Kem Ormond discovers miner’s lettuce so you don’t have to

Kem Ormond is a features writer for NZME community newspapers and The Country. She’s also a keen gardener.

OPINION

What is a must-have staple for a winter salad, as it is around when there are not a lot of greens in your garden?

Succulent, crisp, refreshing, delicious and so good for you – I am talking about miner’s lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata).

Some people refer to it as Indian lettuce or winter purslane.

It was what the miners used to eat over 150 years ago and is a historic American winter green, native to the West Coast of North America.

We are so lucky it grows so well here in New Zealand. It likes cool, damp conditions to grow in and once happy in a spot – it is off!

You can also grow some in pots or in an area where you can just let it seed under trees.

Miner’s lettuce is also a reliable source of vitamins.

I have read that just 100g of miner’s lettuce contain a third of your daily vitamin C, 10 per cent of iron, and 22 per cent of vitamin A.

It also contains manganese, potassium, copper, and calcium. Seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

So, you can cut down on buying supplements if you have this great plant in your garden.

While you can buy seeds from local garden stores or seed suppliers, if you are a forager, you can also find this quite easily, especially at this time of the year.

You need to be aware that the leaves do change shape over time.

While they are bright green and heart-shaped when young, they tend to turn cup-shaped as the plant grows.

At maturity, each rounded leaf will have clusters of small white flowers, or occasionally, slightly pink flowers.

Once you know what to look for, you will start seeing it everywhere!

As summer draws near, miner’s lettuce forms what looks like brown capsules which eventually burst, scattering its seeds.

Leaving a few plants to seed will ensure it pops up again next year.

While the leaves add a freshness to winter salads, you can also add young leaves into quiches, omelettes, soups, and sauces or add to sandwiches and fresh vegetable rolls.

I harvest the leaves with a pair of scissors, and this seems to work well. I do not bother cooking the leaves as they are at their best when fresh and crisp.

And if you find you get over-run with miner’s lettuce it is a great green crop to dig into the soil.