Most of us are familiar with one variety of greens – spinach. Southerners probably know a few more varieties – turnip greens, beet greens, and collards, perhaps.

But no more – there’s plenty of love to go around and there are plenty of greens to love!!!

The peak season for greens is winter through early spring, so don’t delay! They grow best in cooler (but not cold) temps, so your farmer’s market probably has them now.

Dark, leafy greens are a good source of Vitamins A and C, and calcium, all at just 20-30 calories per cup. They even have significant iron, but it’s best absorbed when the greens are cooked and have some ascorbic acid (citrus) with them. It’s easy enough to squirt some lemon juice on steamed greens – there you go! Lots of nutrition, lots of flavor. Who could ask for anything more?

Click on Read More to see a list of dark, leafy greens with alternate names and substitutes – followed by recipes! Yes – delicious, nutritious recipes! C’mon – branch out from that spinach salad!

Photo by James Wilsher

beet greens
Like their close relative, Swiss chard, beet greens have lots of flavor and a good, sturdy texture. The best ones are young and tender, and sometimes come with small beets attached. If you’re buying beets, ask for the ones with the greens attached. Cut the greens off about 1″ above the beet, and prepare them separately. Cook beet greens with onions and garlic for bold flavors.
Substitutes: Swiss chard (a very close substitute) OR turnip greens OR spinach (cooks more quickly)

broccoli raab = broccolirab = broccoli de rape = broccolie de rabe = brocoletti di rape = brocoletto = rappi = rape = raab = rapini = cima di rapa = cima di rabe = choy sum = Chinese flowering cabbage
This slightly bitter cooking green has long been popular in Italy and is now catching on in America. It’s best to just eat the florets and leaves; the stems are quite bitter.
Substitutes: Chinese broccoli (similar, but not as bitter) OR dandelion greens OR Swiss chard OR mustard greens OR turnip greens OR kale OR broccoli (milder, takes longer to cook) OR cauliflower OR watercress

callaloo = callilu = calalou = callau = taro leaf = bhaji = elephant’s ear = sag = sagaloo
These huge leaves are about a foot and a half long, and they’re a popular vegetable among Pacific Islanders and some Asians. Many Western cooks steer clear of them, though, since they must be cooked for at least 45 minutes to an hour to rid them of calcium oxalate, a toxin that irritates the throat if swallowed.
Substitutes: Chinese spinach (very close substitute) OR Swiss chard OR sorrel OR spinach OR mustard greens OR turnip greens (Discard the stems first. This may take longer to cook than callaloo.) OR collard greens OR meloukhia

celtuce = asparagus lettuce = stem lettuce
This is a kind of lettuce that’s grown for its stalk, which can be peeled, sliced, and stir-fried. Look for it in Asian markets.
Substitutes: celery

Chinese broccoli = Chinese kale = gai lan = gai lum = kai lan
Like rapini, Chinese broccoli has small stems and green heads (which actually are flowers) and lots of leaves. But Chinese broccoli is leafier and less bitter than rapini. It’s a great vegetable to stir-fry, but you can also steam or boil it, as you would broccoli.
Substitutes: rapini OR broccoli OR bok choy

Chinese spinach = hiyu = hon-toi-moi = yin choy = een choy = amaranth = hsien tsai
This is similar to spinach, only it’s prettier, tastier, and more nutritious. Look for it in Asian markets. Substitutes: spinach (This isn’t as delicate as Chinese spinach) OR callaloo

chrysanthemum leaves = chop suey greens = tong ho = tung ho = garland chrysanthemum = shungiku
This Asian potherb is used to flavor salads, soups, sukiyaki and other dishes. The leaves are usually blanched briefly to soften them and deepen their color, but young leaves can be served raw. Add them to cooked dishes at the last minute, as they become bitter if overcooked.
Substitutes: spinach

collard greens = collards
This is a favorite of Southern cooks, who often cook them with salt pork or smoked ham hocks (but we know they’re even better just steamed or braised in veggie stock!). Frozen collards are an acceptable substitute for fresh but the texture isn’t as good.
Substitutes: kale (crinkled leaves) OR kohlrabi leaves OR bok choy (milder flavor) OR turnip greens OR mustard greens (spicier flavor)

gai choy = kai choy = Chinese mustard cabbage = Chinese mustard greens = Indian mustard = leaf mustard
Asian cooks like to pickle this, or else use it in soups or stir-fries. If you find gai choy too pungent to stir-fry, blanch it first in salted water.
Substitutes: mustard greens (more pungent) OR broccoli raab

jute leaf = West Africa sorrel = krin-krin = saluyot = rau day = Jew mallow
These are tossed into stews in Africa, the Philippines, and Southeast Asia.
Substitutes: spinach

kale = borecole = cow cabbage = kail
Kale is a kind of cabbage with dark green, wrinkled leaves. It’s prized more for its hardiness than its flavor or delicacy (but we wonder why because we love it), but it continues to be popular in the South, where it’s often cooked as a side dish. Remove and discard the tough center stalks before cooking. Kale is rich in vitamins A and C, folic acid, calcium and iron. It also supplies vital magnesium, a mineral the body needs to fully metabolize calcium, as well as considerable amounts of chlorophyll, which purifies the body. Chlorophyll helps restore the growth of beneficial intestinal flora and can be particularly helpful when using antibiotics, which wipe out the good bacteria along with the bad. Varieties include curly kale, dinosaur kale = black cabbage = lacinato kale, and the popular Red Russian kale = ragged jack kale.
Substitutes: collard greens (smooth leaves) OR rapini OR Swiss chard (cooks more quickly than kale) OR flowering kale OR cabbage OR napa cabbage OR kohlrabi leaves OR mustard greens OR spinach (in casseroles and souffles)

kohlrabi greens
These can be cooked just like Swiss chard. Remove the stems first if they’re too thick.
Substitutes: Swiss chard OR collard greens OR kale

kontomire = African spinach
This African green is very hard to find fresh in the United States, and the canned version is terrible. Substitutes: Swiss chard OR spinach

