Our organic vegetable box arrives every Tuesday, a hue of vibrant green. There are leaves of every shape and form and sometimes it’s hard to tell what is what. Some come with vegetables attached. others bunched together with a rubber band. For a long time, half of it went straight to the compost. I hacked off the carrot leaves, the radish leaves, the turnip leaves and sent them back to nature.
But not anymore. I’ve recently realised that if you use these leaves while they are still garden fresh, they are delicious – and no doubt nutritious.
All you have to do is give them a good wash, then plunge them into boiling salted water for a couple of minutes. Take them out and drain them well and while they are still warm, pour over a glug or two of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon, some salt and black pepper and you are done.
Just be careful not to overcook them – they just need to wilt. Then shake off as much water as you can when you drain them. You can eat this as a type of warm salad/side dish or even use them as a topping for bruschetta.
You can cook all the greens like this: spinach, swiss chard, kale, beet …and, as I’ve discovered lately, even turnip and radish leaves. Carrot? I’m not so sure. I’ve yet to experiment with that.
I’m still not sure what I cooked today but I’m told it may have been a variety of dandelion. But cooked together with the radish tops and drizzled generously with some wonderful extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with a few seeds it didn’t taste like compost at all!
And local readers, check out Lareverde for their wonderful super fresh organic vegetables. You don’t only get leaves…you get a whole variety of whatever is in season.
Diana Baird says
You are so right, Sharon, and this is so important to remember. Here in Newfoundland, turnip tops, or ‘greens’ as they are often called, are the first local produce that is always available everywhere in spring – once it finally does arrive. Alas, we’re still deep in show shovelling mode! As always, great, inspiring photos.
gidon says
..but now the amount of greens going to Daisy will be reduced, hopefully without a negative effect on our egg supply.
+, if I am developing a green hue its not radioactive.
Phil says
Martine’s been feeding me radish tops (fanes de radis in French) every spring for years, and that’s what keeps me looking young and lovely. Sorry to be inquisitive but do you now have a hen called Daisy? In a FLAT????
Sharon says
Hoping the radish tops do the same for Gidon. Check out the tortilla blog to see Daisy! Don’t worry. We have boarded her out. She lives happily with a bunch of other chickens, some pigeons and a peacock
Rosemary says
Thanks for suggestion to blanche those leaves. Will ask to keep them all when I make the weekly visit to the field where we buy our organic salads and vegetables.
And Daisy looks gorgeous!
Suzanne Rico says
Yum. After two burger/steak dinners in a row, I need some GREENS!!
xo
Saul says
Your posts make me hungry!
Nadia says
Re carrot leaves- ‘ve been using the carrot leaves since I started with Able and cole, they need to be using sparingly as they have quite a strong , distinct flavour but are great to use finely chopped instead of parsley in a salad and fantastic when used in a soup!
Diana says
Yummy! But you could cook an old shirt and it would taste delicious!
elina says
Pobre Daisy!! piensen en ella, no se coman toda su comida….. por lo menos traigan las hojas de coliflor que son las que más les gustan…. sino, ella podrá realizar una huelga de huevos, y eso, será TERRIBLE.
Amelia says
Jajaj Saul, it happens to me too…. I wonder why I always get to rid this stuff at this hours and no lunch in sight!!!
Amelia says
Ops, I meant “read” not rid…