Eat your greens!

by Kim Stephens

Sometimes I crave greens. I need greens. I must have greens and nothing else will do. And a piece of hot buttered, homemade cornbread does not hurt either.
Being very picky and opinionated about my greens I will tell you one thing - if you do not like them, then you have never had good ones. I can think of several friends, all former “green haters,” that I converted with one correctly prepared meal.
So before you tell me how much you hate them, let me share a few things about one of my favorite foods to grow and why you should give them a shot.
Fall gardening is a much forgotten and sometimes overlooked season. By the time the dog days of summer have settled in and the beans start to die back we still have at least three more months of perfect gardening weather for greens; just do not wait too late to buy your seeds.
Last year I was disappointed to find that one local garden center was more in the business of selling furniture than seeds - they put all their racks away earlier in the season. I had much better luck at coops and seed companies where they still know what a fall crop is.
Most things that we consider greens are all in the Brassica family (the same as cabbages) and share some common traits. They all seem to thrive in a wide range of soils, are cold tolerant, germinate at temps around 45 degrees or higher and are ready to begin harvesting between six and 13 weeks. (Although most people agree that they taste better after a good frost.) But the best thing about them is the powerhouse of nutrition they supply.
Collards, synonymous with the South and believed to have been brought there by slaves, probably saved them from starvation; supplementing their hog and hominy diet with much needed minerals and iron. A traditional Ethiopian dish, yegomen kitfo, is made with collards and buttermilk curds, but I think I would rather save my buttermilk for cornbread. Being both heat and cold tolerant, collards may be planted in spring and fall
The only mustard that most people know comes in a jar. Second only to pepper in the world spice trade, the leaves are often under appreciated as versatile and flavorful. Young ones make a fine addition to salads and although not the most popular cooked green, a handful of mustard will brighten any pot of the others. Red mustard plants are also quite beautiful when used as an ornamental in fall pansy beds.
My personal favorite is kale. It was included in the kitchen gardens in Versailles around 1620 and was referred to as chou frise, or curly cabbage. The hardiest of them all, and also appears to be the most used by cooks of all cultures. No minestrone or white bean soup would be complete without a chiffonaud of fresh kale tossed in toward the end.
There are endless recipes using kale, but I am including my own version of the Southern green pot because I never get tired of it. You will not find any fatback in this one, but you will find lots of flavor with all the health benefits.
Planting greens is easy. Start with weed-free, well-tilled soil and sow the seeds in wide rows, according to directions on the pack, and water in well. Keeping a supply of moisture during the first few weeks until the roots are established is a good idea. Once that happens, you can relax and watch them grow.
At the end of your harvest just spade everything that remains back into the soil and let it turn into “green compost” for next Spring’s garden.

Mean Greens

1 bunch curly kale
1 clove garlic
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of red pepper flakes
3 Tbl. good olive oil
1 tsp. tamari (see note)
Pinch of raw sugar (optional)
1/3 cup water

Thoroughly wash and coarsely chop greens. In a deep pan with fitted lid warm oil over medium heat and add garlic. Cook until soft (do not brown). Add kale and red pepper and continue to toss, cooking until greens begin to wilt and brighten in color. Add sugar, tamari and water, mixing well then place lid on and steam to desired tenderness, stirring occasionally. Add salt at end if needed. Serve in a bowl with drizzle of vinegar and fresh corn bread.

Note: Do not substitute soy sauce for tamari as it is an inferior product.

Taking time off

By Kim Stephens

Throw down your shovels, take off your gloves, go wash up and put on something comfortable. For one day forget about the weeds you need to pull. Take a day off from your garden and visit some of my favorite places with nothing in mind except to have fun.
There is more to gardening than weeding, watering, planting, pruning and dreading all of the above. There’s shopping! One day of pure indulgence will leave you refreshed and reminded of why you started gardening in the first place.
I cannot begin to list all the reasons I love Stanley’s Greenhouse, but three words come to mind: friendly, knowledgeable and dependable. Like a trusted friend you go to for advice, these folks make you feel at home.
With 36,000 square feet of greenhouse space overflowing with gorgeous, well rooted plants, this is THE place I go to for annuals. My summer garden depends on their beautiful assortment of sun-loving Coleus. Outside you can shop for old-fashioned herbs, native perennials and a well rounded selection of shrubs and trees. I never liked poinsettias until I found Stanley’s. Who can resist names like “Jingle Bells” and “Marble”?
Just three minutes from downtown in South Knoxville, Stanley’s Greenhouse is easy to frequent, and that is one more reason it is my personal favorite.
Unless you are going to Clinton, Thress Nursery is not on the way to anywhere, but it is worth a trip on its own merits. If you need trees and shrubs, check out their selection of large, sturdy specimens. Be prepared to make an investment; they are not cheap. But, they have people on hand to help with these important decisions.
Their garden shop, located across the street, is a great place to buy gifts for your gardening friends. At Christmas time, they fill it with decorated trees and one-of-a-kind ornaments. I have never left empty handed.
If you are after a fresh-cut Christmas tree next season, go to McMahans on Chapman Highway just inside Seymour. My husband and I went there for our first Christmas together and have been going back ever since. After we picked our tree out, a nice man trimmed, wrapped and loaded it while we went inside to pay “Mama.” I love family-owned businesses!
They close after the holiday and reopen in spring. That is a good time to peruse their greenhouse and outdoor nursery. I bought my witch hazels there, as well as Exbury azaleas, two of the best plants in my garden.
When I say “daylily,” you probably think of the common orange variety that blooms along roadsides and is notorious for taking over flowerbeds. Think again. Oakes Daylilies has been in business for over 40 years and has grown over 4,000 types at their farm in Corryton.
I used to see their ads in better gardening magazines, but until I read about their annual Daylily Festival, I did not know they were a local company. In 2006, people from 35 states attended the festival. I placed my order at the event, and two weeks later beautiful plants with roots the size of my fingers arrived, well labeled and ready to go in the ground.
Don’t buy daylilies until you have seen their catalogue. Call to request one, and ask about open garden dates to visit.
For the ultimate day off, take a drive to Asheville, N.C. to visit Jesse Israel and Sons Nursery. They are across the street from the Farmer’s Market at Exit 47 on Interstate 40. I never know what I will find there, but I always buy something. On my last visit I spotted a plant in the nursery from 30 feet away and could not believe my eyes. Just months before I had seen this plant in a garden in Washington, D.C. and had spoken to the horticulturist about it. “Practically a perfect plant,” she said. “Try to get the ‘Improved’ one, and it won’t get quite so large.”
I had given up on ever finding one, but Jesse Israel and Sons had several to choose from at a decent price. My Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum ‘Improved’ made the trip well worth it. They also carry many hard to find herbs, especially medicinals from Sandy Mush Farms and other organically grown choices.
To complete your adventure, take a left onto Brevard Road as you exit and go about three miles. When you see the Blue Ridge Parkway entrance ramp, look for the North Carolina Arboretum sign and entrance. There you will find lovely garden walks to stretch your legs before driving home as well as the most elegant bonsai garden I have ever seen.
Happy trails!