Recipes and Storage Tips
Hearty/Cooking Greens
Bok Choy
Bok choy is a leafy member of the cabbage family. Both the leaves and the stalks are edible, and they have a mild flavor that works nicely when sautéed or stir-fried, steamed, in soups, or even grilled. Bok choy is best used within a few days, and can be stored in the crisper wrapped in a towel. Be sure to give it a good rinse before cooking, especially down at the root base, where dirt can get trapped between the stems. When you get a larger, more mature bok choy, you may want to cook the stems first and add the more delicate leaves at the end. A common preparation is to stir fry it with some garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil, or check out this list of recipes for more inspiration!
Chard
Chard can be used in all the ways you might use other large leafy greens. Sauté it with some garlic and red pepper flakes, or with shallots and a splash of vinegar, and enjoy it on its own as a side dish. Stir it into a soup or stew, add it to an omelette or frittata, or cook it with some sausage and white beans and toss with pasta. Or take a tip from one of our CSA members, who recommends these Chard Eggs Benedict!
Unlike some other hearty leafy greens like kale, the stems of the chard plant are also edible, and can lend a nice bit of crunch to your dish. The stems may need to cook a bit longer than the greens if you're including them in the same dish. Chard stems also work well on their own. Chop them up and use them like celery (try them in a potato salad), pickle them and enjoy them as a snack or a condiment, or save them for your next batch of vegetable stock.
Collards
Collards are a nutrient-rich green with an earthy, slightly bitter flavor that mellows as it cooks. Their leaves are large and sturdy, and they hold up well in slow braises and stews. But they can also be enjoyed just lightly cooked, or even raw! Try swapping in collards for kale in a hearty salad, or lightly saute them with some garlic and oil. Store them in the crisper drawer of the fridge, unwashed and wrapped in a towel or put in a storage container. Remove the tough central rib before cooking. Slicing up the large leaves is made easier by stacking the leaves, rolling them up, and slicing across the roll in thin strips. You can also freeze your collards for later use, just blanch them first and squeeze out the excess water before freezing.
Curly Kale
Curly kale is the most easily recognized type of kale, with its ruffled, bright green leaves and its fibrous central rib (which you will want to strip away before eating). As with other types of kale, you can enjoy it cooked or raw, though if you're going to add it to a salad, you may want to massage it with some salt and lemon juice before serving.
Curly kale can be used in all the ways you might use other similar large leafy greens. Sauté it with some garlic and lemon, or with smoked paprika and red pepper flakes. Stir it into a soup or stew, or add it to a grain bowl with a poached egg on top. Or purée it and turn it into a pasta sauce!
Kale Rabe / Flowering Kale
It's a true sign of spring when we have kale rabe (sometimes spelled raab) in your share! When the kale plants start to flower in spring, they produce small edible florets, which you can harvest before they fully bloom. Those little buds and their tender stems are a delicious springtime treat! Kale rabe is less bitter than its cousin broccoli rabe, and it is very tender and slightly sweet. You can enjoy kale rabe raw or cooked, and it's wonderful when simply sautéed with some olive oil, salt, and pepper — maybe with a little garlic, chili, and lemon. Try it with pasta, in a frittata, or added to a green salad. It's best when fresh, so don't wait for more than a few days to enjoy it!
Russian Kale (Red and White)
Russian kale, sometimes called Siberian kale, has flat, bright green leaves with almost lacy edges. Russian kale is more tender, mild, and even sweeter than some other varieties, though it is still as hardy as you expect kale to be! Russian kale can be used in all the ways you might use other similar large leafy greens. Sauté it with some garlic and lemon, or with smoked paprika and red pepper flakes. Stir it into a soup or stew, add it to a grain bowl with a poached egg on top, or cook it with some sausage and potatoes for a comforting meal. Russian kale's tender leaves make it a good candidate for kale salads too, with a simple lemon dressing, or slaw-style with root vegetables and apples.
Tuscan Kale
Tuscan kale (also called lacinato kale or dinosaur kale) has a gorgeous deep green color and long, slender leaves with a pebbled texture. Tuscan kale is more tender and less bitter than curly kale, with a lovely earthy flavor that works beautifully in salads and slaws, as well as cooked. When eaten raw, you may want to massage it with some salt and lemon juice before serving. You can also sauté it or steam it, maybe with some garlic and lemon, or stir it into a soup or stew, or add it to a grain bowl. Or purée it and turn it into a pasta sauce!
Mustard Greens
Mustard greens are known for their peppery, pungent flavor. The variety we grow is on the milder side and is tender enough to enjoy raw or cooked. Use them in a salad to add a little kick, or try them sautéed or stir-fried, alone or mixed with other cooking greens. You can also blanch them, steam them, or add them to soups and stews.
Spinach
Spinach is one of the best cold-weather greens, and it actually gets sweeter and more tender when the temperature dips. Cold-hardy greens like spinach respond to cold temps by building up their sugar content, which helps the plant resist frost damage. It also happens to make the spinach even more flavorful! You can enjoy spinach raw or cooked. Steam or sauté it with some olive oil, garlic and lemon; chop it up for an omelette, frittata, or quiche; or purée it and add it to sauces, smoothies, or a pesto. Spinach is also great with with chickpeas or lentils, and in stews and soups. Store spinach in your crisper drawer or wrapped in a towel in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also freeze it, either blanched (squeeze out the excess water before freezing) or puréed.