Greens, Greens, Nothing but Greens

"Green, greens, nothing but greens: 

Parsley, peppers, cabbages and celery,

Asparagus and watercress and 

Fiddleferns and lettuce-!"

Into The Woods-Prologue

Ah, Winter Greens. Kale, Swiss Chard, Pok Choy, Collard Greens, Spinach, and so much more flourish in the cold winter months. And your color pallete is not limited to merely green, there is also purple Kale and rainbow Chard! 

The seeds are tossed into the ground while the earth is still warm in the middle of Autumn so one can continue to enjoy gardening well into winter's core. 

Often times the little plots are exploding with an excessive amount of greens, and the gardener is always left trying to find new ways to use them.

One of my favorite Winter foods is soup, and greens are a much welcomed addition to it. The best way I've found to add them in the pot is just before you serve. The leaves and stems will quickly cook up in the hot broth. Mother Judith recently made a Kale soup with chicken apple sausage and some other veggies. So delicious.

Another dish greens are great in is stir fry. Similarly with soup, wait until the rest of the veggies are cooked up then toss in the greens. Pok Choy is a must for the cuisine--make sure to include the stems! They soak in the onion and garlic flavors, which is simply divine. The last batch I made included Pok Choy and a red Swiss Chard leaf (The leaf was huge and I was only cooking for two, so one leaf sufficed).

Pok Choy stems all chopped up.

You can see the colorful stem of the Swiss Chard.

The easiest way to enjoy them is in a salad. Each leaf has a different texture and flavor that can be drowned out in other dishes; so enjoy their natural flavors while they are raw!

Do you have special ways you cook them? Please share!

Nancy Jane