Chicken Purslane Tacos Were a Hit!

I was glad to see this recipe in LEF's recipe database since purslane is not a common ingredient.  It's actually an uncultivated, yet edible and yummy, weed!  I did a few modifications in red to make this a meal with a little more protein, since these days most of our meals are vegetarian!  The kids ate it up!


Mexican Purslane Stuffing 
Submitted by member Cindy Riley (found on the Prairieland CSA website, but the source is Texas A&M University’s “Aggie Horticulture Network”) Anyone have any idea why it’s called ‘stuffing?’
serves 4

1 to 1½ lbs. purslane
1 tbsp. vegetable oil [Cindy used olive oil]
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh garlic (1 clove)
1 sm. onion, finely chopped
1 medium-size ripe tomato, chopped [Cindy says she substituted sun-dried tomatoes][I used sun-dried too]
1 serrano or jalapeno chile, finely chopped, or freshly cracked black pepper, according to taste [perfect opportunity for using the hot peppers in this week’s share!][We used the padrone peppers from the share - luckily the one I chose was mild for the kids]
2 to 3 tsp. soy sauce (okay, maybe only in Texas is soy sauce 'Mexican!')
1 egg, beaten
Two boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded


1. Set aside a few raw sprigs of purslane for garnish. [I did not do garnish] Steam or blanch the rest until tender-crisp (three to five minutes). Drain thoroughly, transfer to a plate covered with several layers of paper towels and blot dry.

2. In a large pan, sauté garlic and onion in vegetable oil until soft. Add tomato and chile (or black pepper) and sauté until the mixture becomes sauce-like. Season with soy sauce. Add the purslane and sauté until mixture is warm and the flavors marry. Add shredded chicken and if not warm, heat until warm.

3. When ready to serve, add the beaten egg to the warm mixture in the pan and mix gently. The egg will bind the mixture loosely but should not harden into scrambled eggs. Garnish individual servings with reserved purslane sprigs. Can be eaten as is, or in tortillas or pita bread. [We had this in tortillas]

September 24 - 30

This week we have visitors and will be out and about a lot so I'm not nailing any of these to one particular day.

For tomatoes:
Tomato pie
For Kale:
Winter Vegetable Hash (using summer squash instead of acorn)
OR
Kale smoothie
For Lemon thyme:

Baked Chicken with Lemon Thyme Wine Sauce

4 Boneless chicken breasts 1 Cup dry white wine 2 Tablespoons butter 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1/2 Small onion, chopped 1 Teaspoon garlic, minced 1/8 Teaspoon white pepper

1/4 Cup cream or half & half 1 Tablespoon flour 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon thyme, or 1 Teaspoon dried 1/2 Cup Swiss cheese, grated (optional) 8 Lemon thyme sprigs, 2-3" in length Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 375F. Pierce chicken breasts with fork and arrange in a baking dish. Add wine and marinate for 10 minutes. Sauté onions and garlic in butter and olive oil until transparent. Remove the onion and garlic with a slotted spoon and set them aside, along with the seasoned oil. In a blender, thoroughly blend the wine, pepper, cream, flour, and lemon thyme, adding onions and garlic. Brown the chicken in the seasoned oil over a medium-high heat for about 8 minutes, turning once. Return chicken to baking dish and add the blended sauce. Cover and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the cover and cook an additional 15 minutes. (Optional: add Swiss cheese during last 5 minutes of cooking.) Garnish with sprigs of lemon thyme. Serves four. DEAN PAILLER, THE FLOWERY BRANCH SEED CO.

Thyme Biscuits

2 Cups flour 1 Tablespoon baking powder 1 Tablespoon sugar 1 Teaspoon salt	8 Tablespoons butter 3/4 Cup buttermilk 1 Whole egg, beaten 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
Preheat oven to 425F. Sift together dry ingredients. Cut butter into mixture, but do not overwork. Stir inmilk, egg, and thyme. Turn dough onto floured bread board. Knead a dozen times. Roll dough into golf-ball-size balls. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 12-14 minutes, until done. Serve hot. Yield: 12-16 biscuits. RON ZIMMERMAN, THE HERB FARM

 Lemon Thyme cooler

2 Cups water 1/2 Teaspoon fresh lemon thyme leaves 1/2 Teaspoon honey
Bring water to a boil and remove from the heat. Add thyme leaves and steep for 5 minutes. Strain into cups and add honey. Relax and enjoy.

For beets and turnips:
Smoky root vegetable gratin (use beets instead of parsnips) dry the ancho chiles for 10-12 hours ahead of time.

Groceries:
Shitake mushrooms
yukon gold potatoes

eggs (boo - hens didn't lay enough this week)
butter
cheese (guyere and parmesan and fresh mozzarella and others)
lunch food
fruit