By Debra Morris–
When you’re craving a big green salad, look no further than the leafy robust flavor of winter greens. These aregreen leafy vegetables that are seasonably available in winter and early spring. Common vegetables described as winter greens are chard, collards, spinach, rapini, mustard, beet, and kale. They include several different vegetable families and are categorized under “winter greens” because of their availability during the cold months.
Of course, in California they can be grown almost year-round, but most are at their peak of flavor during the winter months and are a hardy, prolific crop. They are a popular row crop for farmers to grow because the same plant can produce multiple bunches and it continues to produce leaves even after several cuttings. The fresher the greens, the better their flavor. When you purchase winter greens at your local farmers’ market, their just-picked flavor is intense, well-rounded, and ready for any recipes you want.
Their hearty flavors can range from lemony sorrel and mild chard, to peppery turnip greens and strong collards. Purchase them as baby greens for milder flavor or fully mature for a more robust taste in your recipes.
Winter greens are highly nutritious and flavorful ingredients to supplement your recipes during the winter months when other vegetables might not be in season. Mix them with winter root vegetables like roasted carrots and beets, tuck the leaves into a sandwich, add them to soups and stews, combine into casseroles, mix them in pasta dishes, or make a leafy winter salad with winter squash and pomegranate seeds.
Here are some tips before cooking with winter greens:
Enjoy winter greens direct from the farm at your farmers’ market this winter. Most farmers’ market vegetable vendors offer a variety of delicious winter greens!
Debra Morris is a spokesperson for the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association (PCFMA). Check out the PCFMA website for recipes, information about farmers’ markets throughout the region and for much more: https://www.pcfma.org/
This Month at the Castro Street Farmer’s Market
Published on December 1, 2022
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