Turnip greens, mustard greens, beet greens, kale, cabbage, collards, chard...

Towards the end of Southern Appalachian’s long growing season, as other vegetables are dying down, greens flourish, providing welcome freshness and color. 

There are more possibilities for preparation than the two extremes of spring mix salads and Southern style boiled greens. Here's a primer on how to lightly cook greens.

For all preparations:

Wash the greens. Cut or tear out the stems. Chop the stems, if you wish to eat them. You may also want to tear or cut large leaves into smaller pieces. But remember that greens shrink substantially when cooked.

Cooking times vary somewhat depending on the texture of the greens. Softer spinach takes much less time than tough kale.

Steaming:

Cover the bottom of a pot with about an inch of water. Add a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil. Add stems first, if using, then add greens. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally for just 2 or 3 minutes, or until greens are soft. Drain, flavor, and serve hot.

Sautéing:

Warm a splash of oil in a pan over medium heat. Add garlic or other flavorings and stems, if using, to the heated oil. Sauté for about a minute. Then add the greens and cook until wilted. Stir and check consistency frequently. Sautéing takes only a few minutes. 

Seasonings:
Try some of these on your greens.

Lemon juice
Garlic
Onions
Crushed red pepper
Butter
Vinegar
Soy sauce

Boiling:

To make Southern style greens, forget cautions about overcooking. Cover greens in boiling water for an hour. For truly authentic flavor, add pork fat or bacon to the water.

Salads:

Salads are best made from baby greens—little leaves that have just come up.

Recipes:

Moose's Cabbage Soup

Ingredients
3 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
2 large onions, diced
1 large head of cabbage, quartered and chopped
1 pound unpeeled potatoes, cubed
1 pound carrots, sliced
1/4 cup parsley
2 tablespoons dried oregano
Water

Optional ingredients
3-4 cups stewed tomatoes
3 cups fresh spinach leaves, washed
1 bunch celery, diced
1-2 root vegetables, diced

Method
In a GIANT soup pot, bring the stock to a boil. In a 12-inch frying pan, melt the better and saute the onions until golden, about 5 minutes. Add onions to the soup pot, along with any butter remaining in the pan. Add the remaining ingredients, including the optional ones of your choice, and cover the vegetables with water or additional stock. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are soft and the potatoes are cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste before serving. Serve with cheddar cheese or bread.

If cooking with kids at home or in a school classroom, children can chop or tear the ingredients before adding them to the soup. If the kids are too young to use a knife, they will be able to tear the cabbage easily, just be sure that their hands are clean! Kids can add lots of different types of herbs as well. One activity: Suggest several different herbs (basil, oregano, parsley, cilantro) for the recipe. Have your children or students prep (cut or tear) the herbs and then ask them to smell each herb. Next, have them vote on one or two herbs they think would be good additions! This is a fun, interactive way to involved them in flavoring the soup.