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what it is, why eat it and how to grow it on the balcony – Italian Cuisine


Added to salads, soups and main courses, it gives taste and many useful substances to stay healthy. Here are the benefits it has and useful tips to grow it at home

There purslane oleraceaAlso known as porcelain or fat grass, it is an edible plant used in cooking since ancient times because of its beneficial substances for health. Purslane is in fact a concentrate of vitamins, minerals and healthy lipids that promote the proper functioning of the body. Its leaves and twigs can be used both raw to enhance the bitter taste of salads based, for example, on rocket and onions, and cooked to enrich soups, minestrone, velvety or main courses such as omelettes with precious nutrients. Let's see with the help of the nutritionist Valentina Schirò, a specialist in food science, why eat it and how to grow it on the balcony of your home.

Purslane oleracea, also known as porcelain or fat grass.
Purslane oleracea, also known as porcelain or fat grass.

It fights cholesterol and diabetes

Purslane helps keep blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels in check. «It is one of the richest plant sources of heart-friendly lipids. It provides polyunsaturated essential fatty acids such as Omega 3, among which alpha-linoleic acid stands out, which helps to keep bad cholesterol (LDL) at bay and protect blood vessels from plaque formation, improving pressure and circulation ", says the nutritionist Schirò. "It also ensures good amounts of vitamin C, essential for the health of the walls of blood vessels, and potassium, a mineral that eliminates the excess sodium responsible for high blood pressure and water retention. Finally, thanks to the good fiber content, it slows down the assimilation of fats and sugars, preventing the onset of high blood sugar and diabetes ".

Counteracts osteoporosis

Purslane is rich in minerals that are good for bone health. «It has a good content of calcium and phosphorus. To increase its protective action against the joints, it is ideal to combine it in salads with fish, which thanks to vitamin D, favors its assimilation and other leafy vegetables such as lettuce and radicchio, rich in vitamin K , useful for the health of the cartilages .

Prevents premature aging

Purslane also provides many antioxidants that counteract the action of free radicals and help tissues and cells defend themselves from oxidative stress, responsible for aging. "In addition to being a good source of vitamin C, cIt contains vitamin A and vitamin E, two anti-aging substances which, as shown by several studies, protect skin cells, nourishing it deeply ". To increase its anti-aging effect, the ideal is to season purslane with extra virgin olive oil or eat it with a walnut dressing. "The healthy fats they are rich in facilitate the absorption of both these vitamins," explains the expert.

Purslane oleracea, also known as porcelain or fat grass.

How to grow purslane

Growing purslane is simple. You can do it easily even on the balcony or terrace of the house. Get a pot of 30 centimeters in diameter, pour some hydrated soil and transplant the seeds of purslane oleracea (edible). The plant should be exposed to sunlight and sheltered especially in the cold months because frost and particularly low temperatures tend to dry it out. To make it grow well it should then be watered often and with little water.

10 unusual herbs to have on the balcony – Italian Cuisine

10 unusual herbs to have on the balcony


Not just sage and basil: there are many unusual aromatic plants that sprout on the balconies between a vase of daisies and one of petunias. They are good for health and food, and cultivating them is simple

A touch of class for any recipe, the aromatic herbs are the secret for a light, tasty and fragrant cuisine. Able to enhance flavors and enhance foods, they are the natural substitute for salt and together with the use of spices they make dishes fresh and nutritious. With the return to a more natural and healthy cuisine, and with the practices of do it yourself andvegetable garden in the house increasingly popular, aromatic herbs color and perfume an increasing number of balconies. Among hydrangeas and geraniums, sage, rosemary and basil are no longer seen, but they sprout many unusual aromatic plants which are good for health and which enrich the table with new smells and flavors. Cultivating them is simple, a small terrace, a little sun and a pinch of love are enough. Here are what they are the 10 aromatic plants that can no longer be missing in the home garden:

Marjoram

Remember oregano, another aromatic herb widely used in cooking, but it is more peppery. It is perfect for seasoning meat, vegetables, fish and fresh cheeses. Thanks to the rich content of vitamin C, marjoram proves effective in case of cold and cough and for its calming and sedative properties it is indicated to combat anxiety, migraine and insomnia.

thyme

Herb with a strong and penetrating perfume as well as very pleasant, it aromatizes roasts and stews, potatoes, peas and beans, and the soups of these legumes. Toning up for the body and recommended in case of stress, the thyme protects against bronchial infections and exerts a very effective anti-inflammatory property.

Juniper

Much loved already by the Romans, it is perfect as pepper substitute and it is excellent if combined with game or baked fish, but the berries must be crushed and never eaten. Natural antiseptic for the urinary and respiratory tracts, juniper also has antirheumatic properties: massaging the body with juniper oil helps relax contracted muscles, prevents cramps and tones.

