I bought a 6-pack of mixed greens at the nursery, some of which have been marvelous and some of which aren't exactly to our taste. Unfortunately, I have no clue as to what any of them are, and I'm hoping someone here might have some ideas.
(I also have to apologize for the pics--the screen on my digital camera is broken, so until I upload, I have no idea what I've got. I hope these are clear enough...)
#1
#2--the big, oval green leaf
#3
#4--my personal favorite
and #5
The weird thing about this last one is that little projections are forming from the leaf surface on a bunch of them. Is this normal?
Anyhow, that's the lot of 'em. Thanks for any help!
I am mostly guessing here, but #1 looks like Russian red kale. # 3 looks like mizuna mustard and #4 looks like baby bok choy.
Z
Thanks for the pointers, Z--I'll go check them out and see what I find!
No. 4 is definitely bok choy. We love it too. The stems are pretty good in stir fry as well, but why cook them when they are so good raw. I've got ours under a row cover and it wasn't even phased by our cold snap last weekend 16°! Gotta love that!
#2 might be big leaf mustard...#3 looks like arugala......#5 looks like some kind of kale too...name is n the tip of my tongue but just can't spit it out.
#1 could either be giant jap.red mustard or red russian kale...I have both growing in winter garden and I can't tell the differnce.
#4...I agree with pok choy
Maybe I'm just nuts but #4 looks like swiss chard to me. I agree the 3 looks like arugala.
I'm pretty sure #3 isn't arugula; the tips of the serrations are very pointy and frilly, unlike arugula which looks more rounded to me. Here's what I'm currently thinking:
#1 giant red japanese mustard
#2 komatsuna
#3 mizuna mustard
#4 tatsoi or baby bok choi
#5 red russian kale
Thanks for all the help, everybody! It's been a lot of fun checking out all the different ideas. I've never gotten into any of the Japanese/Oriental greens, so this has definitely been a learning experience.
Off to go harvest some for our salad tonight!
Hi jill- I had some of just about the same assortment from an oriental salad mix seed from valuseeds. but I didn't know any of the names. Now I have a clue!! I really liked them too.
I have to add that regardless of what they are called, there are few things in life better than walking outside and picking your supper salad. Happy gardening. Z
Oh yeah, got THAT right! :)
Boy,that's true. We've been eating fresh salads for a week or so w/ baby lettuce,spinach,german winter radishes and several kinds/colors of carrots harvested from my garden. Been harvesting kales,turnips and mustards since Oct.
or maybe walking outside and Eating your salad, while you're there. I like to think it boost my immune system.(ant feet germs)
I believe #1 is the Osaka Purple Mustard. I have this growing in my garden now. It is the most FASCINATING thing growing in my yard. Try eating a piece raw. Your first hit should be a heavy mustard green taste. As you keep chewing, however, you will get the HOT flavored juices. The more you chew, the hotter it will get. But, don't stop chewing! The fascinating this is that once you've chewed it and gotten the hot sensation your mouth does NOT burn like with a jalapeno pepper! You get all the HOT flavor, without the burn!!!!
Use it (sparingly) in a fresh salad with some other salad greens. I researched it on the net. Cooking it will dissapate the hot flavor, so try a small piece raw just for the experience. totally Awesome!
Gymgirl, we did try some of it raw... yowza! Apparently we are not the fire-eaters that you are :) because it was a bit much for us. A neighbor does want it, though, and I may try some of it cooked just to see what it's like. Glad to hear you're enjoying it, though!
Sallyg, I will never eat a leaf of lettuce straight from my garden again without thinking of ant feet germs--and grinning while I eat it anyway! Way to challenge that immune system!
well,it's been raining so my greens that I picked yesterday,were a bit dirty. You'd think they'd be clean what with the rain and the pathways on either sides of the rows have weedblock with pineneedles and oak leaf mulch on top of that.
Hey Tucsonjill,
The Osaka Purple mustards lose their heat when they're cooked, and just become tame WONDERFUL mustard greens...
Gymgirl, How do you cook mustard greens? --- if there's vinegar involved anywhere, don't bother LOL
I love spinach, chard and beet greens, some kale and collards
Sallyg: it only looks complicated. You can put this together in 10 minutes if your bell pepper and onions are already chopped up! The recipe below uses frozen greens. Now that I'm growing my OWN greens (mustards and collards and swiss chard), I'll be using fresh instead. Just keep your ratios the same between WHATEVER greens you want to use. And, since I'm only growing mustards and collards right now, I mixed these fresh with equal ratios of frozen collards and spinach. It was STILL great!
ENJOY!!!
