Every year as spring finally appears on the horizon, I
relish planting my first crops of crispy flavorful greens to harvest
early from newly prepared garden beds. I think of them as a
gardener's spring tonic - a delicious way to get my body and spirit
awakened and toned up for the joyfully active summer months ahead.
Here are a few of my favorite season starters for fellow kitchen
gardeners who want to get growing. These cool season crops can be
directly sown into the garden soil to grow smoothly and quickly as
the days begin.
Choose Chard
The deep green leaves and crispy stalks of chard are easy to grow in any well-drained soil. Just be sure to thin
young plants regularly so they'll have room to spread and grow 2 to
2 ˝ feet tall. You can begin harvesting the outer leaves when young
plants are well established and have 6 to 8 leafy stalks. Bred from
a New Zealand heirloom, Renee's Garden Bright Lights chard stalks shine in vivid colors including pale green,
cream, yellow rose and even orange with dark green leaves. These
flavorful, mild, juicy plants will be ready to enjoy in the kitchen
in just 50-60 days from sowing. Chard plants grow well in a wide
range of conditions and can take the last spring frosts in stride.
Their pretty leafy stalks will continue to provide bountiful
harvests for months, right through summer heat.
Garden
fresh chard has a sweet clean flavor I really relish. Chard can be
prepared quickly, and both the crunchy succulent stalks and rich green
leaves are great eating. For a quick meal, chop chard in 1 inch pieces and
sauté in a little olive oil for a few minutes, then add a little chicken
or vegetable broth and braise until tender. Finish with a splash of fresh
lemon juice or drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
Chard is wonderful in homemade chicken soup made with carrots and
onions, and is traditional in minestrone soup. I often use layers of chard
in a quickly assembled lasagne. One of my favorite main courses in spring
is a big platter of stuffed chard leaves - just dip the big leaves in hot
water to soften them first, then fill with your favorite cheese or meat
filling (like those you'd use to stuff ravioli) and poach these plump
rolls in a little chicken broth. Or use steamed seasoned chard as a bed
for poached eggs for brunch or to accompany thick slices of grilled ham.
Spinach Is
Special If you love fresh spinach
salad, early spring is the perfect time to grow the best leaves - crispy,
thick and sweet tasting with no metallic overtones. Just sow the seeds in
a well-worked fertile soil. Be sure to firm the soil well over the seeds
to ensure good contact and if the first sowing germinates unevenly, plant
more seeds as they'll catch up fast in spring weather. You can eat the
tender young seedlings in salads as you thin out your spinach patch when
plants are a few inches tall. As plants become established in 40-50 days,
just snip off the bigger outer leaves, leaving at least 4 or 5 younger
center leaves so plants will continue to produce. Water and fertilize
after harvesting and you'll have 2 or 3 pickings before the weather gets
too warm and plants respond by beginning to go to seed. Pull and discard
at this stage. (You can plant spinach again in late summer as days begin
to cool down for a fall crop.)
Garden fresh spinach
lends itself to lots of great salads. I love to add fresh orange slices
and grilled chicken or beef strips to a bowl of spinach leaves for a whole
meal salad. Or try a traditional wilted spinach salad with a sweet and
sour hot bacon dressing. Go oriental with a dressing made with a little
fresh grated ginger and garlic, chopped scallions, soy sauce, peanut oil
and a touch of sesame oil. I often mix baby spinach leaves half and half
with spring baby lettuce leaves to add both color and flavor to everyday
salads.
To cook garden grown spring spinach,
wash it well in several rinses of cool water, then steam it gently in just
the water that clings to the leaves. With fresh spinach, this takes only a
few minutes as the tender leaves soften with only brief heating. Meltingly
delicious, delicately flavored steamed young spinach needs only a knob of
sweet butter to season it to perfection. To really celebrate its taste,
make a festive spinach souffle or spinach omelet.
Italian Treat
If you enjoy robust flavors with a lot of spirit, join
me in growing a crop of broccoli raab this spring. Also known as "cima di rapa" or "rapini,"
this rich tasting Italian vegetable is a fast growing early spring
bonanza. Broccoli raab plants produce flavorful leaves and tender juicy stalks topped
with buds that look like tiny broccoli florets. Both leaves and stalks
have a fine robust flavor, somewhat like broccoli but more hearty and
spicy.
Broccoli
Raab is planted in cool spring weather about the time you sow
radishes. It likes a rich, well-drained soil in full sun. Young seedlings
should be thinned until plants stand about 4 to 6 inches apart to grow
their tasty flowering shoots. Harvest by cutting off these leafy stalks at
7-8 inches tall. Then fertilize well to get a second harvest a few weeks
later.
Vitamin rich, deep green broccoli raab is wonderful prepared in the
traditional Italian manner. First, blanch it quickly in a boiling water
bath for a minute or two, then drain. Heat a little fruity olive oil and a
generous amount of chopped garlic and add the broccoli raab. Sauté,
stirring, just until tender about 5-6 minutes. Serve by itself, or toss
with hot pasta and top with freshly grated hard cheese like Asiago or
Parmesan. Or serve as a zesty side dish with grilled sausages for a soul
satisfying supper. You can also enjoy broccoli raab in any spicy oriental
stir-fry - it has a real affinity for garlic and chiles. Once you've grown
and eaten this zesty vegetable, you'll develop a real craving for its
intense full flavor. I also often cook the leafy stalks and buds to serve
at room temperature with a garlicky herb dressing. My friends and family
really look forward to this seasonal treat as a first course or savory
salad.
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