Keen for Greens: What’s New at the Greenmarkets

Has the lack of greens been making you feel blue? Us, too. So to whet our appetites for the arrival of all that luscious fresh spring produce (any day now!), we asked Jeanne Hodesh of Greenmarkets to give us the lowdown on what’s available at the markets right now.

To tide you over until the real spring greens arrive, try some broccoli rabe, kale and collards that have been sweetening in the ground all winter. There’s also plenty of arugula, chives and baby spinach around, as well as greenhouse greens like mizuna and mustard greens.

You may have read on our very own pages about the beauty of ramps, which are gradually appearing in the markets and on our plates. Jeanne recommends roasting them in olive oil and a little salt until they turn into ramp ‘fries’. Delicious!

While we’re waiting for asparagus and rhubarb to arrive (rumor has it the former has made some cameo appearances at a few markets already, but the latter is still a month or so away) there are sweet pea tendrils and bundles of fresh herbs. And if you look carefully you might even find stinging nettles, watercress and peppercress. Happy hunting!

Jeanne Hodesh

Jeanne Hodesh is a Brooklyn-based writer, eater, Greenmarket regular, and home cook. She grew up in the kitchen of her parent’s bed and breakfast on the Penobscot Bay in Maine where she squeezed fresh orange juice and fell in love with the rhythm of restaurants. An only child who used to amuse herself by telling tales, she always knew she wanted to write. She studied at Sarah Lawrence College, and upon graduation dove into the media-happy town that is New York City. After a year working for an art magazine company she realized people in the food industry have much more fun and always know where the parties are. She has written for Saveur, Edible Brooklyn, Edible Manhattan, Edilble East End, and Time Out New York. She started the e-newsletter Local Gourmands in the winter of 2008.

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