Malabar spinach is a warm-season leafy crop that can be used as a hot-weather substitute for spinach and lettuce. You can follow an early spring crop of spinach or lettuce with a planting of Malabar spinach. Malabar spinach is a vining plant with thick, succulent, edible leaves. It is often compared to spinach, but it […] 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
Chicory, Belgian endive, and radicchio are cool weather crops. Chicory, Belgian endive, and radicchio are different varieties of the same plant, Cichorium intybus. Chicory and Belgian endive quick growing tips Related articles: How are chicory, Belgian endive, and radicchio the same and different Chicory, Belgian endive, and radicchio are different varieties of the same plant, […] 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
Lettuce is one of the best vegetables to grow in containers, indoors or out. It is easy to grow. It does not require a large container. You can grow lettuce to maturity in a pot just 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm) across. Grow lettuce outdoors in pots or boxes on doorsteps, porches, patios, balconies, […] More
Welsh onions are easy to grow. They are cool-season crops. They are best planted in spring or autumn. Welsh onions are mild-flavored members of the onion family. They can be added raw to salads and soups. They can be stir-fried and sauteed and served with beef or chicken. They can be used as garnish. Welsh […] 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
Mesclun is a mix of tender, young salad green leaves. The mix often includes leaf lettuce, arugula, endive, frisée, mizuma, oak leaf, mâche or lamb’s lettuce, radicchio, sorrel, chervil, groundsel, and dandelion. Mesclun is the French word for “mixture.” In Italy, a similar mixture of greens is called mescladisse. Mesclun was originally a mixture of […] More
Bok choy can be eaten raw in salads, stir-fried, cooked as a vegetable, or marinated. Bok choy has crunchy stalks that are mild and juicy-sweet. Its leaves are tender and crisp with a subtle peppery flavor. Bok choy is sometimes called Chinese cabbage. The Cantonese variation of bok choy is pak choy. There are several […] More
Stephen Albert