Anise

Its taste is unmistakable and is notoriously known for making sweets and liqueurs very sweet taste, close to that of fennel and with a mint aftertaste. Its seeds have balsamic and digestive properties and are particularly useful for appeasing anxiety and insomnia.

Tarragon

Delicious with eggs and chicken and widely used to prepare some particular sauces and to make soups and dishes mainly based on fish more inviting, this herb is very useful against toothache and digestion problems.

Borage

Its purple flowers will add a touch of color to your potted garden and will be useful for decorate cakes and sweets. Rich in potassium, this herb is excellent in soups and soups and to flavor summer drinks. Fresh leaves are used in salads to replace cucumbers and are the staple food for traditional Ligurian pansotti. Borage can be used against sore throat and skin diseases.

Dill

Very good not only with fish, but also suitable in marinades and as a salad dressing, dill is recognized for its small yellow flowers and very intense smell and flavor. It is a natural remedy against halitosis, insomnia and cellulite thanks to its diuretic and purifying properties.

Chives

It prefers shade, but it also grows in the sun. Very fragrant, is part of the large garlic family and therefore, in addition to finding a great use in the kitchen to flavor and flavor, it also has many of the beneficial properties of garlic. Its aroma is exploited in the preparation of many sauces and to decorate dishes, both chopped and in threads. Rich in mineral salts, vitamin C and phosphorus, it has strong purifying and diuretic properties.

Horseradish

It has a characteristic, almost spicy flavor, which may not appeal to everyone. Famous the sauce in which the grated roots they are mixed with cream and vinegar to flavor meat and fish dishes. The leaves have a sweeter flavor and can be used to enrich the salad. Horseradish is very effective in treating osteoarthritis, respiratory problems and urinary tract infections.

Chervil

Its flavor is reminiscent of anise and its appearance is very similar to parsley. Excellent for flavoring potatoes, eggs and fish, its leaves are eaten raw, thinly cut. Widely used in the treatment of rheumatic pains, water retention or eczema, chervil is also used for its emollient properties and to treat bruises, insect bites, eyes inflamed by the sun and wind and chilblains.

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Easter Monday, the mayor of Messina authorizes the barbecue on the balcony – Italian Cuisine

Easter Monday, the mayor of Messina authorizes the barbecue on the balcony


Cateno De Luca has launched a hashtag, which has already been very successful on social media: #iorustoacasa, which in Sicilian means "I grill at home"

Monday on Paquetta will be a sunny day: if we weren't in the coronavirus lockdown, we would already be planning the barbecue with friends, perhaps in a beautiful meadow or in the hills. Instead, in the midst of a medical emergency, we have to stay at home. But yet, in Messina, the charcoal is going fast anyway: in supermarkets it is hardly found.

And so the mayor, Cateno De Luca, when he heard it warned his citizens: the municipal police and drones will be careful to catch those who do not respect the rules established by the decree and dare to meet with friends for the traditional barbeque. But this does not mean that this year it will be necessary to give up barbecued meat: De Luca has launched a hashtag, which has already been very successful on social media: #iorustoacasa, which in Sicilian means "I grill at home". You can barbecue, but on the balcony, on the terrace and, for the lucky ones, in your own garden. And without creating gatherings, of course.

THE COUNCIL OF THE MAYOR CATENO DE LUCA FOR EASTER MONDAY! (ANSA) – MESSINA, APRIL 8 – – The mayor of Messina Cateno De Luca today launched the hashtag in Sicilian dialect 'Io rusto a casa' asking the people of Messina for the next Easter Monday to "roast" the meat on the barbecues not in the countryside but perhaps on the terrace, balcony or in the garden of your home. The mayor, seeing that many people from Messina have compared charcoal in supermarkets, has announced that with the municipal police and his drones he will be around to sanction those who will not stay at home and has launched the ironic hashtag, which has already become a catchphrase on social networks during this period Easter characterized by the pandemic. Today the mayor of Messina was the protagonist of yet another controversy with the Interior Ministry, after the Council of State asked for the annulment of the order with which it obliges people in transit on the Strait to register on the online platform of the Municipality to be authorized to land in Sicily.

Posted by De Luca Mayor of Messina on Wednesday, April 8, 2020

On the other hand, in Palermo, the city that you do not want to deprive ofarrustuta not even in this strange Easter Monday 2020, it was the artisan grill was invented to be attached to the balcony railing: it is sold for € 39.90 and can also be sent home. Small barbecues for hanging on the balcony balustrade are also available online at approximately the same price. Before buying it, however, make sure that in your city the barbecue on the terrace is allowed by both the condominium and municipal regulations, otherwise this year the barbecue could cost a little too expensive. If you are from Messina, however, you have the green light.

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