Cooking with spring greens

It’s spring, which means I want to eat things that are green and alive, but I also don’t want to think too hard about it. Luckily, this is the moment for overwintered greens- the ones that stuck it out through months of frost, got tougher, sweeter, and more full of whatever vitamins we’ve all been missing since November. These are greens with history, greens that have seen things. You should be eating them. We all should be.

Why Overwintered Greens Are Extra Good

Everything slows down in winter, including plant growth. Which means that by the time spring hits, these greens have spent months pulling in nutrients, developing deep, complex flavors, and generally getting their act together. The result? More vitamins, more minerals, more of that satisfying crispness that makes you want to put handfuls of leaves on everything.

Right now, our farm’s got arugula, spinach, claytonia, sorrel, and microgreens… delicate but resilient, a little wild, exactly the kind of food that makes you feel like maybe everything is about to be okay. Here’s how to use them without making a big deal about it.

Three Extremely Simple Ways to Eat These Greens:

1. Claytonia & Sorrel Citrus Salad (bright, zippy, minimal effort)

What you need:

2 cups claytonia leaves

½ cup sorrel, chopped

1 orange, segmented

¼ cup toasted almonds

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

Salt & pepper

What you do: Toss it all in a bowl. Eat it while standing in your kitchen, wondering why you don’t eat more things that taste like sunshine.

2. Sauteed Arugula & Spinach with Garlic (warm, comforting, takes about 90 seconds)

What you need:

2 cups arugula

2 cups spinach

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt & red pepper flakes

What you do: Heat the oil, add the garlic, let it sizzle for 30 seconds. Dump in the greens, stir them around until they wilt, season to taste. Put it on rice, pasta, toast, or just eat it straight from the pan.

3. Microgreens & Avocado Toast (self-explanatory, still great)

What you need:

1 slice of good bread

½ avocado, mashed

¼ cup microgreens

Drizzle of olive oil

Pinch of flaky salt

What you do: Spread the avocado on toast, throw the microgreens on top, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt. Eat immediately. Feel smug.

Show Us What You’re Cooking!

If you make something with these greens, we want to see it. We need inspiration too. Tag us on social media, tell us what you made, and we can all celebrate the fact that spring is finally here. Find us @trilliumhillfarm.