The leaves aren't all that huge. I thing they pick them relatively young. Here's an excerpt from the email that followed the first delivery of spreen, along with their recipe. The picture is from their garden, growing right next to spinach.
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Spreen: The Mystery Salad Green
What the heck is Spreen?
You may have noticed an unusual salad leaf in your mix. Well, that mystery green is Magenta Spreen! Magenta Spreen (also known as tree spinach) is a hearty, spinach-like salad green with iridescent pink colouring at the leaf base. (The coloring can fade when it is washed.) We like to think of it as the progeny of spinach and a disco...and we're pretty excited to share it with you! Part of what we love to cultivate in ourselves (and perhaps share with you too!) is an appreciation for diversity in the garden and on our plates. On the farm, cultivating diverse plant species plays an integral part in controlling pests without the use of pesticides. Spreen is also rich in iron as well a several vitamins. Check out the recipe below for a cooking idea and please let us know what you think about Spreen!
Be well and eat well,
Recipe of the Week
Magenta Spreen Patties
(serves two)
Ingredients
1 cup chickpea or yellow pea flour
1½ tsp curry powder or cumin
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 cups finely chopped magenta spreen, loosely packed down
2 tablespoons grated onion
water, if needed
Oil (coconut or olive) for frying
Whisk dry ingredients together. Add greens and grated onion.Mix to a very thick, dry batter. If necessary, add just enough water, a few drops, to moisten the mixture and get it to hold together.Heat 1 cm of oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-high heat.Mould the patties into small cakes and drop them into the hot oil.When golden brown on the underside, turn each patty and fry on the other side.Serve with relish or yoghurt.
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