One of the biggest joys of Spring is the abundance of fresh, locally grown produce. The euphoria of a raw foodie visiting a local farmers market cannot be described. It has to be experienced. And if you are like me, you always end up buying more than you can eat right away.
Since freshness is absolutely vital in raw food cuisine, preserving, freezing, and juicing might be a good idea if you do not want to waste anything. Best thing to do when you've bought too many herbs is to turn the bounty into a delicious pesto. I bought too much purslane (Portulaca oleracea), hence this recipe. I made enormous salad and used the other half to make this delicious vegan pesto.
Ingredients:
for the pasta
- 2 medium large kohlrabi
- 1 cup purslane, packed
- 1/4 cup raw pistachio nuts
- 2 large cloves young garlic
- juice of 1 medium large lemon
- 1/4 cup virgin olive oil
- 1/3 tsp Celtic sea salt
- 1 small purple onion, minced
Method:
- Wash and peel the kohlrabi. Using vegetable peeler or a mandolin make large, flat pappardelle-like noodles. Place the noodles in a bowl, add pinch of Celtic salt and toss gently. Set aside.
- In a food processor pulse blend all the pesto ingredients. Do not over process.
- Transfer pesto to a bowl with kohlrabi pasta and mix gently. Garnish with finely chopped purple onion and serve right away. Enjoy in good company!
Common purslane is an edible weed that can be cultivated or foraged, and used just like spinach or corn salad (Valerianella locusta). It can be eaten raw, stir fried, or added to soups. Purslane contains more Omega-3 fatty acid (especially the alpha-linolenic acid) than any other leafy vegetable. It is also rich in Vitamins A, B-complex, C, and E; beta carotenoids; and minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium.Raw purslane has a very high content of oxalate, a compound that is associated with the formation of kidney stones. If you have problems with your kidneys you should not eat raw purslane. Cooking reduces the oxalate content.
Kohlrabi is often underestimated by raw foodies because it does not fit nicely into the rainbow pattern on a platter. This is rather unfortunate because its white flesh is not only delicious, but also nutritious. It contains Vitamins A, B-complex, C, and K; fiber; minerals such as calcium, copper, iron, manganese, and potassium; and sulfur compounds called glucosinolates that may have anti-cancer, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, and antibacterial properties.
I added purple onion to this beautiful dish. Not just because I needed some contrast here. Purple onion contains powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound quercetin. It is an allergy season and quercetin calms immune cells, thus preventing or reducing the release of histamines. If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you should add more quercetin containing foods or take quercetin supplements.
As you see, this simple, but delicious dish is also incredibly good for you! Make it often.
In radiant health, passionately raw - Dominique
Dominique Allmon©2017
*Information in this article is for educational purposes only. it is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease.