Cut Greens
Our Varieties:
We grow many different types of “cut-and-come-again” greens. Unlike head lettuce or cabbage that is done and gone after it is picked, cut greens can be sheared down and then will continue to grow for another harvest. Most cut greens will give you three to four harvests.
You’ll often find these cut greens in our gardens:
Spinach - Dark green and often savoyed (wrinkled), spinach is delicious in hearty salads but is sturdy enough to be cooked down too.!
Leaf Lettuce - In shades of green and red, leaf lettuce is a light and bright base for salads.
Arugula - Arugula’s leaves are often dainty and lobed. It’s spicy flavor makes it a tangy salad base or sandwich filling.
Baby Kale - grown in more compact spaces and picked younger than fully mature kale, baby kale is sweet and tender.
Harvest:
Harvest when leaves are at least four inches long.
You can harvest by either picking leaves individually or by holding a bunch of leaves from their tops and cutting them with shears, scissors, or a knife about three inches from the ground. In either case, make sure to leave the bud in the middle of the plant - this is where new leaves will grow or “come again.”
End of Harvest:
Cut greens will bolt (flower) when the temperature rises turning the leaves tough and the flavor bitter. Cutting down your greens frequently will slow bolting.
Note - Even if your arugula bolts, the flowers are edible and make pretty and tangy salad additions, toppings, or garnishes.
Storage:
Do not wash until you are ready to use.
Place cut greens in a plastic bag or large Tupperware with a paper towel or cloth to absorb extra moisture and place in the refrigerator.
Cut greens will last up to a week in the fridge.
Recipe Ideas:
Cut greens are easy a quick salad bases but can also taste great in sandwiches, omelets, mixed into grains, as topping on pizza - the list goes on!
Want to try something a little more unusual? How about Mint and Arugula Pesto? Or Spinach and Cilantro Ramen Noodles?