2020 Victory Gardens

[Morgan]

What are "greens"? I thought it was a generic term for any leafy veg but now I'm doubting that.

Dc, if you was eating greens at my house growing up, it could have been collard, mustard, spinach, poke, turnip, or any combination of those, so it was a pretty generic term for us.

[Eric Krewson]

I have kale (siberian and red russian), Georgia collards, purple top turnip greens and spinach planted in separate patches, some like them mixed. some like them individually, kale is the new trendy health food and very popular.

Of course like DC mentioned there is poke salat, a wild toxic weed that sprouts up in the spring along back roads and paths. It has to be boiled several time and the liquid poured off to be safe to eat. It grows in abundance along the exercise path I use so I stockpile some every spring.

Most cook it down and season it in a pan then break an egg in the mix, tastes like cooked spinach.

I get creative with it; here is some cooked in chicken stock with onions, garlic and wild chanterelle mushrooms.

[Eric Krewson]

Pokeweed at the spring picking stage and mature and very toxic, past the eating stage.

[WhistlingBadger]

Is pokeweed related to baneberry?  The colors are different but the shape looks the same.  Baneberry is beautiful but you don't want to eat that stuff.  I guess as a rule it's good not to eat anything with "bane" in the name.   

[DC]

What are "greens"? I thought it was a generic term for any leafy veg but now I'm doubting that.

Dc, if you was eating greens at my house growing up, it could have been collard, mustard, spinach, poke, turnip, or any combination of those, so it was a pretty generic term for us.

Thanks Morgan, I guess I was pretty close.

[Eric Krewson]

Nope; baneberry is entirely different than poke.

www.britannica.com/plant/baneberry
Baneberry, (genus Actaea), also called cohosh or necklaceweed, any of about eight species of perennial herbaceous plants in the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae); they are all native to north temperate zone woodlands.

[HH~]

Think purple kale is my go to this year. Better than collards I think. Snowing out now and my broccoli still has side heads and will for a month Im thinking.
Shawn~

[WhistlingBadger]

Well, we're all moved into our place in town.  We won't have nearly as much room to garden, but it should be several degrees warmer than our old place, which should translate to about a month more of growing season.  Less wind too!  So, maybe we'll actually be able to grow some tomatoes and peppers next summer.

[Eric Krewson]

I agree, the red Russian kale I grew this year is something else.

Yesterday I had red Russian kale sautéed in butter with onions, garlic and dried chanterelle mushrooms.

I didn't notice the picture was out of focus until I already had is saved and resized.

[WhistlingBadger]

My only objection to kale is that it tastes like kale.      I've tried to like the stuff, but I'd have to be pretty hungry to go out of my way for it.  I'm glad other people enjoy it, though--less for me. 

T

[Marc St Louis]

Not crazy about Kale either, I much prefer Lambs Quarter

[Pat B]

I love steamed kale with hot pepper vinegar on it. The vinegar brings out the sweetness of the kale. 

[Eric Krewson]

We call it pepper sauce in the south, I can it every year with garlic and onions just for greens.

[bjrogg]

Not crazy about Kale either, I much prefer Lambs Quarter

I’ve never tried kale. I did try lambs quarters though. After a lifetime of trying to eradicate them found out they are pretty good eating. And certainly easy to grow. I just pick the wild ones.
Bjrogg

[HH~]

Love most greens. Kale is up there! Some grease, white wing, pepper flakes, seseme seeds, lots garlic done in a deep sided fry skillet with a top.

Or in bamboo steamer then in skillet.

In winter i like French endive dug out garden, plant in cold sand box in cold cellar and cover completely. Stays blanched like throwing a board over it. Fresh greens all winter. Like it with some home red dressing in salat bowl. No bitterness.

HH~