Verdolagas

summer is such a wonderful time for going to the farmers market. you can find a great variety of delicious fruits and vegetables during this hot season. one of the special treats i always forget about, but get so excited when i find it at the market is Verdolagas aka Purslane, Pigweed, Little Hogweed or Pursley. (these in the picture i got last Sunday at Hollywood Farmers Market)

verdolagas were a common dish at my house when i was young and lived in Mexico. my mom would stir fry them with olive oil, onion and tomato, add a little salt and voila. she would serve them with rice and meat on the side. i quite loved the flavor, a bit tangy, a bit crispy and tiny bit slimy like okra.

little did i know back then that this delicious weed is actually super healthy. not only are verdolagas a good source of vitamin A, magnesium, potassium, iron and calcium, but according to the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources “one cup of raw common verdolagas is only 7 calories, yet it provides 15 percent of the daily requirement of vitamin C. crude protein is reported to be about 20 percent. furthermore, the plant is one of the highest non-animal sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease.”

wow! and they taste delish too!

a delicious way to enjoy them is to eat verdolagas fresh in salads ~ just chop 'em up and add some cucumber slices, tomatoes, avocado, lemon, olive oil and salt and there you have it. sometimes i add it to other greens such as lettuce or kale to make a bigger portion.

also, inspired by my mom's recipe, i like stir frying verdolagas with onion, tomato and zucchini with a bit of salt and pepper. eat over quinoa and yum! when i make it this way i start stir frying the onion first, then the zucchini and last the tomatoes and verdolagas which i only cook for a tiny bit. verdolagas are sort of like spinach, they cook rather quick so no need to over cook.

this cooked version can also be eaten as a taco, simply put 'em in a warm corn tortilla mmm mmm mmm, or you can also chop some fresh verdolagas as a topping over your favorite tacos. verdolagas can be steamed too!

what a treat verdolagas are. i love how healthy they are and how easy they are to enjoy!

~ the end

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