The “It’s a Greens Thing” episode introduced our viewers to a wide variety of greens. Here we offer a list of our favorite greens and others mentioned on the show:
Boniato Leaves or Sweet Potato Leaves
Pronounced: bow-nee-AH-tow
What you need to know: Boniato and sweet potatoes are different plants in the same family; the tubers and leaves are both edible. Both have a softer texture and less bitter flavor than kale.
How prepared: Stir fried or sauteed.
Popular dishes: Stir fried sweet potato leaves.
Cabbage
Pronounced: KA-buhj
What you need to know: In the same family as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower and kale. Sometimes round. Sometimes conical.
How prepared: Eaten raw in salad. Fermented. Cooked from sauteed, stir fried and roasted.
Popular dishes: Coleslaw. Sauerkraut. Kimchi. Cabbage rolls.
Cassava Leaves
Pronounced: kuh-SAH-vuh
What you need to know: A shrubby, perennial plant with edible roots and leaves.
How prepared: Stewed.
Popular dishes: Cassava leaf soup, also called saka saka or pondu.
Collards
Pronounced: KAHL-uhrd
What you need to know: It is a variety of cabbage that doesn’t form a head, like kale. Peak season is January to April. An earlier term used by Europeans colonists was “colewort.”
How prepared: Boiled or sauteed.
Popular dishes: Stewed collards with ham hock. Collard sandwich
Roselle
Pronounced: roh-ZEL
What you need to know: A tropical plant that is part of the mallow family.
How prepared: Can be eaten raw in salads or stewed and sauteed.
Popular dishes: Fried Thai roselle leaves. Chin baung kyaw.
Spinach
Pronounced: SPIN-ihch
What you need to know: Originated in the Middle East. Brought to the United States from Spain.
How prepared: Eaten raw or boiled or sauteed.
Popular dishes: Creamed Spinach.
Turnip Greens
Pronounced: ter-NUHP grEEN
What you need to know: Slightly sweet when young but become tough and stronger tasting as they age. Peak season is October-March.
How prepared: Boiled. Sauteed. Steamed. Stir-fried.
Popular dishes: Stewed with ham hock or other seasoning meat.
Water Spinach
Pronounced: WAH-ter SPIN-ihch
What you need to know: Also known as swamp spinach and native to tropical India.
How prepared: Stir fried or sauteed.
Popular dishes: Stir Fried Water Spinach.
