first fruits
Well, first leaves, properly. Not to rehash that old discussion about what, precisely, constitutes a vegetable: we don't want to start talking about tomatoes again! So to get to the point, we had our first harvest today and ate it with dinner: a fine bunch of collard greens. Even better, I didn't have to plant them, because they sprang spontaneously from last year's crop. Oona tells me they'll do that. It gave them a great head start on their way into the pot!
How do we cook collard greens, you ask? I never boil them as much as the authorities suggest, especially good fresh young greens like these. Instead, I just sauté a clove or two of garlic in a little oil, de-stem the greens and chop them into inch-think (or so) strips, rinse them, and toss them in. The water clinging to the leaves, plus the small quantity of oil, is plenty of moisture, at least as long as you keep stirring things up. Then add a little tobasco and some pepper, and there you are! Delicious!