Turnip greens can be steamed, sautéed, boiled, and prepared much like spinach. The tenderest of turnip greens are those harvested before the swollen root we call a turnip ever develops. Young greens will have the least bite. Grow turnip greens for harvest in the cool time of the year, in early spring and autumn. How to […] More
Kale can be steamed, sautéed, boiled, and simmered. Kale can be tenderized and served in salads or combined with potatoes to make a tasty soup. Kale is a great match with hearty foods such as pork chops, fried catfish, garlicky sausage, and cornbread. Kale can be prepared just as you would spinach. It should not […] More
Salad greens are easy and quick to grow and are rich in vitamins and minerals. Plant salad greens—leaf lettuce, arugula, mesclun, and radicchio are a few—for harvest in cool weather—spring or fall. In warm-winter regions, grow salad greens outdoors year-round. In cold-winter regions, grow salad greens under the protection of plastic tunnels in winter. 10 […] More
Radicchio–also called red chicory–is a cool-weather crop. Radicchio is grown for its rosette of broad red leaves used in salads; its leaves are similar to the leaves of sugarloaf chicory but with a more biting flavor. Radicchio is a form of chicory that is a perennial, but radicchio is commonly grown as an annual. Radicchio has […] More
Sorrel is a cool-season perennial often grown as an annual. Sorrel is often grown from root divisions. Sorrel can be grown from seed sown in the garden as early as 2 to 3 weeks before the average last frost date in spring. Sorrel will be ready for harvest 60 days after sowing. Plant sorrel seeds […] More
Mizuna is an Asian leafy green well suited for salads or salad mixes such as mesclun. Mizuna can also be used in stir-fries and soups and added to other dishes at the end of cooking. Mizuna is similar to mustard greens though milder flavored—a bit peppery, tangy, and with a light cabbage flavor. Mizuna is […] More
Belgian endive and chicory, both belonging to the chicory family (Cichorium intybus), are well-loved for their distinctive flavors and the versatility they bring to culinary creations. Belgian endive, known for its compact, pale, torpedo-shaped heads, is cultivated through a unique forcing process in darkness that yields its mild bitterness and crisp texture, perfect for salads […] More
Vegetable amaranth–often called tampala or Chinese spinach–is a quick-growing annual that produces an abundance of edible leaves. The leaves can be harvested cut-and-come-again over several weeks. Vegetable amaranth is a tropical plant that grows best in warm weather where the average low temperature is 68°F (20°C) through the growing season. It is a warm-weather, summer […] More
Good King Henry is a perennial green sometimes called “wild spinach” or “poor man’s asparagus.” It is grown for its juicy and flavorful arrow-shaped leaves which can be cooked and eaten like spinach and for its young shoots which can be blanched and eaten like asparagus. Good King Henry has been grown in kitchen gardens […] More
Spinach, baby chard, and crisp lettuce are easy-to-grow spring salad greens. When to plant and soil temperature are the keys to spring vegetable gardening. Greens—arugula, beet greens, collards, kales, and lettuce–are foundation crops for early spring because they germinate in chilly temperatures. Greens will take longer to grow in early spring than in late spring […] More
Crispy, succulent, and sweet-flavored Asian greens are easy to grow and demand little space. Like other greens such as lettuce and spinach, they are cool-season crops and prefer to reach maturity in cool air temperatures. They are quick growing and well suited for sowing in spring for late spring harvest or late summer for autumn […] More
Nopales are the tear-shaped, hand-sized leaves or pads or “paddles” of the prickly pear cactus. Nopalitos are nopales (pronounce no-PAH-les)–cactus spines removed–cut into bite-sized squares or strips. To make nopalitos en salsa verde, steam or boil nopalitos until tender crunchy then re-cook in a sauce of puréed tomatillos, onion, garlic, cilantro, and jalapeño chiles boiled […] More
Stephen Albert