Patience may be a virtue, but how to practice it in the spring? In an effort to convince ourselves that it is warm outside, we go coatless earlier than we should. Roll down the car windows much too soon. Order salads when soup is clearly in order.
Gardeners are as restless as anybody, but some actually practice the self-control it takes to wait until May 15–the official frost-free date in our Zone 5 region–before planting a thing. In this instance, though, their patience is misguided. There are plenty of vegetables to start growing in mid-April–that’s two weeks away–and none offers more nutrition, flavor and beauty than greens.
“There always seems to be a reluctance by gardeners to do season extensions of any kind,” says Shepherd Ogden, founder with his wife, Ellen, of The Cook’s Garden seed company in Vermont. “The moment that the ground can be worked, there are all kinds of things that can be planted. You’d be crazy not to.”
“We’ve all been brainwashed to think it’s tomatoes, peppers, beans and corn,” agrees Rosalind Creasy, author of a series of “Edible Garden” books that blend gardening and cooking information. “But that’s so limiting. Those are all warm-weather plants that can’t take frost. That leaves out 90 percent of the world’s foods.”
Cool-season greens, despite their delicate beauty, are hardy enough to withstand the light frosts that occur in mid- to late April. The list includes a rainbow of rich-flavored and multi-colored lettuces such as frisee, lollo rossa, radicchio; hardy herbs such as parsley, sorrel and chervil; and nutritious chard and spinach. These greens offer “a way of adding dense nutrition to your diet,” Creasy says, “as well as adding richness and flavor.
“The spring garden, for probably genetic reasons that we don’t even know about, is the most dense with nutrition,” Creasy says. “It’s the vitamin C, the folic acids–all that’s in the leafy greens, the cruciferous vegetables. It’s just incredible how many nutrients are packed into kales, cabbages, broccolis and leafy greens.”
At the table
These foods aren’t only for the green-thumb crowd. Spring lettuces and herbs deliver incredibly varied tastes fresh from the garden–or the market. Just be careful to treat most of these greens, especially the mild-flavored lettuces, with subtle support.
“My advice with almost everything is, don’t overdo it,” says Bruce Sherman, executive chef/partner at North Pond Cafe. “The preparation should let the flavor and product shine. By trying to do too much or adding something that has too strong a flavor, you lose the essence of what you’re working with.”
For baby lettuces, Ellen Ogden says, “I highly recommend a very simple vinaigrette–you want the flavor of the greens to come out. You don’t want the dressing to be the dominant flavor.”
Sherman is partial to chervil, a beautiful cold-hardy herb. “It’s wonderful for complementing flavors without dominating other ones,” he says. “It has an affinity for fish and eggs.”
Most spring greens are best paired with similarly flavored foods. “If you’re having a delicate, flaky fish, it’s going to be much better paired with a tender spring green than it would be with a hardy romaine or iceberg,” Sherman says. “The same goes for lighter spring soups, say, a poultry broth with spring vegetables.”
Though we think of spring greens in salads, some–such as stronger-flavored sorrel and arugula–will withstand cooking. Johnny’s Selected Seeds even sells a hardier mesclun “braising mix.”
Fast growers
For antsy gardeners, many of these plants offer quick rewards. Plant as soon as the soil can be worked and, in the case of baby lettuces and mustard greens, you’ll have a gourmet salad by Memorial Day. Edible flowers such as pansies and violets also like early spring weather. Sturdier greens such as chard and cabbage will take longer to harvest, but they still can be planted early.
The most evocative offerings come from the seed catalogs, which sell an ever-increasing array of options. But lettuces and herbs also can be purchased at nurseries, though the selection won’t be as mind-boggling. They’re pricier than seeds, but good nursery plants have been given a healthy start, thus improving your odds for a successful harvest. And some nurseries, such as Pesche’s Garden Center in Des Plaines, are continually adding to their inventory of vegetables and herbs (as well as seeds).
Temperamental temperatures
Cool weather greens can withstand light frosts. But what about unseasonable weather? Snowflakes and frigid temperatures aren’t always strangers in April.
Everyone we talked to on the subject agreed that snow should not present a problem; it acts as an insulator. But temperatures that dip below 30 degrees can be harmful. Be prepared to cover plants with newspaper, burlap or a commercial fabric sold at garden centers. (But don’t use plastic sheeting, which pulls in the cold, says Wally Schmidtke, garden center manager at Pesche’s.) Container plants can be covered or simply moved to a sheltered area.
Be mindful of the growing requirements listed with the plant or on seed packets. But don’t be nervous.
“These are very forgiving plants, and very rewarding,” says Rink DaVee, co-owner Shooting Star Farm near Mineral Point, Wis., who supplies many Chicago-area restaurants with spring greens.
