Finally, Sunday morning, October 18, we had our first freeze of the season, and it wasn’t even a hard killing one. We knew it was coming. The night before, I stripped the last of the tomatoes, picked whatever basil I wanted, grabbed some of the last autumn roses, and called the garden year finished, well except for the kale and chard which will continue until snow. No hopes for the Brussels sprouts since either my naughty dog or a deer ate them down to just naked stalks and a few lonely sprouts. When I went to bed the sky was clear and full of stars, and the chill was already settling in. You can feel it in your bones.

No more tears!

This is a full month later that what I’ve been used to most of my life in northern New England. But whatever the timing, the rituals are the same. When I was growing up, if just a light frost was forecast, mother would haul out all the extra sheets and we’d cover the tender plants like tomatoes and annual herbs and flowers. Frost usually was expected on cold clear nights with no precipitation or wind. The garden was filled with multi-colored shrouds, and they usually did their job well, covered with shimmering frost in the morning but the veggies underneath still safe. However, once in a while we’d get a hard freeze instead of a light frost and that meant tears all around. If we knew there would be a hard freeze, we’d pick all those tomatoes and deal with the green ones in various ways.

Tuck those away

First, mom would choose the very best, blemish free, nice and big and gently wrap in newspapers. She’d tuck them away in an old breadbox, check on them now and then as they very slowly ripened, switching them to the windowsill when they just started to color. We would have fresh tomatoes from the garden on the Thanksgiving table. It seemed like magic.

The rest, cleverly disguised

But most of the tomatoes were turned into green tomato relish or mincemeat for the holiday pies and filled cookies. Recipe here: Green Tomato Mincemeat. We didn’t worry about the cabbages and kale, sprouts and chard, these withstand the cold beautifully and are often sweeter after the first frosts.

A most edible family of plants

Thinking about it, I believe every part of the members of the brassica family are edible from the stalks, leaves, and florets of broccoli, greens of cauliflower, to the leaves of both kohlrabi and Brussels sprouts. The leaves of the latter two are almost always overlooked, destined for the compost heap. But, they are both sturdy, slightly bitter but not overwhelming so, and can stand up to a longer cook than say spinach. Think collards.

Eat those leaves

While all brassicas are nutritional powerhouses filled with vitamins and minerals, fiber, phytonutrients, and all kinds of components that make them beneficial to help fighting everything from heart disease and diabetes to cancer and high blood pressure, the leaves have their own special profile. While every part is nutritious, the leaves of the brassicas are generally higher in iron and calcium and vitamins C, K, and A than the stems and bulbs, but most are tossed away commercially and even in our own gardens. They are definitely worth a try if you find them, and if you don’t care for greens straight up on their own, you can always save them to grind up in smoothies and soups. That’s a lot of nutrition to toss.

A lucky find

As for kohlrabi, the greens are generally severed long before the consumer gets them, at least in regular markets, but even at farm stands we rarely see them. However, at the farmers market this week I found some beautiful bunches of both the green and purple varieties with healthy greens still attached. Two dishes for the price of one! I saved the kohlrabi bulbs for another day since they keep so well, but we feasted on the greens for dinner. If you can’t find them, just substitute collards or Swiss chard, both of which are widely available even in supermarkets and often organic as well.

This is a simple recipe with few ingredients that lets the flavor of the greens shine. The garlic gives a pleasant perfume to all, but you can omit this if you don’t like the flavor of it toasted. A minced shallot would be as delicious here, or even some leeks, or you can garnish at the end with some toasted breadcrumbs or croutons, seasoned however you like, It’s your dish.

Cheers! Do you have your glass of vinegar?

The apple cider lends a lovely little background sweetness that works well with the bitter, and the acid from the vinegar is a must. I don’t think my mother ever served a bowl of greens without some last-minute vinegar or lemon juice, and a nice sprinkle of salt, both highly recommended. Look for raw unfiltered cider vinegar with the ‘mother’ still intact. My grandmother swore by it, and took some in water with a bit of native honey every day to “keep healthy.” She lived to be quite old, so maybe there is something in that. We’re all about the ferment these days it seems, and active vinegar has been studied for its positive impact on blood sugars, gut health, and the immune system. She also ate lots of sauerkraut, another ferment. My uncle made gallons of it every year from just cabbage and salt, tucked away in a cold space to work, and they ate it almost every day all winter. He and my aunt were rarely sick. I bet you have similar stories. So often these old practices are proven to be extremely beneficial, the tried and true wisdom of the ages.

So eat your sauerkraut, drink your cider vinegar, and always save those greens from the compost if you can! You will be rewarded.

Kohlrabi Greens with Shiitake Mushrooms and Toasted Garlic

• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 3 fat garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 ½ oz. (70 g.) shiitake or favorite mushroom, sliced
• 1 bunch sturdy greens such as kohlrabi leaves or collards, ribs removed, chopped
• ¼ cup fruity apple cider
• 1 tbsp. raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Toss in the garlic and let it simmer until lightly browned. Immediately remove from the pan to a bowl to stop cooking. These will be your garnish.

Add the mushrooms to the garlic-infused oil and let them cook until browned on both sides, seasoning with a bit of salt and pepper. In the meantime, remove the ribs from the greens, chop them into desired size, and give a good rinse. While still wet, toss in with the mushrooms, they will sizzle like crazy, mix it up, add the sweet cider, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until the greens are where you want them. I thought they were perfect at six minutes, but this will depend on how you like them and which greens you use.

Remove from the heat, place in a serving bowl and sprinkle with the garlic chips and the vinegar, and a bit more salt and pepper.

“All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost. ” ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

As soon as you toss the hot greens in the pan, there will be a sizzle! Add the cider, cover immediately and steam.

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