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
The key to cooking cabbage is to cook it quickly. If you can cook cabbage in 5 minutes or less, you will reduce and even avoid that cabbagey smell that can foul a kitchen. Cabbage contains several sulfur-containing compounds which break down when cooked to release hydrogen sulfide, a gas which has an odor akin […] More
Cooked cabbage can be crisp with a mild and sweet flavor. Cabbage also can be served raw in salads and slaws and on sandwiches and burgers. Cabbage comes to harvest during the cool and cold fall and winter months. There are three kinds of round-headed cabbage: white, red, and Savoy. The leaves of the white […] More
Spinach has just the right balance of flavor—sharp and hearty but not overpowering. It is equally versatile raw or cooked. There are two main types of spinach: flat-leafed and savoy or crinkle-leafed. The more tender and mild tasting of the two is flat-leafed, especially the baby varieties. Savoy spinach has a stronger flavor with a […] More
Fresh chopped or shredded collards can add a little spice to salads. As well, collards can be steamed, boiled, sauteed, and added to soups and stews. Collards are a good match for smoked pork. Combine collards with mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, or beans and puree. Collards have a very strong cabbagey flavor and are considered […] More
Swiss chard is a cacophony of dazzling multicolored stems: gold, pink, orange, purple, red, mauve, and white in electric and pastel variations. The stems are set off by deep green or bronze leaves. Swiss chard stalks and leaves can be cooked and served as you would spinach. Swiss chard is the most colorful when plants […] More
Dandelion greens can be added to a lettuce salad to add some tang. Young bright green dandelion greens can be served raw in salads. Mature dandelions are better cooked. Spring is a prime time for tender, free-range dandelion greens. How to Choose Dandelions The leaves of younger plants will be less bitter. If you pick […] More
There is curly endive and then there is frisée. They are the same, but they are not. The difference? Frisée—pronounced free-ZAY—is a petite, pale curly endive produced by blanching. It has an opened, flattened shape. Its leaves are frizzy and finely cut, yellow-white to yellow-apple green in color. Frisée has a bittersweet taste and it’s […] More
Mesclun is the French word for “mixture.” Mesclun is a mix of tender, young salad green leaves. Mesclun mixes usually include a variety of lettuces and European and Asian salad greens that grow under similar conditions, have similar rates of maturity, and taste good together. Greens can be mixed by season, by flavor, by color, […] More
Stephen Albert