The quality of soil will affect the success of a crop; the region’s thick clay soil is fertile but also very compacted. Soil amendments and fertilizers (organic fertilizer, such as fish emulsion, was recommended by everyone we talked to) can be added.
“In the spring, don’t be too fast to fertilize,” says Fran Johnson, catalog coordinator of Territorial Seed Co. in Oregon. “Because the soil is cool it takes a while for the fertilizer to break down. Let the plants become established before adding any fertilizer, and let the soil warm up.”
And speaking of soil, if all you’ve got are containers, those will work fine.
“Just about any vegetable can be grown in a container as long as the container holds enough soil to fit the vegetable’s needs,” Schmidtke says. Lettuce’s shallow roots will thrive in a shallow container. A mesclun flat is especially easy to start. (See related story.)
Good resources include books, nursery employees and Web sites–the University of Illinois Extension Service (www.urbanext. uiuc.edu/veggies/) and the National Gardening Association (www.garden.org) offer great information.
No time to garden?
Non-gardeners, take heart: Gardening
isn’t the only path to the leafy green stuff. Many supermarkets and produce stores continue to increase their inventory of lettuces and greens.
Peter Fitzgerald, produce director of Sunset Foods, attributes part of the demand to adventurous chefs. “When our customers see something on their plate at a restaurant, then they get an idea of how to prepare it themselves,” Fitzgerald says, citing the increased popularity in the last decade of radicchio, Belgian endive, baby spinach and, especially, mesclun.
“Case by case, mesclun is my best-selling lettuce,” says Jim Bilbrey, produce buyer for Treasure Island. “I buy more cases of mesclun than any other lettuce. It’s been that way for over two years.” The mesclun he buys contains 6 to 14 varieties, depending on the season. Typical players in mesclun include arugula, baby red and green oak leaf, baby red and green romaine, baby spinach, lollo rossa, frisee, radicchio, baby mustards, baby kale and tatsoi, an Asian green. The store also sells several of these on their own.
Fitzgerald notes that packaged salad blends also have fueled consumer interest. “At first we couldn’t sell the more exotic blends,” Fitzgerald says, “but since these packaged salads have come out, people are taking more chances.”
Storage
Washing greens can take time, because the leaves’ folds can hold dirt and small insects. A salad spinner is the best tool in terms of speed and efficiency, but you can also soak the greens in a bowl of cold water. Dry them well so salad dressing doesn’t get watered down.
Ellen Ogden wraps freshly washed and dried greens in paper towels, puts them in a plastic bag and then puts them in the refrigerator crisper until they’re ready to serve. “Otherwise, the greens will start to wilt,” she says. “And you really don’t want to dress them until you’re ready to eat them.” (If topping salads with edible flowers–such as the pansies on the mesclun in our cover photo–dress the greens first, then top with flowers.)
Try to use baby greens and herbs within a day of harvesting. Sturdier lettuces will keep two to three days.
If there’s a drawback to these cool weather greens, it’s that many will lose steam when hot weather comes around.
“Some of the spinach and lettuces won’t do well in the summer,” Territorial’s Johnson says, “and then it’s time to plant something else.” (Like tomatoes, peppers, beans and corn.)
But you won’t have to wait an entire year to enjoy your spring bounty again. The vegetables that thrive in early season coolness will perform just as well in the fall, Schmidtke says.
Wait. There is another risk to growing them in the back yard, DaVee says: “The greens will look so beautiful, you might not want to cut them.”
GREENS TO DISCOVER
Here are just some of the leafy greens to consider for early spring planting–and year-round cooking. Most require full sun and consistently moist soil; check the seed packets or ask nursery staff for specific planting dates, growing information and harvesting tips. Planting and harvesting times will be affected by weather, and whether you’re putting in plants or seed.
Arugula: Peppery arugula continues to win converts for its complex flavor. This leafy green also will withstand light sauteeing.
Chervil, an herb, “has a very exotic fennel flavor to it. It’s a gorgeous garnish and it’s wonderful added to a salad,” says Rink DaVee of Shooting Star Farm in Wisconsin.
Curly cress, a k a pepper grass, “grows super fast,” says DaVee. “Just prepare a square foot and broadcast the seed lightly. Snip it off when it’s a few inches tall. You’ll have a peppery green to put into a salad.” How fast is fast? “You’ll have something in 15 to 20 days,” says Alana Mezo, senior horticulturist at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
Cutting chicories: Chicories have a complex, bitter flavor that soon becomes addictive. Rosalind Creasy recommends heirloom Italian cutting chicories in her book, “The Edible Salad Garden.” The Cook’s Garden sells several varieties, including a deep red called Italico Rosso. These add lots of spark to salads.
