Greens Too Pretty To Eat
My Greens are too pretty to eat. I have a confession. I don’t eat many of the greens that I grow, which is crazy, I know!
Osaka Purple Mustard
I adore watching them grow and just when they are at their peak of beauty is the time to whip up a tasty dressing and make a salad. And I often miss the mark, and wind up giving handfuls away as they are starting to bolt. This is inexcusable. I must do better.
Wild arugula
Yesterday, when I was out watering, I noticed how lovely a few of them were. A good reminder to plan a meal. I wish I was more of a cook, I really do!
Ruby Queen Heirloom Beets
Do you have any simple, but tasty dressings for raw greens you can share? Please let me know.
Petrowkski Turnips
My mother grew up on turnip greens, but I didn’t learn to love the very cooked down way they were prepared. I’m growing three containers of turnips for the first time and these need to be thinned, perfect opportunity to try them.
Volunteer Chard
I didn’t plant chard this winter, but this one sprang up in my beets, carrots and radish bed. I think the leaves are gorgeous, especially if they reach maturity without bug holes!
Wild arugula bloom
I planted wild arugula my first year and it always comes back wherever seeds have dropped. In this heatwave, it’s bolting, which makes bees happy (though we sadly have far fewer bees this year!) but, makes the arugula too tough to eat. I have to grab some before it blooms.
Are your greens too pretty to eat or are you a whiz at preparing them? I always have extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar on hand, and often raw tahini. But it takes a little experimentation to get it right. That’s where talent in the kitchen comes in! If you have a terrific, quick and easy prep for greens, please leave it in the comments below!
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Category: Cool Season, Curbside Gardening, Garden Musings, Late Bloomer Episodes, Urban Gardening, Vegetables
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I love the look of my fresh greens so much that I make flower arrangements with them so that I can look at them in the house. Fresh dill is really beautiful in a vase with parsley, rainbow chard, young leeks and wild flowers. Plus since they are in water, you can still pluck some out and eat it LOL.
My husband bought some sugar free strawberry syrup that I did not care for on pancakes, so I mixed some in olive oil and vinegar to make a dressing…it was awesome! I bet it would be even better with regular blueberry or raspberry syrup.
Thanks for the newsletters!
What a great idea, and none better than rainbow chard! (which I failed to plant this year, strangely). I planted dill seeds and nothing came up, but I’m still hopeful. You’ve given me an idea. My editor made syrups for Christmas presents and gave me lavender and allspice. I’ll use that as you used your strawberry syrup! Stay tuned. Thanks so much for writing. It helps to know my message is being received. 🙂 – Kaye
Hi Kaye
I like to mix spring greens and eat them when they are young and tender. I cook them with just a bit of olive oil and pastured butter quickly stir fried in a wok . The only water is from the fresh washed greens . I put a splash on my homemade wine vinegars on them. I like dandelion flower the best. I like to mix leaves of wintercress,kales,chard, turnip ,young nettles and spinach.
I no longer eat any foods with soy, so avoid most commercial salad dressings . I make a vinegarette with vinegars, olive oil , a bit of hot pepper vinegar and spicy mustard lemon juice and honey or maple syrup to sweeten it. Taste it often to adjust the taste.I also add real salt and fresh ground pepper . I also sometimes add pickle juice from sweet pickles or the syrup from my canned fruits. I also always add my black walnuts to my salads because the oils and proteins in the nuts make the greens more nutritious if eaten together .
Thanks so much, Sharon!! I am going to do this! And use your walnuts, which I haven’t cracked open. Somewhere I have a nutcracker, will have to pull that out. I think I know where it is. Hasn’t been used in many years. I don’t have hot pepper vinegar, but my housekeeper made me some pineapple vinegar that they make in El Salvador and I’ll drop one of my hot chilis in it for a bit before. You will be hearing about this in a future episode. I’ll talk to you soon!
I have the most delicious greens recipe. I put quartered crimini mushrooms in a hot pan. I turn down the heat until medium and let them cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. If they are browned, I deglaze with balsamic reduction. If they are still pale, I continue to let them cook for a couple more minutes. Meanwhile, I strip and boil kale for 6-8 minutes, drain, and stir into the mushrooms. This I top with snipped chives and red pepper flakes. I’m sure it would work with any greens, although the boiling time should be adjusted for the type of greens. Enjoy!
So, you put the mushrooms into a dry pan? And by strip you mean tear the leaves away from the stem? Sounds delicious!