Many of the greens we enjoy today began life as weeds. They showed up, uninvited, in gardens and fields. Given the scarcity of food, they were gathered and brought to the kitchen.

While some of these intruders were distasteful (or even poisonous), others were welcome, including dandelion greens and mache (lamb’s quarters), which has become a “gourmet lettuce.”

Perhaps the weed we eat the most is watercress, which grows wild alongside streams and riverbanks.

Other weeds, like red clover, were turned into homeopathetic remedies.

Such is the case of purslane (PURSE-lane, Portulaca oleracea), a low, trailing plant with yellow flowers that’s used for food and homeopathy. It looks like a baby jade plant (see photo) and tastes like a cousin of spinach or watercress.

Purslane is not well known in the U.S., where most people see it as a common garden weed. But for those who decide to eat it rather than weed it, it is a delicious salad ingredient and potherb*.

Wild purslane. Photo courtesy GoodEggs.com.

*Potherb refers to any plant prepared as food by cooking in a pot—spinach, for example—or any herb added as seasoning. It includes any part of the plant: flowers, leaves or stems. The seeds of a plant become…spices!

Two tablespoons of olive oil per day have been shown in clinical studies to have a beneficial effect in reducing coronary disease. The claim has been approved by the FDA.

Purslane loves prefer to eat the young plants, especially young leaves and tender stem tips.

 
So don’t banish purslane from your garden: Invite it to dinner!

Check out purslane recipes at PrairielandCSA.org.

Jumbo cheese ravioli are deep fried and topped with a fresh tomato and basil sauce, then garnished with more of the fresh basil. You’ve got a crisp “crust,” cheese, tomato sauce and basil: a fun first course.

You can buy jumbo ravioli at shops that specialize in fresh pasta.

But that’s not the end of the fun.

Now, think of the opposite approach: ravioli pizza. Top a Margherita pizza, homemade or take-out, with miniature ravioli, boiled the conventional way or fried.

Pizza ravioli: all the flavors of pizza in crisp ravioli. Photo courtesy Giovanni Rana Restaurant | NYC.

You can use standard ravioli, but look for miniature ravioli—they’re easier to eat as a topping. Then, make a fun pasta salad with the extra miniature ravioli. Here’s a recipe from PeanutButterAndPeppers.com.

EVEN MORE FOOD FUN

And thank goodness it’s still here, because it’s one of our favorites.

> The history of salad.

> The 40+ salad holidays.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF THE COBB SALAD

Late one evening in 1937, Bob Cobb, owner of The Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood, was scrounging in the kitchen’s refrigerator for a snack.

He grabbed a head of iceberg lettuce, an avocado, some romaine, watercress, tomatoes, a cold breast of chicken, a hard-cooked egg, chives, blue cheese and some old-fashioned French dressing*. He took some crisp bacon from one of the chefs and started chopping.

He laid each ingredient in a row, in a bowl.

Cobb shared the salad with his friend Sid Grauman, proprietor of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, who came back and asked for a “Cobb Salad” the next day.

It was put on the menu and became an overnight sensation. Customers like movie mogul Jack Warner regularly dispatched his chauffeur to pick one up.

Since then, the salad has often been served with the ingredients laid out on the plate in rows, rather than tossed or with the other ingredients layered atop the greens, like a chef salad.

Over time, people have added an extra ingredient, like the ham in photo #1 and the corn in photo #2, celery, bell pepper, scallions, croutons, and so on.

People who don’t like blue cheese substitute Cheddar. People who don’t like tomatoes substitute red pepper. People who don’t eat bacon substitute kidney beans.

There have been variations like Wolfgang Puck’s Lobster Cobb Salad. And now, here’s the Cobb Sandwich.

There’s also a recipe for Asian Cobb Salad below.

> The history of the chopped salad.
 
 
RECIPE #1: COBB SANDWICH

Ingredients For 4 Servings

Blue Cheese Mayonnaise

 
Avocado Purée

 
Sandwich

[1] Cobb Salads are typically served with the ingredients in rows (photo © eMeals weekly meal plans).

[2] In the chips? Trade the chicken and ham for a Lobster Club Salad. Here’s the recipe from Skinnytaste (photo © Skinnytaste).

[3] A Cobb Wedge Salad: the Cobb toppings used as a toppings for a wedge of iceberg lettuce (photo © Sid Wainer).

[5] Asian Cobb Salad, with bean sprouts, napa cabbage, seaweed salad and an Asian vinaigrette (photo © East & West Yotel | New York City).

[6] You can vary the ingredients to reflect different cuisines. This Italian Cobb Salad has speck and sundried tomatoes. We’d add some shaved provolone cheese (photo © Uncommon Flavors Of Europe).

1. COMBINE blue cheese and mayonnaise in a small bowl; mix well and set aside.

2. MIX the avocado purée, lemon juice, salt and pepper until well blended.

3. ASSEMBLE: Spread one bread slice with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the blue cheese mayonnaise. Layer the mixed greens, 2 tomato slices, 2 ounces smoked turkey and 2 bacon strips on the bread. Spread another slice of bread with the avocado purée, and top the other half of the sandwich. Repeat to make three more sandwiches.
 

