New Greens at the Greenmarket

One of the things that makes Kira Kenney so fascinating as a farmer is her propensity to introduce crazy new greens to the Market. She insists Evolutionary Organics, her farm up in New Paltz, benefits from a wide variety of greens because she’s a curious person with an affinity to biodiversity (awww!).  But I think it’s part of her master plan–and brilliant knack–for capturing the hearts, minds and kitchens of downtown New York City. The latest to hit the stand is shiso (kira-and-shiso.jpg), a Japanese herb you can use for teas, cooking and growing on your fire escape; and a Peruvian vegetable that looks like broccoli but, with its fat little florets and smaller, softer leaves, makes for a succulent side dish with some of the Market’s fresh spring garlic. The chefs from Gramercy Tavern, after buying $200 worth of garlic scapes, tried a few bites and decreed it delicious. Even Peter from Savoy in SOHO took a few nibbles. At the end of the day, we’d sold it all, and a few hundred people had met a new plant!

Other notable newbies include “Eight Ball”zucchini (eight-ball-zucchini.jpg–good for everything zucchini is good for, plus stuffing with rice and herbs!), and red sorrel (red-sorrel.jpg), a ruby-streaked version of the same lemony, juicy salad favorite. Just like purple carrots (soon!), trying new versions of old vegetables is awesome for my three favorite things: you, our wee pollinators, and the soil itself. Hip Hip for plant diversity!