Greens are the subject of great debate this time of year. At the first sign of a thaw, or if the soil never really freezes, greens seem to pop up at will. Additionally, the sprout itself has become a sought-after item as kale and spinach sprouts are appearing on more menus as garnish and even highlights of healthy eating.
From the early spring to almost the depths of winter, greens in various forms will be an option at every meal. They usually start arriving regionally in late March and grow steadily through the summer and fall.
If grown in a high tunnel or greenhouse, tender salad greens, sprouts and even spinach can appear earlier and stay later. At The Sage Rabbit we use a variety of local spinach called New Zealand which tends to be more hardy and resistant to temperature and humidity spikes, things that greens tend not to like.
New Zealand spinach has a small heart shaped leaf, one of many on a thick stem that extends down to the cut portion of the green. Rather than an individual leaf it is a group of them and in most cases, we leave the stem with the leaves, creating a ready-made bunch to cook. This produces a plate presentation similar to the larger veined traditional greens like chard and kale.
We often will pair spinach and chard together for a a different taste and texture combination that also produces a savory blend of flavors that compliments meat and fish alike. Roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper, New Zealand spinach provides a central part of our Chef’s Garden with roasted shiitake mushrooms as an added umami element.
Lacinato kale
Let’s talk kale, specifically Lacinato or “Dinosaur” kale, so named for the pebbly skin of the leaf. We get this locally both in the spring and the fall, and it is another of the greens that stands up to a variety of cooking methods. Almost by accident I roasted some kale with a half hen one night, and the resulting texture and flavor was reminiscent of a top shelf kale chip, without the dry, flakiness of the packaged brand.
Lacinato is known to be more tender and sweeter than the curly kale, and even when older it still retains more sweetness than its cousins. Braised with some ham or bacon it remains whole without shrinking, and the texture of the younger plants especially makes the possibility of an actual edible kale salad a reality.
We chiffonade the young leaves to toss in pasta.
I’ve sautéed the Lacinato with bacon and raisins and finished the dish with a bit of black fig balsamic. And like the spinach, it is a welcome addition to our all vegetarian/vegan Chef’s Garden.
As spring moves into summer, we see a shift in several characteristics of all greens. Some will stop entirely, bolting at the first sign of Kentucky heat and humidity. Let them go, the bitterness will be very hard to overcome. Through constant cuttings, others will grow stringier, with a wider stem which must be removed. Some kale will develop brown or yellow age spots, sometimes right next to the some perfectly green and unblemished greens. Like all other plants this cycle must end, and in the heat of the summer, greens become either scarce, or the main feature of “Kentucky” greens or braised greens or boiled greens, you get the picture.
They still need to be stemmed, still need to be trimmed, and the reason for the fat and or smoke of a ham hock is to balance the “age ” of the greens and cut some of the bitterness out.
Most farmers count on the consumer being savvy enough to recognize when to come back to a product that may have two or more cycles. While I may continue to hunt greens in the late summer, I usually wait for the cooler weather and the younger second or third cycle greens to come around.
To me, they have a different vibe to them. It may be that spring greens seem more alive because they are one of the first green things we’ve seen in a awhile. Fall greens have a depth about them that suggests the end of the season, not necessarily in the bitterness or texture, but in the fullness of flavor and the richness of leaf. I prefer using these as a braising green, with a lamb shank or as a side for a porchetta. There will be time enough for root vegetables to take hold, so I try and vary my vegetables. I’ll also roast the greens which in the fall seem to have less water, hence perhaps, more flavor. They roast beautifully with a little oil and garlic.
Better still, the Lacinato kale, or New Zealand spinach tossed with olive oil, shallots and garlic is great when grilled over an indirect heat source.
Whatever your preference for greens or method, they provide incredible diversity to a cook that’s willing to experiment. The fact that they are available a good part of the year makes them that much more appealing.
John Foster is an executive chef who heads the culinary program at Sullivan University’s Lexington campus. A New York native, Foster has been active in the Lexington culinary scene and a promoter of local and seasonal foods for more than 20 years. The French Culinary Institute-trained chef has been the executive chef of his former restaurant, Harvest, and now his Chevy Chase eatery, The Sage Rabbit.
To read more from Chef John Foster, including his recipes, click here.
