Using Asian Greens
One thing you'll see a lot of in the spring (especially at CSA farms like ours) is Asian greens. As a farmer, I love them because they are super easy to grow and more tolerant of adverse conditions than other crops. As a consumer, I love them because they are varied, delicious and abundant! For a complete list of greens and descriptions, see our Spring Greens Primer!
Nat and I traveled to the Tibetan region of China a couple years back and it was incredible to see how greens were used in the cooking there. They made up large portions of some of the dishes and in general were very, very lightly cooked, so they were still crispy. I have become a much better home cook by trying not to overcook my greens and not being afraid to use the highest heat on my stove for stir-fries. Don't crowd the pan, though! If you want to make a lot of stir fry, it will be yummier to cook up two sizzling skillets than try to jam it all in one pan-- it will steam instead and become overcooked.
All that being said, I don't claim to be any kind of expert here. There are so many kinds of greens on this earth. I encourage everyone to be their own experimenter in the kitchen. How you like your greens is how YOU like your greens and you don’t need advice from anyone about that. Here are some simple no-pressure cooking ideas to get you going on eating all your greens.
Takeout, upgraded:
Order takeout soup from your favorite place. We love Chimm in Cville! Bring it home and heat it on the stove. Throw in handfuls of any green. Eat heartily of your nourishing meal. This works great with lo mein or other noodle dishes as well. All the convenience of takeout, but the nutrition of CSA-eating. Works best with asian greens: bok choy, komatsuna, choy sum, tatsoi, or mustard.
Torta de Verdura:
Uses up to 1.5 lbs of greens! Check out the simple, riff-able recipe here. Essentially a cheese-and-greens pie. Best with spinach, chard, tatsoi, or tender kale.
Fried Rice:
I love this one because you can use leftovers. I typically have rice leftovers when I order Indian food because I like to eat it with naan, but then I have the rice leftover. Heat a large skillet pretty hot, add in sliced radishes/turnips, cook briefly, add in rice and stir-fry until hot. Then make a well in the center and pour in a beaten egg or two. Cook the egg in the well, then mix it all together. Throw in the turnip or radish tops at the end and just wilt. I pour on a sauce made of soy sauce mixed with a little ketchup for some homely comfort food. Works great with lots of greens, but I love the idea of using the roots and their tops in the same place!
Veggie Toast:
A classic easy dish in our house is to put some bread in the oven to toast. While that’s going, I quickly sautee whatever veggies and greens I have on hand. Anything from mushrooms to carrots to onions and garlic, and of course greens! I pull the warm toast out, slather it with some type of soft cheese, and pile high with the cooked veggies for a simple yet nourishing meal. Add some ground pork sausage (garlic is my favorite) if you want a heartier meal.
I hope these ideas help you realize how accessible these greens really are. Let us know what you’re making with your greens!