Like this:

Verdolagas shown in the middle of this raised bed

Verdolagas is the seventh most prolific weed in the world.  Yet it is used in the cuisines of Greek, Mexican, Chinese, and Russian cultures, and maybe more.  It’s nutritional value is remarkable inasmuch as it has one of the highest content of omega-3′s and is high in vitamin A and C.  Once grown in a garden, it will stay and grow in any inconspicuous location.  I generally transplant it to a specific location so that it can be groomed and harvested in large quantities.   It was introduced to me when we hired a mexican cook to prepare traditional mexican foods for my son’s high school graduation party. One of the dishes was verdolagas con puerco (pork) in red chile sauce.  I have since made it and I am still experimenting on the recipe.  I have included my current recipe below.  Verdolagas can also be used fresh in a salad.  I have included such a recipe.

To make a fresh salad,(shown above), take a cucumber and split it up lengthwise by quarters. De-vein the center part by scrapping off the seeds and chop the lengths into one inch pieces. Take a small tomato and chop it into similar small pieces as shown.  Take fresh verdolagas leaves and sprinkle them over the combonation. Take some cilantro leaves and sprinkle them into the salad.  Now take a meyer lemon and sprinkle the juice over the salad.  Add salt as an option.  I gave no measurements because the ingredients are strictly  to your preference and availability. The above ingredients were all from my garden.

My dish 0f Verdolagas con Puerco

2 Pork Chops (roughly 1 and 1/2 pounds)          1 pound of Verdolagas without stems

1 cup of apple cider vinegar                     15  oz can of Las Palmas enchilada sauce

15  oz can of fire roasted crushed tomatoes                  6  cloves of garlic

1  large onion                                                                        4  cups of water

3/4 cup of loose cilantro                                                     2  bay  leafs

De-bone the pork chops and cut the chops to 1 and 1/2 inch pieces.  Put the bone and meat in a container with 2 cups of water and 1 cup of apple cider vinegar.  Let stand for 15 minutes. Take out the bones and rinse with water.  Then put 2 and 1/2 cups of water in a large pan with a cover.  Include the bones, 3 garlic cloves, a  quarter of the large onion sliced up, and the bay leafs into the pan to a boil and then a simmer for  15 minutes.  Then include the chopped up meat (after rinsing) into the large pan and cover for another 15 minutes.  Then add the enchalada sauce, verdolagas, 3 cloves of garlic chopped up, the remaining onion sliced up, and the tomatoes.  Bring to a boil and then simmer approximately  15 minutes.  Add salt to taste if necessary.

Advertisement