Maker Β· Vegetables
Erik Vork, winter purslane from Amsterdam West
Winter purslane that's still growing in Amsterdam West in the morning and reaches your kitchen the same week. Erik Vork is one of the few city growers who grows and harvests this leaf by hand, in the middle of winter.
The story
Who's behind it
Erik Vork grows winter purslane in Amsterdam West. He works on a small scale in the city, with care for the soil and for the timing of the season. He is one of the few growers in Amsterdam West who grows this leaf. Winter purslane has become rare, and Erik keeps it going.
Everything is done by hand. The leaf is harvested and sorted by hand and goes out in boxes of one kilo. Because field and kitchen are both in or around the city, the lines are short. What's harvested today is on your counter within three days.
Why winter purslane
Winter purslane, botanically Claytonia perfoliata, is a winter crop. The seed germinates once the soil drops below twelve degrees, usually after October, and the plant overwinters as a rosette. It handles frost and keeps growing through the coldest months. That gives you fresh, local leaf in the middle of winter.
The leaves are soft, fresh and slightly nutty. The flavour leans towards spinach, with a juicy, crisp bite. A hundred grams holds roughly a third of your daily vitamin C, plus a good amount of vitamin A and iron.
In your kitchen
On a winter menu full of roots and cabbage, fresh local leaf stands out. Winter purslane adds a fresh, green note. On the menu you can say where it comes from: harvested in Amsterdam West, this very week.
Use it raw in a salad, briefly stir-fried with fish, or laid loosely over a stew so it just wilts. Dress it late and you keep the bite and the flavour.
Chefβs tip
Treat it like a herb. The leaves are delicate, so dress them on the plate and they stay firm. If you want it warm, toss it in the wok for a few seconds or lay it loosely over a hot dish so it just wilts. That keeps the fresh, slightly nutty note.
How to use it
Ideas for your menu
Raw salad with winter purslane
Dressed loosely with a light vinaigrette, lemon and a few nuts. The leaf stays crisp and juicy and has a green, fresh flavour of its own.
Briefly stir-fried with fish
A few seconds in the pan so it just wilts. Fresh alongside pan-fried white fish or a creamy sauce.
Warm accompaniment over stew or game
Laid loosely over the hot dish so it just wilts. Brings colour and a spinach-like bite in the winter months.
Green accent on a winter plate
As fresh leaf among root vegetables and pulses, for local greens in winter.
For your menu
βWinter purslane from city farmer Erik Vork, hand-harvested in Amsterdam West.β
Products from Erik Vork
What we carry from this maker
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Taste it in your own kitchen
Book a no-obligation tasting with Niels and taste it for yourself.