Escarole: Another chicory, this will take very chilly weather and matures in less than 50 days, says Mezo. It also can handle strong-flavored ingredients such as garlic and olives, Creasy adds.
Frisee is a type of curly endive, also a member of the chicory family. It often is an ingredient in mesclun blends as well as prepackaged salad blends at supermarkets.
Lettuces: Loose-leaf lettuces in particular thrive in spring’s cool weather. They’re also the easiest lettuce to grow from seed. Among the dozens of options are lollo rossa, a frilly and mild lettuce that’s beautiful in the garden as well as on the table, Mezo says: “It is green tipped with red and very attractive.” Bijou lettuce, a new organic, deep red loose-leaf variety from Territorial Seed Co., “is a beautiful lettuce,” says Fran Johnson, catalog coordinator. “It has quite a sheen to it and it really stands out. And in spite of the red color, it’s not bitter.” Remus, a shiny romaine with dark green, textured leaves, was recommended by Shepherd Ogden of The Cook’s Garden. “It is new to the U.S. but it has been around Holland for 10 or 15 years.”
Mesclun: This simply is a name for a mixture of any number of lettuces that are grown and cut before maturity. These mixes are easy and quick to grow; seed catalogs carry a rainbow of blends, from mild-flavored to extra-spicy. Territorial sells Italian Saladini Blend, a colorful mixture of Italian loose-leaf and butterhead varieties. The Cook’s Garden sells Nicoise, a tart and tangy blend from France. The All Star Gourmet Lettuce Mix from Johnny’s Selected Seeds contains lettuces of different colors–red, light and dark green and speckled–with varied textures.
Terry Allan, vegetable product manager at Johnny’s, says it will come up as a beautiful row of baby lettuce leaves, and will be ready to harvest in a month.
Sorrel has a sharp lemony flavor that perks up salads and soups. If you start sorrel from seed, you’ll have to wait a year before harvesting. Buy a plant if you want to start enjoying it this year, Mezo advises. “You can harvest it throughout the season–just take the little leaves over the larger ones; you’ll have much better flavor. The larger leaves tend to get bitter and tough.” Another bonus: Sorrel is a perennial that is hardy in Zone 5 and is one of the earliest growers of the season.
— Renee Enna
RESOURCES FOR GARDEN GREENS
Seed catalogs:
(Discount and hardware stores also carry seeds, though their variety is rarely as extensive as that found in catalogs.)
The Cook’s Garden, 800-457-9703
Johnny’s Selected Seeds, 207-437-4301 and www.johnnyseeds.com
Shepherd’s Garden Seeds, 860-482-3638 and www.shepherdseeds.com
Territorial Seed Co., 541-942-9547 and www.territorialseed.com
Nurseries:
(Call to learn when various plants are available. Selections will vary.)
The Growing Place: 25W471 Plank Rd., Naperville, 630-355-4000; and 2000 Montgomery Rd., Aurora, 630-820-8088. Also sells seeds. (Opens for the season March 31. Lettuces will be available sometime in April; some herbs are available sooner.)
Pesche’s Garden Center and Greenhouses, 170 River Rd., Des Plaines, 847-299-1300, www.peschesgardencenter.com. (Plants will start becoming available in early April. Pesche’s also sells seeds.)
Ted’s Greenhouse, 16930 S. 84th Ave. Tinley Park, 708-532-3575.
(Ted’s doesn’t carry lettuces; herbs are available now.)
MESCLUN ON THE MOVE
This approach from Rosalind Creasy–growing a crop of mesclun in a shallow, plastic nursery flat–gives you a portable bed of exotic lettuce:
1. Line a nursery flat with newspaper and add potting mix to fill it two-thirds. Sprinkle the seeds of your mesclun mix over the soil. Sprinkle a little more potting mix-about 1 /4 inch–over the seeds. Pat it down, water it and drain it about four or five times with a sprinkling can.
2. Put a sheet of plastic wrap over the flat to keep moisture in. Place the covered flat in a 40- to 60-degree spot until the seedlings come up–4 to 5 days.
3. Remove the plastic and place the flat in full sun. Keep it damp. If a downpour or hard freeze is forecast move the flat indoors. But it can handle light freezes.
4. Keep it outside 7 to 10 days, and don’t thin it. Be sure it doesn’t dry out. A light organic fertilizer, such as fish emulsion, can be added. “Depending on your weather, in four to six weeks, you’ll have cuttable baby lettuces and greens,” Creasy says.
