First — a general word about:

Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are an excellent asset to a garden: kale, chard and lettuce last well into the winter (and can overwinter, if protected from extreme cold or snow).

The plants will continue to grow after you pick off a few leaves, as long as you don’t harvest more than a third or so of the plant at any one time. This means that from a single kale plant you can harvest multiple times over a month: it is an excellent, space-efficient addition to any home garden.

We grow and eat beet tops, chard, kale, spinach and more …. If you encounter an unknown leafy green vegetable at the farmer’s market, a farm stand, or wherever, here are some general guidelines for eating and storing:

Storage Tips

Keep your greens in a sealed plastic bag or storage container in your fridge. Thicker greens (e.g. kale, swiss chard) will keep up to two weeks, but tender greens (e.g. spinach, lettuce, beet tops, salad mix) should be eaten within a week.

NEVER store greens with apples: the apples release a gas that will turn your leaves to mush. (Apples should be stored separately in a cool place, like a garage or fridge.)

Makaria Farm’s Recipe For Any Leafy Green Veggie

1. Cut off stems if they’re denser than the leaves and eat these separately (sauteed or roasted, or chopped and added to dishes such as scrambled eggs or salads). Spinach stems and some kale stems are usually tender enough to leave on.

Boiled eggs with sauteed onions and beet stems, and steamed beet tops.

1. Wash leaves under running water, or immerse them in cold water with a few tablespoons of salt (salt will chase any bugs out of wrinkled greens, such as spinach).
2. Eat a bit of the leaf, to see if you like it raw. (If you do, you can use the leaves in salads, sandwiches, etc.)
3. Saute the leaves in a bit of butter in a frying pan, then add 1/4 cup water and cover to gently steam it under the leaves are BRIGHT green. (Then quickly remove the leaves from the heat, so they don’t peak and become mushy.)
4. Season as you like, with salt, pepper, parmesan, etc., and enjoy as a side dish.