My husband had a coworker who would call salad like this “backyard salad.” We thought that was an appropriate term even though it was meant in a semi-derogatory way. These days I couldn’t agree more: This is indeed backyard salad. But now I’m jealous I wasn’t able to grow it in my own backyard.
Lettuce
More purple stuff (wishing it was real kale though)
I love the taste of these leaves.
Bok Choy-like
Rainbow chard
Could you get through all of these greens in a week? Honestly, we can’t. It’s 5/9ths of a bushel and it overwhelms us.
Our CSA is through Tomato Mountain. Here’s what we got in week 6: Spicy greens mix (Mesclun mix), Lettuce, Red Russian Kale, Red Rain, Bok Choi, Rainbow Chard
Yep I could get through it. Saute some down and put in a quiche or a frittata to eat for breakfasts, Make a salad for lunch, sautee hardier greens in olive oil with garlic and red pepper flakes, Make a stir fry, try a cold soup, Throw some in a curry, saute, chop and add to meat balls, Make a chard gratin or spanikopita type dish. Oh the possibilities are endless.
That purple stuff IS “real kale”.
Which, funnily enough, is the same exact species that is broccoli. Yup, broccoli and kale are just different cultivars of the same plant, not two different species!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brassica_oleracea
Yup! I’m actually sort of sad that the weather’s been warm enough to push my CSA into the real “summer” veggies about two weeks early–I love my greens! Kale on pizza or marinated in lemon, salt and olive oil then mixed in with regular salad greens. I LOVE bok choy sliced thin and sauteed with onions, then served over brown rice pasta in peanut sauce. Chard I love chopped and sauteed with shallots, garlic and mushrooms with a little olive oil–my husband thought he hated chard until I started making it that way. And salad greens with a warm mustard vinaigrette is one of my favorite spring sides. Yes, oh yes, the two adults in my house can make it through our half-bushel box of greens every single week!
I’ll second the idea of cooking the greens – you’ll be amazed how quickly huge amounts of greens disappear when they’re cooked. Even lettuces can be sauteed like spinach and served over pasta.
If you’re looking for a cold-weather dish, why not try goma-ae? It’s usually made with spinach, but I’m sure you could incorporate the leafy parts of most of those greens (just cook the heartier ones first.) It takes a ton of greens to make: http://justbento.com/handbook/recipes-sides-and-fillers/blanched-spinach-soy-sauce-sesame-sauce (I love this blog for Japanese cooking, btw.)