Malabar spinach = Ceylon spinach = saan choy = slippery vegetable = alogbati = mong toi = Vietnamese spinach
This is cooked much like spinach, but it’s a bit slimy like okra. It occasionally shows up in Asian markets.
Substitutes: spinach OR okra

mustard greens = curled mustard
These are more popular in the South than in the rest of the country. There are red and green varieties, and both have a peppery bite. If the greens are too pungent for your taste, you can tame them by blanching them in salted water.
Substitutes: gai choy (less pungent) OR escarole (less pungent) OR kale (less pungent) OR Swiss chard (less pungent) OR spinach (less pungent; cooks more quickly) OR radish greens

nettles = nettle leaves
Nettles have long been used in Europe as a substitute for spinach or kale, but they’re tricky to use. The tips contain formic acid, a nasty irritant that can give you a serious rash on the outside and cause even more damage on the inside. You can remove the formic acid by cooking and/or soaking the nettles, but don’t try this unless you know what you’re doing. If you’re harvesting your own nettle leaves, select young ones.
Substitutes: escarole OR beet greens OR spinach

purslane = verdolaga
Hispanic cooks especially like these crunchy, mild tasting greens. You can use them raw in salads, or cook them as a side dish. Look for them in Hispanic markets.
Substitutes: watercress (milder flavor) OR spinach (milder flavor) OR okra

radish greens
These have a peppery flavor, and they’re great raw in salads and sandwiches, or you can cook them as you would other leafy greens. The leaves are fairly pungent, though, so a little goes a long way. The greens from young plants are best.
Substitutes: mustard greens

sorrel = rosella = sour grass = dock = sour dock
This sour herb is quite popular in France. They like to cook it briefly and make a purée out of it, which they ladle over various dishes. It can also be served raw in salads.
Substitutes: spinach + lemon zest OR arugula

spinach
Equivalents: One pound fresh = 1 cup cooked = 5 ounces frozen
Spinach is packed with nutrients, and is quite versatile. You can toss it raw into salads, or cook it briefly to make a side dish or soup. Of the two main varieties, smooth leaf spinach = flat leaf spinach = salad spinach is more delicate and better suited to salads than curly leaf spinach. Look for spinach with small, narrow stems – they’re younger and more tender. And always use fresh spinach if you can; it’s much more palatable than frozen or canned spinach.
Substitutes: Chinese spinach (more delicate) OR Swiss chard (more flavorful, but takes longer to cook) OR beet greens (more flavorful, but takes longer to cook) OR sorrel (color fades when cooked; consider adding parsley for color) OR kale (especially in casseroles; takes longer to cook) OR turnip greens (discard stems; takes longer to cook) OR escarole (especially with hot bacon dressings)

Swiss chard = chard = spinach beet = leaf beet = seakale beet = silver beet = white beet
Swiss chard is used much like spinach, except that it has an appealing beet-like flavor and a heavier texture, which requires longer cooking. Many cooks simply sauté it in olive oil and serve it as a side dish. Red chard = rhubarb chard = ruby chard, with green leaves and red stalks, is slightly more tender and flavorful than white chard = green chard, with white stalks and green leaves, but the two are interchangeable in most recipes. Rainbow chard has colorful stalks; chop and steam or quickly saute them for a colorful addition to your dish.
Substitutes: beet greens OR spinach OR turnip greens OR bok choy OR escarole OR mustard greens

turnip greens = turnip tops = turnip salad = Hanover greens
A staple of Southern cuisine, turnips greens are traditionally served with salt pork or ham hocks (but again, we know better!). The leaves are pungent and slightly bitter, especially older ones, but they become milder when cooked. Don’t prepare them with aluminum cookware, as it will affect their flavor and appearance.
Substitutes: dandelion greens OR mustard greens OR kale (takes longer to cook) OR collard greens (takes longer to cook, consider blanching first to reduce bitterness) OR Swiss chard (milder flavor) OR spinach (milder flavor)

water spinach = swamp spinach = ung choy = long green = kangkong = tangkong
This cooking green is very common in the Philippines. Some varieties have purple stems.
Substitutes: spinach OR watercress

~*~ ~*~ ~*~
RECIPES!

Spicy Kale
(adapted from Moosewood at Home)
Blue * serves 4

1 large onion, diced
1 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch kale (about 2 pounds)
2 teaspoons vinegar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste

Saute onion in oil in large skillet on low heat about 10 minutes or until translucent. Thoroughly rinse kale. Remove stems (stalks) and coarsely chop leaves. Add moist kale to onions and cook, covered, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until leaves are wilted but still bright green. Stir in vinegar and red pepper flakes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately or at room temp.

Spinach with Pine Nuts
Blue * serves 4

1 bunch fresh organic spinach, washed well, ends trimmed
1-1/2 teaspoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
salt

Wash spinach (leave wet) and add to a large saucepan on high heat for about 5 minutes, or until tender, stirring frequently. Remove from pan. Put in colander and set aside. Put pan back on medium heat. Add oil when hot. Add pine nuts and garlic. Cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Add spinach and lemon zest and toss together. Cook another 2 minutes. Squeeze juice over spinach, salt to taste and serve.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 13th, 2009 at 5:05 am and is filed under Articles - Food, Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.