This Week in Edible Weeds: Purslane Kimchi

Purslane loves to seed and grow itself at CCG (as well as all across Southwest Detroit), so we're constantly clearing patches of it out of our garden beds. But this is more of a gift than a nuisance, because did you know this plant is a superfood - high in calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, vitamin C, vitamin E, and full of health benefits - and tastes delicious too?

Fresh purslane has a juicy crunch and a lemony tang. If you want to make something delicious out of what could already be sprouting in your yard, enjoy this simple recipe.

What you will need

• 3 to 4 cups purslane, tender stems included (trim away any tough stems)

• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Optional:

• A small handful of julienned carrots for added crunch

• Scallions and garlic chives, about 2-3 each, chopped (we grow both at CCG!)

  
  

For the kimchi paste:

• 1/4 cup boiling water

• 2 tablespoons sweet glutinous rice flour*

• 1 clove garlic

• 1 small knob fresh ginger, about 1 inch

• 3 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean chili pepper flakes)

• 1/2 piece of ripe fruit, such as apple, pear, nectarine, or peach

  
  

*This is optional, but it helps the paste cling better to the purslane, and it gives the ferment a little extra food to get going.

Clean and prep the purslane

Start by soaking the purslane in a large bowl of cool water. Swish it around, lift it out, dump the water, and repeat. Do this several times until the water looks clean. Purslane is safe to eat raw, so you can give it a taste - sometimes it can absorb the taste of soil, so if it still tastes earthy, then you may want to do a quick blanch by dropping it into boiling water for about 5 to 10 seconds, then immediately rinsing under cold water or dunking in an ice bath.

Put the cleaned and drained purslane in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt. Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes.

Make the kimchi paste

In a small bowl, mix the boiling water and sweet glutinous rice flour. Stir until it thickens slightly and looks glossy. It does not need to be perfect. Add this mixture along with the garlic, ginger, gochugaru, and ripe fruit to a food processor and blend until smooth.

Mix the ingredients

Add the julienned carrot, chopped green onions, and garlic chives to the salted purslane. Pour the kimchi paste over everything. Massage it in gently but thoroughly.

Pack and let ferment

Pack the mixture into a clean jar. Let it ferment at room temperature for 1 to 3 days. You can start tasting after 24 hours. When you're pleased with the taste, move it over to the fridge. It will keep fermenting slowly in the fridge.