Summer Purslane Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chopped purslane – washed and chopped, include smaller stems

• 2 scallions chopped

• ½ cup parsley, mint, cilantro – of a mix or any combination of them

• 1 large or 2 small shredded beets (raw)

• ½ avocado, cubed without the pit

Dressing:

• Juice of ½ a lemon

• 1 tsp Dijon-style mustard

• 1/3 cup EVOO or walnut oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Optional – chopped tomato and/or pepper

Purslane is often considered a weed, but it contains Vitamin A, C and E as well as calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, and potassium. Not only all of that, it is rich in omega 3 fatty acids and melatonin. The downside is that it is high in oxalates, which are a problem for people who are vulnerable to kidney stones or intolerant to oxalates.

Directions:

Prepare the salad vegetables in a medium-sized bowl. In a small jar(with a tight lid), combine the ingredients of the dressing and then cover the jar and shake it until smooth. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix and serve.