Many, many years ago, before I started The Cultural Kitchen, I was teaching workshops for Loblaws Upstairs Cooking School, and that’s where I met Chef Thuy Nguyen. Thuy is a bundle of energy, with a sparkling and lovable personality. We hit it off and I can humbly say that Thuy was my teacher for everything Vietnamese and other Asian cuisines. She took me for a foodie tour through Chinatown at a time when I did not know much about Asian cuisines. It was an education for sure and to this day I frequent the same shops she showed me.
My trajectory and Thuy’s were parallel - we both taught for Loblaws and then the OCDSB, she even taught classes for me in the early days of The Cultural Kitchen, and her classes were always sold out! Later on we went our separate ways and as it often happens, years went by without any contact.
Fast forward to today… Thuy found me through social media and we reconnected immediately. I found out Thuy and her friend Navin have a garlic farm on Moodie Drive and when I saw they were selling fresh organic garlic I just had to visit!
So that’s were my friend Alex and I went yesterday morning. First of all, seeing Thuy after almost 20 years was amazing, she has the same energy and spirit as always and it was great to catch up. She gave us a tour of the farm and as we walked she kept pointing out many “weeds” that have all kinds of medicinal properties. She really is a fountain of information! We made our way to the giant garlic patch where she showed us the varieties they are growing, from the medium hot Majestic to the hotter Red Russian, to the giant Elephant Garlic. They have everything from mild to hot and it’s all organic and beautiful. Thuy loves having people visit the farm and anyone can volunteer to help out with everything from weeding to harvesting, so if you’re in Ottawa and want to go help out, Thuy and Navin will appreciate it!
I learned a lot about garlic and how it’s grown and harvested and of course I came home with a bundle of the most beautiful medium hot Majestic that will last me through the coming year, but what this post is about is those “weeds” Thuy kept showing us along the way. You see, in Mexico we treasure “Quelites”. The word comes from the Náhuatl “quilitl”, meaning edible herb. Quelites are wild edible greens and there are up to 500 varieties in Mexico. Most of these quelites are not grown as crops, but instead are just “picked” when in season - they grow in fields, near other crops, as long as there is a water source. Some of the most known quelites are verdolagas (purslane), amaranto (amaranth), radish tops, watercress, lamb’s quarters and epazote. Many of these are grown as proper crops, but hundreds of others are wild and collected just after the rainy season, and they will mostly show up at the local mercados. In the world of food, quelites can range the gamut from greens that can be used in salads to more hearty ones that can be used in “guisos” or stews, or even stuffed, as in the case of zucchini blossoms. But what is certain, quelites are a great source of nutrition in the form of vitamins, minerals, folic acid and fibre.
At the end of our walk at the farm, Thuy picked a whole bunch of amaranth and verdolaga, what you would know as purslane, so that’s what I’m going to show you today. I will make something with the amaranth later today, but this morning I made the most delicious and healthy breakfast.
Verdolagas are very commonly used in Mexico, they show up at the table stewed in salsa or scrambled in eggs. More contemporary cooks use the tender leaves in salads. We could say verdolagas are a super food, as they are loaded with potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium, beta carotene, vitamins A, B and C and omega-3 fatty acids!
This morning I made a quick “guiso” (stew) with vegetables from my garden and some of that delicious garlic I got yesterday from Thuy. You can make this mixture and scramble the eggs into it, but I prefer an egg with a runny yolk, so I simply cracked the eggs on top and covered the pan for a couple of minutes to set the whites. Serve garnished with cotija or queso fresco, some cilantro and your favourite salsa - and lots of corn tortillas on the side. If you don’t have verdolagas, you can use spinach or any other greens you may have on hand, like kale or Swiss chard. It’s a delicious way to start your day!
Huevos con Verdolagas en Cazuela
Skillet Eggs with Purslane Stew
2 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil
1/2 cup white onion, chopped
1 small serrano or jalapeño chile, minced
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped (1 1/3 cups)
3 cups verdolaga (purslane) leaves and tender stems
1/4 cup chicken stock or water
Salt to taste
4-6 eggs
1/4 cup crumbled cheese, like cotija, queso fresco or feta
A few sprigs cilantro
Salsa
Corn Tortillas
In medium frying pan (cast iron works great), heat oil over medium heat and cook onion and chile until translucent and starting to get a little golden. Add garlic and cook only until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
Add tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes, until they start to break down and become saucy.
Add verdolaga leaves and tender stems and chicken stock or water and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to simmer and cook until verdolaga is tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt.
Crack the eggs into the pan and cover with lid. Cook 5-6 minutes, until whites are set but yolks remain soft.
Serve straight out of the pan, garnished with cheese and cilantro. Make sure salsa and tortillas are available for everyone to help themselves.
Serves 4-6.