Spring-time is here and this premiere issue of Tasting in Tongues reminds me of a garden filled with seedlings emerging fresh from the soil. Some of the earliest and easy-to-grow crops include greens, which is the topic of this issue. Greens and micro-greens are available fresh year-round, but there's something about spring-time that makes them a bit more appealing to me. To me, it is a life-affirming act to go to the newly reopened farmer's market in the spring and purchase a bag of locally grown greens that were cut just a few hours before. I love to inhale the earthy, peppery aroma and imagine what I should lay upon this fine bed of satiny greens for my celebratory feast. Will it be salmon with shiitake mushrooms, chicken tagine, or a mixture of quickly sautéed fresh peas, red and yellow peppers, and parmesan curls?

This first blog entry is a quick "Greens 101" primer. There are many types of greens on the market, and some people get lost when they venture out beyond iceberg lettuce and spinach. The article describes what is out there and what to do with it. If your schedule doesn't allow for a lot of preparation time, salads are a perfect way to incorporate nutritious ingredients into a fast and easy-to-make meal. The next blog entry (Salad "Translations") helps you turn (or "saladize") some of your favorite dishes into salads.

The term "greens" is a very broad term that generally refers to the leaf parts of many garden plants. Some greens are best eaten raw, as part of a salad, while others are best cooked. A friend of mine recently told me that while she knew some simple greens facts like "iceberg lettuce is not very good cooked", and "Swiss chard is not very good raw", she would have absolutely no idea what to do with some greens like broccoli raab. She suggested that I write a "Greens 101". Ruth, this one's for you.

Before we get to the grid below that explains what to do with each type of green, remember that these are only my suggestions. While I agree with Ruth that iceberg lettuce is not very good cooked, and that Swiss chard is not very good raw, these are only preferences and many may disagree. It is a big country out there, and a huge world beyond that. I love how many people, including myself, squirm when we see television shows about people in other countries eating grubs or other foods that we consider "deviant". Yet we think nothing about eating a hamburger that is the ground meat of some other culture's sacred cow. So, if someone you know likes hot lettuce, cut them a little slack.

