Types of Cooking Greens

Beet greens are almost only available when attached to freshly dug beets. Beets with their greens attached are, in this writer's opinion, one of the great deals (two for one!) of buying vegetables at farmers markets. Beet greens don't stay fresh very long, so you'll need to use them within a day or two. Use them as you would chard leaves but note that the greens from red beets will stain things (including lighter vegetables) a lovely shade of pink.

Collard greens have broad leaves with solid, firm veins running through them. Traditionally collard greens are cooking an exceptionally long time, fusing the flavors of the greens with cooking aromatics or liquids.

Straight-up kale has broad, curly leaves that are a deep green color. Kale is usually cooked a long time or blanched in salted boiling water before being used to tenderize it, reduce its bitterness, and set its beautiful color.

Lacinato, black, or Dino kale is very dark green, with remarkably firm, deeply ridged leaves. This kale takes a bit longer to cook than other greens; the upside of which is that the leaves hold their shape even under long cooking times, making it a great addition to soups and stews.

Mustard greens are the greens of the mustard plant (shocking!). The leaves have a sharp, bright flavor that may just remind you of mustard seeds at their greenest and most piquant. You can mellow the flavor by blanching them in salted boiling water for a minute or two, draining, and then using. Or saute as is for a sharper flavor.

Rainbow chard it a mix of Swiss chard, red chard, and golden chard. Use it as you would any other chard, but be ware that bunches that contain red chard will bleed just as red chard does and stain lighter vegetables pink.

Red chard is like Swiss chard but with red stems and ribs. The chard-beet connection (they are extremely close relatives) really comes forward and gives red chard an earthier flavor than Swiss chard. Use as you would Swiss chard, but be ware that red chard will "bleed" a bit red and can stain lighter colored dishes and vegetables a shade of pink.

Red mustard greens are pretty much just like green mustard greens, except they have a pretty red tinge to them. Baby mustard greens are fabulous in salads, and the red ones add a lovely hue. When cooked red mustard greens lose their distinctive color as well as the sharp edge of their flavor. As with green mustard greens, you can mellow the flavor by blanching them in salted boiling water for a minute or two, draining, and then using. Or saute as is for a sharper, but still mellowed, flavor. Longer cooking leads to an increasingly mellow flavor.

Russian kale looks a lot like curly kale, but it has a bit of a red blush to it. Use it as you would kale, but be warned that it can leave a slight pink tinge to white and other lighter-colored dishes.

Spinach is the quickest cooking of the greens listed here. Unlike the other greens here, spinach is commonly eaten raw as well as cooked.

Swiss chard has very dark green leaves punctuated by bright white stems and ribs. The ribs are often cut out and used separately - either in the same recipe or for use in a different recipe. The leaves are delicious simply sautéed, the ribs require a bit more cooking and are often boiled to tenderize them before being used in gratins, casseroles, and other dishes. They can also be used much like celery, chopped and sauteed to add flavor to soups and stews.

Turnip greens are the greens of turnips (you guessed that, right?). They are a mild, easy to use green that cook quickly. Add to soups, stews, or simply saute them for a quick side dish.

• Turnip Soup With Its Greens