Greens

Greens are one of the first vegetables to appear in spring farmer’s markets. You will often find many kinds of greens, including braised or cooked, salad, and sprouted greens.

Sprouts or microgreens make a great topping for almost anything, elevating how any entree looks. Baked fish, chicken, and even vegetarian beans all look fancier with micro greens. Mustard sprouts have an amazing flavor and would be delicious in sandwiches and salads.

Braising greens include chard, kale, mizuna, mustard, and beets. Remove long stems from the greens and dry them in a spinner or with paper towels. Cooking greens can be sauteed in olive oil with garlic and then cooked with unsalted broth. They can also be thrown into soups.

It is a good time to try many kinds of salad greens like oak leaf, arugula, mache, and mizuna. These may also be referred to as "mesclun or mix." The best way to rinse greens is to place them in a colander in a large bowl full of water and then let the dirt sink to the bottom. Lift out the colander and drain well. You might want to do this a few times if they look dirty. You can also use a lettuce spinner if you have one.

If using salad lettuce greens, place them in a nice glass salad bowl. Toss with oil and vinegar. Then top with fresh sliced veggies.

Enjoy!