Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)

Annual, self-seeding. A small ground-spreading midsummer garden pest with rounded fleshy leaves. The French have developed cultivated garden varieties that may be more interesting for their larger leaves, but are not otherwise noticeably different in flavor.

Braised as a vegetable or added, chopped, to an herb or a vegetable soup, it is mostly a curiosity, its great value being as an addition to a salad where, in combination with bitter herbs and flavorful lettuces, its different texture and separate flavor serve a real purpose. Cooked, its raw, mild taste turns sharp and bitter.