Wild Food Medicine: Purslane

That "weed" in the garden cracks may be one of the most nutritious greens you can eat. Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is unusually rich in plant omega-3 fat (alpha-linolenic acid) for a leafy green, plus vitamins A and C, magnesium and antioxidants (Simopoulos et al., 1992). It's crunchy, lemony and grows in heat and drought where lettuce fails.

How to use it: raw in salads, in soups and stews, or pickled. Harvest only from places free of sprays and roadside runoff, and be 100% sure of identification — avoid look-alike spurges, which have milky sap. Purslane contains oxalates, so people prone to kidney stones should eat it in moderation.