Spring Greens

Don’t let the name mislead you, Spring greens are actually ready long before blossom and bulbs appear: we usually start harvesting ours in the new year. They are a loose-leafed type of cabbage, wilder in genealogy than tightly packed types and more tolerant of freezing conditions. 
Their leaves retain their integrity more than easily yielding greens like spinach, so they are comparable to Cavolo nero kale in that sense, and similarly useful in soups like minestrone or as ‘crispy seaweed’ (actually cabbage fried with sea salt and brown sugar). As they are milder in flavour, injecting a freshness to meals that speaks of the season ahead, any leftovers won’t overpower your bubble and squeak and while it’s not revolutionary to suggest sweating them down then loading them up next to your Shepherd’s pie or casserole, it sure is delicious.