Health & Fitness
Ohitashi Japanese Spinach—Yum!
Garden Angels Produce Cooperative offers a not-so-common treat, and a free friendly exchange.
Back in December we basked in the glory of a huge seedlings donation from our Garden Angel member and friend of the VA Gardens, Bob. He dropped off a van-load of various flats containing plants ready to go into the soil. Our participants for that month were able to take entire flats of produce for planting . It was an experience of abundance that was a gift in itself within the season.
One of the beautiful greens was the one that remained anonymous until just recently. That's because the flats arrived with only one tag/stick per flat, and this particular one was very difficult to read in the gardener’s unique handwriting!
The members would ask, “What is this called again?” And I would answer, “All I know is it’s a Japanese spinach-like leafy green that starts with an “O”. It became quickly apparent this particular gem was unidentifiable without great research.
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However, thanks to my friend Peggy Morgan and her determination to find its rightful owner, we can now put a name to the face of the veggie and take off the ‘Jane Doe’ label: It’s a Japanese spinach called Ohitashi. It may not be easy to pronounce, but Peggy shares that it’s very simple to cook. “This Japanese spinach doesn't need anything except a little salt. Deeeelicious! Smooth and buttery with a nutty flavor—it kicks spinach's butt!”
So if you were one of the handful of Angels that received this wonderful gift from the universe through the Garden Angels Free Produce Exchange during the month of December, you may be preparing to enjoy the fruits of your contribution now since this is growing vivaciously in personal and community gardens throughout Long Beach and surrounding areas.
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Enjoy, and feel free to share your recipes!
If you would like to be join the Garden Angels Produce Cooperative, we’re having our next exchange on Saturday, March 2. You’re welcome to send me an email at gardenangelscooperative@yahoo.com saying you’d like to become a member and receive an invitation for the March Exchange. If you’d like, let me know what you grow too!
Hope to hear from you!