5. To harvest, use the “cut and come again” method: Cut plants with a sharp knife or scissors about an inch above the base of the plant. Take as much as you need at a time. Creasy estimates that one flat will last 1 to 1 1/2 weeks if you have a salad every other night. Water and fertilize after the first full cut, then return the flat to a sunny spot. It should resprout 3-4 weeks later. The lettuces can be harvested three times. While you’re doing this, you can plant more mesclun mix in the garden, she says. It will grow more slowly, but that just means you’ve got another round of lettuces waiting for you.
– R.E.
SMOKED SALMON BENEDICT WITH CREAMED SORREL
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
“When sorrel leaves are cooked in butter, they wilt dramatically and quickly turn into a puree, almost as if they melted,” Jerry Traunfeld writes about this recipe in “The Herbfarm Cookbook.” Just keep in mind that this brunch dish uses a lot of sorrel–so plant, or buy, accordingly. If you can’t find sorrel, the dish can be made with baby spinach. The flavor is less pronounced but still delicious. While making this dish, keep the crumpets or English muffins warm in a low oven.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small shallot, finely chopped
8 ounces (about 5 cups) sorrel or baby spinach, stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
Freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon white vinegar
8 large or extra-large eggs
8 whole crumpets or 4 split English muffins, toasted
8 slices (about 4 by 2 inches) cold-smoked salmon or Nova lox, room temperature
Snipped chives or chive blossoms
1. Melt butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallot; cook until softened but not browned, about 1 minute. Add half of the sorrel; stir until wilted. Add remaining sorrel. Cook until it is melted into puree, about 3 minutes. Stir in cream, salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low; cover. Keep warm.
2. Fill wide, deep pan with water to depth of 3 inches. Add vinegar; heat to simmer. Crack 1 egg into saucer; gently slide egg into simmering water. Repeat with remaining eggs. Adjust heat so water stays just below simmer. Cook until whites are firm but yolks are still soft, about 4 minutes.
3. Arrange 2 of the toasted crumpets or 2 English muffin halves on each of four warmed plates. Lift eggs from water with slotted spoon; let water drain over paper towel. Place one egg on each crumpet or muffin. Arrange salmon slice on top. Spoon sorrel sauce over salmon, dividing evenly. Sprinkle with chives.
Nutrition information per serving:
475 calories, 50% calories from fat, 26 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 540 mg cholesterol, 900 mg sodium, 28 g protein, 31 g carbohydrate, 3.2 g fiber
MESCLUN SALAD WITH MUSTARD-CHERVIL VINAIGRETTE
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
This recipe from Bruce Sherman, executive chef/partner of North Pond Cafe, works best with a milder mesclun. Chervil can be hard for non-gardeners to find outside of specialty and farmers markets; Sherman suggests using flat-leaf parsley and chives instead.
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon each: Dijon mustard, water
1/2 teaspoon wildflower or other honey
Salt, freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon walnut or hazelnut oil, optional
1/4 cup each: olive oil, sunflower or canola oil
12-16 cups mesclun leaves
1/4 cup chervil leaves or combination chopped flat-leaf parsley and chives
1. Whisk together vinegar, mustard, water and honey, with pinch of salt and pepper in small bowl. Whisk in walnut oil; whisk in olive and sunflower oil. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
2. Place greens in large salad bowl. Whisk chervil into dressing; pour over greens. Toss.
Nutrition information per serving:
145 calories, 88% calories from fat,15 g fat, 1.7 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 65 mg sodium, 1.5 g protein, 2.9 g carbohydrate, 1.4 g fiber
NESTS WITH WILD GREENS AND FONTINA
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
This side dish can be served with egg dishes or fish, or spooned on Italian bread for an appetizer, Rosalind Creasy writes in “The Edible Italian Garden.” It is time-consuming but worth it. You could also use young borage leaves, dandelion greens, chicory or violet leaves.
2 pounds mesclun or wild mixed greens, stems removed,
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper or to taste
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated fontina cheese
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Steam greens in large saucepan or Dutch oven in batches until wilted, about 3-4 minutes. Drain leaves in colander; rinse under cold water. Squeeze out excess water.
2. Heat oil in medium skillet. Add garlic; saute over low heat until golden, about 2 minutes. Add greens, ground red pepper, and salt and black pepper to taste; saute about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Let greens cool to room temperature.
3. Divide greens into six equal portions; shape each into a ball. Place balls in lightly greased baking dish; make small indentation in each with thumb to form shallow nest. Fill indentation with cheese. Bake until cheese has melted, about 12 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving:
110 calories, 64% calories from fat, 8 g fat, 2.8 g saturated fat, 13 mg cholesterol, 125 mg sodium, 5 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate, 2.6 g fiber