LILLY MAE'S "GREENS" RECIPE
(Lilly Mae Boutte was my mother. She was a GREAT seamstress, and the original Martha Stewart! Cooking was not her forte, but she put her foot in this Greens recipe! I want you to share this recipe with any and everyone you want to, but I have only one request -- that in honor of my mother, you always remember to call this dish "Lilly Mae's Greens" and that you pass the name on when you share the recipe. Spread the word. Thanks!)
1 or 2 bags each of chopped, frozen greens, depending on how much you want and how big your Crock Pot is. I use VIP brand or whatever's available. Keep your ratio even - 1 of each, 2 of each, etc. (1 bag of each serves approximately 15 people).
Collard Greens, Mustard Greens, Turnip Greens and Spinach (which usually comes in a bag twice the size of the others - use 1/2 the bag of spinach to equal the ratio)
1 whole large and 1 whole small onion, chopped
2 large bell peppers, chopped
1 cup of water (I usually measure in an 8 ounce yogurt cup)
1 heaping tablespoon and 1/3 tablespoon more Season All Brand seasoning (1 bag of each). If using 2+ bags each, adjust the Season All to about 2 heaping tablespoons.
1/2 tbsp. ground Black pepper (1 whole tsp for 2+ bags)
Optional -- 3-4 tablespoons Bacon Grease (preferred)
4 Small to Medium Ham Hocks (Salted, fresh or smoked). (Or, as many as will fit in the bottom of your crock pot).
SMOKED HOCKS: Proceed with recipe.
FRESH HOCKS: Place hocks in a large pot and cover over with cold water. Add about 2-3 tablespoons raw table salt and boil for 1-1/2 hours. Proceed with recipe.
SALTED HAM HOCKS: Place hocks in a large pot and cover over with cold water. Boil hocks 1-1/2 hours to leach out some of the salt. Add NO salt to the water. Proceed with recipe.
• Layer hocks on bottom of large (5 quart) slow cooker. Squeeze about 4 hocks in. Might have to cut one.
• Layer the frozen greens on top of the ham hocks in this order: collards, mustards, turnips and spinach. They may not all fit at first, but add the remaining greens as they cook down.
• [Sautéing the chopped onion and bell pepper in the bacon grease until slightly softened (does not need to be browned) is an optional step. If you do this step, pour the bacon grease in, too.] Otherwise simply layer the chopped, raw bell pepper and then the onion on top of the greens. And, yes, you will have a small mountain! (I don’t sautee’ a thing and it’s still wonderful)
• Mix the Season All and black pepper in the cup of water and pour evenly over the onions and bell pepper. Do not stir the pot. Gently force the lid down as far as it will go.
• Cook on high, overnight (8-10 hours). If you happen to wake up, go gently fold the onions and bell peppers into the greens, only once, being careful not to tear up your ham hocks. If you don't get up, fine. Fold the peppers and onions in when you get up. I usually pull the greens off the ham hocks and reserve the hocks in another serving dish so they don’t get all broken up in the greens.
• If you put the pot on at 8 p.m., it'll be ready when you wake up @ 6:00 a.m. in the morning!
Serve over steamed white rice with corn bread and Louisiana Red Hot Sauce, and sweet potatoes or yams on the side. ENJOY!
NOTE: ADD NO OTHER RAW SALT TO THIS RECIPE!!! (Except to pre-boil unsalted fresh hocks). DO NOT ADD SALT PORK TO THIS RECIPE!!!
(Linda James Arceneaux)
P.S. The details above are long, but this recipe is simple. Layer everything together together in 20 minutes and go to bed...
This message was edited Jan 8, 2009 6:40 PM
This message was edited Jan 8, 2009 6:41 PM
Thanks for the recipe suggestion, Linda--sounds great! And BTW, Happy Birthday--hope it's the start of a great year!
Perhaps you have them all identified by now, but my vote is for :
#1: Purple Mustard
#2: a Mustard of some type
#3: Mizuna
#4: Tatsoi
We love our greens too!!!!!!!
Um, there's a slight correction to my recipe. Where it says a WHOLE tbsp of black pepper, make that a whole TEASPOON of black pepper....thanks.
I've made the correction in the recipe.
Whew= thanks for the recipe. Now I need to invite some people over for greens night!
most green are to be picked and eaten when they are small so just pick a few small leafs on each plant regularly I never let my greens get that size leaf since it tends to be bitter at that size and much sweeter when small
The greens I picked were 18-22" long! I'd never manage if I had to pick them when they're small -- I have a day job! I just cut them up and put 'em in the slow cooker. Mine were not bitter at all. But, If I found they were, I'd just do like my mother showed me, and sprinkle a nice teaspoon of sugar to cut the bitterness. Voila'!!
Sallyg,
LMK what time dinner is and I'll bring the jalapeno cornbread!
