By Elizabeth Warburton-Smith
Even when the winter months are unpredictable, we can at least count on winter greens from our garden. There are so many varieties and now is the perfect time to enjoy them all. Some of the most vibrant in color and nutrition are Swiss Chard and puple mustard. I like “Rainbow Chard Mix” for all of the gorgeous colors like deep yellows, bright fuschia and deep reds. My favorite mustard variety is called “Red Garnet” because it is such a huge plant, growing leaves up to 18” long so it looks stunning in my garden.
Be sure and try all the varieties of kale like Red Russion, Scotch curled, Tuscan, Dinosaur, and more. Collard greens are traditional southern food, and you can build a “collard tree” which puts on a tall, tree-like stalk and keeps on producing. Lettuces comes in countless varieties, but don’t bother with “iceberg” as you should spend time growing varieties you cannot find in the store with deeper colors that give you more vitamins and minerals. Spinach is a staple for many people and also comes in many varieties and flavors. Then there are the wonderful Asian greens which include bok choy, pak choy, Chinese leaf cabbages, Japanese Mizuna, komatsuna, tatsoi, and more. Radicchio, endive and escarole are a little on the bitter side for my taste, but are traditional in French cuisine, as are mache (corn salad) and sorrell — known for its amazing and slightly tart lemony flavor. Try arugula for its great peppery taste, and orach for its beautiful deep colors and heart shaped leaves.
Harvesting Greens: Do not cut off your entire bunch of lettuce at the base like the farmer does for the grocery store. Instead, do what is called the “Cut and Come Again” method of harvesting. Simply snip off individual leaves from around the outside of the plant. If you do it this way, you give the plant plenty of remaining leaves to continue photosynthesizing and growing more leaves from the center out for you to enjoy for many more meals.
How To Enjoy Greens: Besides chopping right into your salad bowl, you can also steam or saute your greens with a little fresh garlic, onions, salt, and pepper. You can also make kale chips by coarsely chopping your kale into a large bowl, tossing with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and spreading them out on a baking sheet and slow roasting at 275 degrees farenheit for about 20 minutes.
