Page 137 - The Lost Ways

Another tasty treat that hitchhiked its way across the Atlantic to naturalize itself all over
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America is field pennycress , a member of the mustard family that carries with it the
distinctive bitterness.

Harvest young plants in the early spring to mix with other greens in a salad or to boil as a
potherb. If the bitterness is too much for you, you can change the water once or twice to
lessen its effect. Mustard greens go great with bacon or any other pork dish. If you collect
and dry the seeds and pods, you can use these to season dishes all year round.

Purslane (Portulaca Oleracea)

Annual herb; harvest summer through fall

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Purslane is a fairly common garden weed. It grows anywhere the earth has been
disturbed. Nutritious and plentiful, this is one plant you are going to want to familiarize
yourself with. You can use the whole young plant as a potherb by boiling for 10 minutes,
or you can pick the young, leafy tips through the entire season to add to salads. Older
stems make delightful pickles and are prepared the same way as cucumbers. Parboiled
stems can be successfully dried and used later in soups when vegetables become scarce.

30 "Thlaspi arvens", by: H. Zell, (CC BY-SA 3.0)
31 "Portulaca oleracea g1", by: Giancarlo Dessì, (CC BY-SA 3.0)

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