the purslane, spin dry and trim away any tough stems. Transfer to a salad bowl. Wring the liquid out of the shredded cucumber by gathering it up with your hands, one small bunch at a time, and squeezing it between your palms. Transfer to the bowl and add the herbs.
2. Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, garlic, and coriander and season with salt. Add the yogurt mixture to the vegetables and mix well. Season with pepper and additional salt if needed. Serve.

Grouper Stewed with Purslane

From my book, "The Glorious Foods of Greece" (William Morrow). This is a classic summer recipe from Crete.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Directions

1. Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. In a large, wide pot, over medium heat, warm the olive oil and cook the onion and garlic until wilted, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the purslane and toss to coat in the oil. Pour in the tomatoes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover, bring to a simmer, reduce heat and cook for 20 minutes, until the purslane is soft.
3. While the purslane is simmering, sprinkle the fish with the lemon juice and place back in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, to firm up its flesh.
4. Place the fish on top of the purslane in the pot, cover, and continue cooking for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the fish is fork tender. Remove and serve drizzled with a little additional olive oil and lemon juice.

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