RECIPE #2: ASIAN COBB SALAD

Can you call something a Cobb Salad variation when the only ingredients it shares with the original are lettuce and chicken—ingredients common to more than a few salads? We’d say no, but we like this salad with a more appropriate name, like Asian Chicken Salad.
 
Ingredients For 8 Servings

For The Dressing

 
For The Salad

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the dressing ingredients in a jar with a lid. Cover and shake to combine. Set aside.

2. MIX the lettuce, cabbage, snow/snap peas, bean sprouts and parsley in large serving bowl; toss to combine. Arrange the chicken, avocados, carrots, green onions and mushrooms on top.

3. SPRINKLE the rice noodles and almonds on top. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve immediately.

*The French use vinaigrette—oil and vinegar—as a salad dressing. Originally, “French dressing” was synonymous with vinaigrette. Over time, a sweet, decidedly non-French, orange-colored vinaigrette (from ketchup, not a very French condiment) appeared in the U.S. and Canada. It’s what “French dressing” is today. To make it, combine 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup ketchup, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, a pinch of salt. Our mother halved the sugar and threw in a clove of garlic.
 
 

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

A marinade is a savory, acidic sauce comprised of an acid, oil and seasonings. The food—fish, meat, vegetables—is bathed in the marinade to enrich its flavor and/or to tenderize it. The breaking down of the tissue also causes meat and poultry to hold more liquid, making it juicier.

The marinade should be relatively thin in consistency, in order to penetrate the food. The acidic ingredient can be buttermilk, lemon juice, wine/beer, or yogurt, seasoned with herbs and/or spices. Sometimes oil is eliminated from red meat marinades, because meat generally contains enough fat.
 
EASY MARINADE RECIPE

1. MIX any good cooking oil with an acid (lemon juice, vinegar, wine).

Old-school marinating: in a glass or plastic dish. Photo courtesy 12Tomatoes.com.

Thanks to Linda Stadley of What‘s Cooking America and FoodSafety.gov for some of these tips:

EASIEST MARINATING: PLASTIC BAG

The easiest and least messy way to marinate food is to use a resealable plastic bag. When all of the air is pressed out before the bag is sealed, the marinade completely surrounds the meat.

This dramatically reduces the amount of marinade necessary, and also affords even marination, allowing maximum penetration of the marinade from all sides.

Here are tips from McCormick for five-minute marinating. If your recipe calls for a longer time, follow the instructions.

1. PLACE the food and the marinade in a resealable plastic bag.

2. PUSH the air out of the bag and seal tightly.

3. MASSAGE the food for five minutes, turning the bag often so it absorbs most of the marinade. (this is easy to do with meat and seafood; vegetables should just be squished around in the bag).

4. REMOVE the food and cook. Discard the bag with the remaining marinade.

Everyone we lunch with seems to order a Greek salad or a Cobb salad. And they admit that they never make it at home!

So today’s tip is: Enjoy a Greek salad at home, regularly. When you make your own, you can add as much feta, olives, pepperoncini, and other favorite ingredients as you like.

 
Serve your Greek salad as a main meal, a smaller salad course, or as a soup-and-salad or sandwich-and-salad combo for lunch.

FOOD TRIVIA: In Greece, the feta-cucumber-onion-plus salad is referred to as horiatiki, which translates to country/village/peasant salad. It is a common part of a traditional Greek meal. Horiatiki doesn’t contain lettuce—that’s an American preference. In Greece, you’ll only see lettuce used at restaurants that cater to tourists.

A cute Greek salad preparation from Stix
Mediterranean Grill in New York City. What’s missing? The lettuce, which is not part of authentic recipes.

The recipe below is from Molyvos, one of the finest Greek restaurants in New York City. Executive Chef Jim Botsacos. He serves an American-style Greek salad, but check out the preparation: He uses the techniques of a top chef.
 
 
RECIPE #1: GREEK SALAD

Ingredients For 6 Side Servings

 
______________

*When beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes are not in season, use halved cherry tomatoes.

Preparation

1. CORE the tomatoes. Cut each tomato in half crosswise, then cut each half into 6 pieces. Place the pieces in a mixing bowl. Add the cucumber.

2. CUT the onion in half lengthwise and then slice each half lengthwise into thin julienne. Add the onion to the bowl. Add the olives, cheese, and capers. If using pepperoncini, slice into circles and add; or use whole as a garnish.

3. ADD the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Taste and season with oregano and salt and pepper to taste.

4. PLACE an equal portion of the lettuce on each of the 6 salad plates or bowls. Top with an equal portion of the tomato mixture, and sprinkle lightly with oregano. Serve immediately.
 
 
RECIPE #2: RED WINE VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the vinegar with the garlic and oregano in a small mixing bowl. Using a wire whisk, whisking constantly. add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream until all the oil is incorporated.

2. SEASON with salt and pepper to taste and set aside until ready to use. Whisk briefly before using.
 
 

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.