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In the United States, mustard greens are consumed mainly in the South, where they grow well in the mild winters. Some people find mustard greens a little too assertive in flavor, but they are a favorite in my household.

Mustard greens are available in a number of different varieties. They range in color from emerald green to deep purple, and the leaves may be crumpled or flat, with toothed, scalloped, frilled, or lacy edges.

The flavor of mustard greens is best when the crop is grown in cool weather; hot, dry weather enhances the peppery bite. As the plant grows, you can snap off individual leaves, leaving the growing tip to produce replacements. Leaves of 3 to 4 inches in length are tender enough to use in salads. The plant will continue to grow even when exposed to light frosts.

Availablity

Mustard greens are found in the fall and early spring in northern climates. They are found from January through April in the South.

Storage

The best storage for mustard until the first heavy frost is in the garden. Once harvested, mustard greens should be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. They should keep fresh for 3 to 4 days.

How to Buy

Like other greens, mustard greens are sold in bunches, and the bunches vary in weight. Figure you will need to buy about ½ pound per serving. Avoid leaves that are limp, yellowed, or browned.

Preparation

Wash well. The curly leaves may harbor grit and insects. Remove the tough stems before cooking: Grasp the end of the stem with one hand. Run the thumb and index finger of your other hand right along the stem, ripping off the leaf.

Cooking Ideas

You can enjoy mustard greens steamed, blanched, sautéed, stir-fried, and even roasted. They can be used interchangeably in recipes calling for kale or collards. They are best matched with assertive flavors, such as soy sauce, garlic, and bacon.

Mustard Greens Math

1 pound mustard greens = about 12 cups lightly packed = 1¼ to 1½ cups cooked

The Onion Family

UNLESS YOU HAVE A WINDOW BOX providing you with year-round fresh herbs, chances are that once the garden has been put to bed and the farmers’ markets are shuttered, the vegetables in the Onion family—garlic, leeks, onions, and shallots—provide the flavor underpinnings for most of the dishes you cook.

Garlic and onions are pretty heady vegetables, but you can get a whisper of their flavors by cooking with shallots or leeks instead. The onion family, then, provides a range of intensity from mild to strong. And, with the exception of leeks, these vegetables can be stored in a cool, dry spot. How convenient!

Garlic

Garlic is thought to have originated in central Asia, and its cultivation dates back at least as far as the Egyptians, who believed that the bulb strengthened the body and prevented disease. Nicholas Culpeper’s The Complete Herbal, published in England in 1652, credited garlic with healing the bites of mad dogs and venomous snakes, ridding children of worms, and curing ulcers.

Scientific research has since substantiated some of these claims. For example, in 1858 French chemist Louis Pasteur described garlic’s antibacterial properties after observing that bacteria he exposed to the bulb died. Subsequent research has also shown that garlic can guard against blood clots and high blood pressure and may have a role in cancer prevention.

It may be the cure for whatever ails you, but it does cause a strong odor on the breath, which explains why garlic was shunned by cooks in the United States in the nineteenth century. It was only with the popularity of French and Italian cooking in this country, that the variously called “truffle of Provence,” “stinking rose,” and “Bronx vanilla” gained complete acceptance.

There are more than 600 cultivars of garlic representing a range of flavor from mild to hot. When you find a type of garlic you like, grow some. Although there are cultivars for different climates, if you can grow your own seed garlic, it will adapt to conditions