Looking for good eats? Get ... GOOD GREENS

By Hugh Earnhart & Beth Stefura

If you are looking at seed catalogs and thinking of food that pleases the palate, you might want to consider saving space for some traditional greens in the garden or in containers.

They are relatively easy to grow and can be grown in small spaces.

Honestly, the trick with growing food is to avoid the temptation to plant all the seed in the packet and to think you have to grow bushels of 60 different items.

The joy is to raise a small patch and enjoy the harvest; in other words, KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) – the old military theory!

Kale

An ancient crop of the Greek and Roman community, this plant is a cool-weather crop, and frost improves the flavor. A member of the mustard family, it is a dependable source of vitamins and minerals. Kale likes well-drained and highly composted soil. The leaves can be harvested at any time but have a better taste before they mature. Varieties include Tuscan, Lacinato, Winterbor, Dwarf and Blue Curled.

Swiss chard

Sometimes called “spinach beet,” the plant is grown for the leaves and leaf stalks. It is easy to grow with sufficient water and composted soil. Planted in the spring, chard can handle heat and cold temperatures. Harvest the outer leaves for a delicious taste. Varieties include Golden Sunrise, Orange Chiffon, Magenta Sunset, Fordhook Giant and Bright lights.

Collards

Also a member of the mustard family, this plant is rich in Vitamins A and C and a southern favorite with salt pork and ham hocks. The blue-green leaves are boiled to release their mild cabbage flavor. Harvest the bottom leaves, and the center buds will continue to grow. It likes composted and well-drained soil. Varieties include Georgia, Morris Heading, Vates and Champion.

Chicory

This has been an Italian cooking essential for centuries. A cool-weather crop, it likes well-drained soil. The bitter leaves add kick to a salad. The leaves usually are boiled or braised. Endives often are called chicory. Varieties include Eros, Bellesque and Tres Fin Maraichere.

Spinach

The best-known green in the garden, spinach is an old heirloom plant that grows best in moist, composted soil but not in hot weather. The leaves have a variety of uses in the food chain because of their delicious taste and nutrition. Varieties include: Bloomdale Long Standing, Regiment, Firebird, Tyee and Charger. Harvest your efforts this gardening season or visit a local farm/farmers market.

When making plans for planting, choose your greens based on your planned use.

Leafy greens, such as chard, kale, beet, collard, and spinach are known as cooking greens.

They provide valuable nutrients to your diet and interest, flavor and color to your table.

Most cooking greens, with the exception of collard greens can be shredded and used in raw amounts with more tender lettuces in a salad mix.

Hugh Earnhart is an OSU Extension master gardener volunteer and Beth Stefura is with the Extension in Canfield.