Common/Alternate Names	Ideas for Using
Arugula (Eruca, Rocket, Rugola, Roquette)	Raw - mixed with other greens or by itself. It is very good with a parmesan curls and a dressing of olive oil and fresh lemon juice. Can be used to make pesto. Cooked - Arugula is tender, so it is best added to a dish toward the end of the cooking time. Try it sautéed with red peppers, pine nuts, calamata olives, feta, and olive oil. There are many recipes available on the internet that feature arugula.
"Baby" greens (this refers to any edible green that is picked when it is young and tender)	Raw -Generally, baby greens are very tender and are best served as a salad ingredient. Cooked -Sometimes when I cook with spinach, I find it easier to use baby spinach instead, because I don't need to remove the stems. The flavor of baby greens, however, is not usually as pronounced as their "adult" namesakes, so if your recipe demands a real spinach flavor (e.g. spanakopita) I would not use baby spinach.
Beet Greens	Raw - mixed with other greens or by themselves. Try serving them with orange slices and a raspberry vinaigrette. Cooked -Steam baby beet greens and sprinkle with white or malt vinegar, salt, and pepper. Cook mature beet greens in classic collard-green fashion - with bacon (just enough for flavor), onions, and garlic.
Belgian Endive (Witloof)	Raw -This is a very flexible green, or should I say "yellow"? Its pale yellow color and tenderness comes from being grown in the dark. You can chop the head of the Belgian endive head lightly into a crunchy salad (how about mixing in pecans, dried cranberries and feta?) OR you can use the whole leaves for hors d'oeuvres - place a dollop of chèvre (goat cheese), followed by a chunk of fresh fig, topped off with a splash of balsamic reduction. To make a sweet balsamic reduction, bring a cup of balsamic vinegar to a simmer, and continue simmering until reduced by half. The result is a thick and sweet version of the vinegar that complements fruit and cheese very well. Cooked - A nice textural addition to au gratin recipes. Can be used in a wide range of recipes including soups, casseroles, and stir-fries.
Broccoli Raab (broccoli rabe, rapini)	Raw -I don't recommend it Cooked -Broccoli Raab is a very versatile vegetable that is found in many Italian recipes for its slightly bitter flavor (I don't happen to find it bitter at all, but some people find it very bitter.) A classic way to eat broccoli raab is sautéed with golden raisins, pine nuts, and crushed red pepper.
Butterhead (Buttercrunch)	Raw -mixed with other greens or by itself. Butterhead leaves make a fantastic edible wrapper for many appetizers, whether it is a dollop of hummus with shredded carrots or a fish taco. Also makes a perfect bed for fruitier salads, like beet and orange salad. Its mild flavor lends a subtle background note when added to sandwiches. Cooked - I don't recommend it
Collard Greens ("Mess o' greens")	Raw - I don't recommend it Cooked - Steam it, sautee it, serve it with rice and black-eyed peas, boil with ham hocks in classic Southern style.
Curly Endive	Raw - I will include Frisee in with Curly endive, as both are relatives in the Chicory genus, and both have curly bitter leaves used in fresh salads. Cooked - I don't recommend it
Dandelion Greens	Raw - This noxious weed is also a very nutritious salad green. Its slightly bitter flavor is similar to curly endive. The origin of the name is said to be from the French phrase that describes the tooth-like shape of the leaves - "les dents de lion" (the teeth of the lion). Cooked - Can be added to soups, stir-fries and casseroles.
Escarole	Raw - a less-bitter relative of curly endive and Belgian endive Cooked - wonderful in casseroles and soups with legumes such as cannellini beans and chick peas
Iceberg Lettuce	Raw - mixed with other greens or by itself. Perfect after a string of fast-food or processed meals, when you're craving something real and crunchy. Lean grilled steak tips, with cherry tomatoes and a bleu cheese vinaigrette are a perfect topping. Cooked - although I've been seeing Iceberg lettuce in hot sandwiches more commonly as of late, my personal preference is to eat it raw. It is mostly water and disappears into nothingness when heated in any way.
Kale	Raw - I don't recommend it, unless it is used as a garnish for display purposes. Cooked - I LOVE KALE! One of my favorite ways to enjoy it is chopped and added to home-made chicken soup. Another soup that features its earthy, mineral-rich flavor is German Kale and Potato Soup. Try steaming it like spinach, and topping it off with cider vinegar, and salt and pepper.
Mache (corn salad, lamb's lettuce, field lettuce)	Raw -Mache's flavor in salad is very mild. Its popularity comes from its ability to survive very late into the cold weather, and to begin growing very early in the spring. Cooked - I don't recommend it
Oakleaf Lettuce	Raw - mixed with other greens or by itself. More often than not it is found mixed with other greens, such as in mesclun mix. Cooked - I personally don't recommend it. There are recipes out there for braised oakleaf lettuce, stuffed oakleaf lettuce leaves, etc., but I think the closest I would come to cooking it is laying it down on a plate as a bed for a piece of roasted or grilled meat.
Red Leaf Lettuce (or Green)	Raw - mixed with other greens or by itself. Like Butterhead and Bibb lettuce, red leaf and green leaf lettuce can be used for appetizers as an edible "plate" or wrapper. Cooked - I don't recommend it
Romaine (Cos)	Raw - mixed with other greens or by itself. Famed for its part as the delicate yet crunchy component of Caesar Salad. Cooked - I don't recommend it
Spinach	Raw - mixed with other greens or by itself. I love spinach mixed with sliced button mushrooms, chopped hard-boiled egg (small amount), cooked and crumbled bacon (small amount), red onion, and a Dijon mustard/raspberry vinaigrette. Cooked - Although spinach has a tendency to wilt almost immediately with heat, it maintains its delicate flavor even with long cooking times. Try it in a frittata, spanakopita, with roasted vegetables in a vegetarian lasagna, omelets, soups, stews, etc. Also try it "Popeye-style" - well, maybe not out of the can, but steam some up and top with a little olive oil (no pun intended), salt and pepper.
Swiss Chard	Raw - I don't recommend it Cooked - Swiss chard can be used like spinach or kale (its cooking time is more like kale than spinach however). If you use Swiss chard with red stems and intend to mix it with other foods in a dish, keep in mind that the red color will bleed into the overall dish. Depending on what dish it is, that may have undesirable visual results. Some people prefer to eat only the leafy parts of the plant. I prefer to eat the whole plant. When I bring it home from the store I cut off and discard the very end of the stems, separate the stems from the leafy parts, and cut the stems into bite-sized pieces. I cook the stem pieces for a few minutes before I add the leaves. Very little waste and more fiber.
Watercress	Raw - mixed with other greens or by itself. For fans of peppery flavor, try mixing watercress with arugula, and balancing it out with grilled vegetables, Jarlsberg cheese, and a sweet balsamic vinaigrette. Cooked - can be added to soups and casseroles. If you want to maintain its peppery bite, add it to the dish shortly before serving. Great in frittatas.

In addition to the individual greens listed above, there are countless mixes available. Mesclun mix is a very common salad mix that typically includes greens such as arugula, oak leaf, curly endive, frisee, and baby greens, among others. There are some really excellent Asian salad mixes as well. Explore some prepared mixes, or make some of your own.

Micro-greens are getting a lot more air-play in recipes and on menus of finer restaurants. First, let's start with a definition. Micro-greens are very young plants, grown from a wide assortment of seeds, that are harvested later than sprouts but earlier than "baby greens". For some types, that means harvesting before the 1st set of true leaves appears. The types of seeds that can be used for micro-greens includes the typical salad greens, plus beets, Swiss chard, onions, alfalfa, sunflower, beans, garlic, radish, kale, snow peas, bok choi, amaranth, celery, mizuna, kohlrabi, mustard, fennel, etc.

The magic of micro-greens comes from the flavor and nutritional punch they pack for such a small package, as well as the ease of growing indoors in a small amount of space with minimal tools and supplies.

As you can see, the world of greens is huge, with many different flavors and uses. Give some of them a try.