“Just when you think you’ve got it nailed down, Mother Nature will tell you who’s in charge,” said Swain Hunt of Hunt’s Family Garden in Fayetteville. Hunt and his wife Mildred have a garden patch of about an acre and sell their produce at the Our Community Farmers Market in Peachtree City. That is, they sell their produce when Mother Nature cooperates.
It’s been a rough winter for the Hunts and other local farmers. There have been weeks when Swain Hunt didn’t have enough to make it worth a trip to the market.
Last fall, Hunt had a variety of mustard greens to sell: Giant Red Garnet, Purple Osaka, Florida Broad Leaf and curly. As their names imply, mustard green leaves can be smooth or curly, a bright green or purple. Mustard greens are the peppery member of the cabbage family. The Hunts grow Southern or American mustard, which can taste a little like horseradish, a little like arugula and a little like broccoli raab.
“The freezes have caused some damage. Some mustards are hardy enough to come back from the roots. The broadleaf mustards should hold up pretty well but at this point, it’s wait and see,” he said.
The mustards were a good seller, especially because of the way the Hunts package them. Using cut leaves from several different varieties, the bundles of mustard greens looked like colorful bouquets.
Aside for eye appeal, Hunt said the other thing that sells mustards is that “they’re scrumptious.”
“I’m from Chicago and my wife is from Mississippi. We’ve been married 29 years. I used to be a meat and potatoes guy, but I’ve learned to appreciate greens during those 29 years,” he said. Their favorite way to prepare mustard greens? Simply sauteed with olive oil, onions and garlic.
Hunt’s customers are looking forward to him having mustard greens available again soon. “The mustards I grow mature in 35 to 40 days, so I’m confident we’ll be raising more to bring to market,” said Hunt. Mustards grow best in cooler weather so they’ll be in season until maybe June when the weather turns really hot.
Mustard greens will keep in your refrigerator for up to two weeks if washed, shaken dry and then packaged in ventilated plastic bags. Discard any yellowing leaves and strip the leaves off the stems before using. That’s easy to do, just grab the leaf from the bottom and tear the greens off the stem from the base to the tip. Although Southerners traditionally cook their mustard greens for a long time, they can be served barely wilted as in the recipe here, or steamed just until the leaves are bright green and tender, about five minutes.
For sale at local farmers markets
Vegetables: arugula, Asian greens, beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, celery, chard, collards, endive, escarole, fennel, frisee, herbs, Jerusalem artichokes, kale, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, olives, parsnips, radishes, rutabaga, spinach, spring onions, sweet potatoes, turnips, winter squash
From local reports
Javier Viera’s Mustard Greens and Bean Soup
Hands on: 10 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Serves: 6
Javier Viera, executive chef of Gilbert’s and 10th & Piedmont, sent us a recipe that would work with any number of different winter greens. The chief difference will be the cooking time to achieve tender leaves. The combination of slightly bitter winter greens with white beans is a classic. Try this with escarole or turnip greens in place of the mustard greens if you like. Serve with crusty bread to sop up all the broth.
2 tablespoons plus 6 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound mustard greens, rinsed, stems removed, chopped (about 2 bunches)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (1-ounce) piece Parmesan rind
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grated Parmesan, for garnish, if desired
In a large heavy pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add mustard greens and saute until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add broth, beans and Parmesan rind. Cover and simmer until greens are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove Parmesan rind. Season to taste and divide soup between 6 serving bowls. Drizzle each serving with 1 teaspoon olive oil, garnish with grated Parmesan and serve immediately.
Per serving: 359 calories (percent of calories from fat, 26), 26 grams protein, 48 grams carbohydrates, 12 grams fiber, 12 grams fat (1 gram saturated), trace cholesterol, 68 milligrams sodium.
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