PURSLANE MEDITERRANEAN SALAD

“A healthy attitude is contagious but don't wait to catch it from others. Be a carrier.” - Tom Stoppard
 
This salad is a complete meal in itself, served with some crusty bread.
 
Mediterranean Salad
Ingredients
 
4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 Lebanese cucumbers, washed, not peeled, chopped
1 large capsicum, cut into fine slices
5-6 sprigs of fresh purslane, roughly chopped (see photo above)
1 onion cut into rings and then halved
1 tablespoon capers
Dried oregano
Salt to taste
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
 
Method
Prepare and combine all the ingredients together just before serving. This is a salad packed with nutritional goodness:
 
Purslane (Portulaca oleracea): Common garden “weed”, containing omega-3 fatty acids (α-linolenic acid); Vitamin A (high!);  Vitamins C, B group; iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium & manganese; reddish beta-cyanins & yellow beta-xanthins (antioxidants).
 
Tomatoes: Lycopene, a flavonoid antioxidant; vitamin A, and flavonoid anti-oxidants such as α and β-carotenes, xanthins and lutein; Vitamins C, B group; Potassium, iron, calcium, manganese.
 
Cucumber: Anti-oxidants β-carotene and α-carotene, vitamin-C, vitamin-A, zea-xanthin and lutein; Vitamins K; Potassium.
 
Onion: Allyl disulphide – allicin has antimutagenic and antidiabetic properties in diabetics; Vitamins C and B group; Chromium; Manganese.
 
This post is part of the Food Friday meme,
and also part of the Food Trip Friday meme.