Local chefs and growers are rediscovering some great leafy veggies.

They come in all shapes and sizes and have mysterious sounding names, and often more than just one. They can be slightly scary looking and have been known to intimidate some Midwesterners, who believe that corn and potatoes are the only vegetables. They are the skinny, bulbous, spiky, voluptuous, multi-colored members of the Brassicaceae, Cruciferae, Compositae and Chenopodiaceae families that increasingly populate produce departments, farmer’s markets and restaurant menus in an amazing display of diversity. Many are varieties which some of us are discovering for the first time. They are the leafy greens that, for the culinarily curious, can add a powerful punch to any flavor repertoire.

Generally speaking, these botanical clans also pack a nutritional wallop and can be excellent sources of Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and many antioxidants.

But even those whose palette of greens goes way beyond canned spinach may have managed to ignore the conspicuous presence of these exotic beauties, gifts from a global variety of ethnic backgrounds.

Food lovers who reside in the year-round garden that is the Central Coast may well be seduced out of their comfort zone to find themselves in the kitchen, faced with a whole new culinary experience. One that, without a little research, might include some head-scratching as they try to figure out what exactly they‘ve gotten into.

Kikuna, gai lan, quin cai, pak choi—also known as chrysanthemum greens, Chinese broccoli, Chinese celery and bok choy, respectively. Along with mizuna, mibuna and komatsuna—these just some of the leafy line-up of Asian greens to have found a new home on some American tables. Another newcomer is broccolini, or Chinese broccoli—a brand name trademarked by one of its major growers, Mann Packing Company of Salinas. With slim, elegant stalks and a delicate flavor, broccolini wins favor with many chefs also because it presents so well on the plate, after just a quick dip into salted, boiling water followed by shocking it in an ice bath to stop the cooking and retain the bright green color.

In the history of Monterey County, broccoli is big news. Another Salinas company, D’Arrigo Brothers, pioneered broccoli as we’ve most often come to know it in this country. Their bright pink, smiling Andy Boy label is the caricature of Andrew D’Arrigo, the son of Stefano Sr., who discovered broccoli raab growing wild in the fields. Remembering it from his native Sicily, he first introduced it to cultivation back in the 1930s, then bred it to the broccoli which is known and loved today.

Chef John Pisto, owner of the Whaling Station, Domenico’s and Blue Moon restaurants, and star of Monterey’s Cookin’, Pisto Style, calls himself a “crusader” for modern broccoli’s lesser parent, the mustardy, bitey, robustly flavored broccoli raab.

“Broccoli raab is completely underutilized,” Pisto says. “Most people don’t even know what it is. It gives such a contrast of flavor and texture that marries so well with meat, and pork dishes especially. Like the classic Italian sausage and white beans. You don’t have to blanch it. Just chop it up and throw it in the pan with some olive oil, anchovies, black and white pepper and give it a quick sauté. Put the cover over it and let it steam a little with the grilled sausages. With the white beans, you’ve got yourself a dish!”

Broccoli raab and many other uncommon greens can be found three days a week at five different Monterey County farmers’ markets—downtown Monterey and at Monterey Peninsula College; downtown Salinas and at Northridge Mall; and in Marina on Reservation Road. A stroll through any of these venues may entice adventuresome cooks into a frolic with varieties of produce that would have, just a few years ago, been largely uncharted.

Also known to be the playground of professional cooks, farmer’s markets feature growers who can explain what sort of leafy creature it is you’re buying (also don’t hesitate to ask the shopper you spot loading up several bags).

Isareeya Johnson relies on the farmer’s market to keep her restaurant, Amarin Thai on Cannery Row, well-supplied with the cilantro, mint and purpley, green Thai basil that are staples of her cuisine.

“The Thai basil is different from other kinds,” she says, “with a stronger flavor and aroma. I find my lemongrass here, too, and the Chinese broccoli. It’s similar to regular broccoli, but again, it has a different flavor.”

Known also as Chinese kale, with white buds that have a cabbage-like taste, slim stalks and deep green, leathery leaves that are reminiscent of collard greens, the smaller plants are more tender, Chef Isareeya says. But, as with conventional broccoli, larger stalks may be peeled before chopping up the whole thing, leaves and all. Quickly stir-fried with garlic and ginger, she serves it at Amarin Thai along with grilled sea bass.

Stroll further through these festival-like, open air markets and you’ll notice mache, sorrel, upland cress, chards, mustard greens, collard greens, baby leeks and any number of specialty salad greens, much of which may come from nearby grower merchants like the certified organic Four Sisters Farm in Aromas and Happy Boy Farms in Gilroy and Watsonville.

MPC Farmers’ Market Manager Catherine Barr notes the rising interest in unique and lesser-known varieties of produce.

“While there is a steady following from the Asian, Filipino and Indian communities, we’re also seeing other people trying things maybe for the first time, just for the purpose of experimenting,” she says, “mainly because of their own increased exposure.”

Just reading the product ID on a bag of baby salad greens could dramatically increase your leafy greens vocabulary. But becoming fluent can get confusing, since more than a dozen or so varieties of lettuces, red kale, bok choy, spinach, arugula and chard can make up a typical mix. Click on “Our Produce” at www.earthboundfarms.com and help is on the way.

It’s the Web site of Earthbound Farms, Carmel Valley’s super success story and the largest grower of organic produce in the US. Roll your mouse over a display of salad greens in their “Mixed Baby Greens Chart“ and get an instantaneous pop-up identification read-out. Sign up for one of the farm stand’s regularly scheduled Harvest Walks lead by Farm Manager Mark Marino, and you’ll come away with a lot more produce savvy. “Our climate here on the Central Coast is ideal for all these many types of greens,” says Marino, “meaning that they can be grown year round.” Chef Walks are another one of their featured Saturday Events, where you may pose your cooking queries to both local and nationally known chef celebrities.

You might learn, for instance, that some of the same of the most delicate baby greens—unparalleled in flavor by just a splash of your favorite vinaigrette—can become chest-beatingly assertive when allowed to mature. Pink, gold, orange, red and green varieties of chard go into Earthbound’s Braising Mix along with several varieties of kale: dinosaur, red peacock white peacock, green and purple kale. Along with other hearty greens like mustard, turnip and collard greens, this mix can stand up well to a long, slow simmer.

Ingrid Rohrer, chef at the farm stand’s Organic Kitchen, likes to roast hearty greens in the oven, tossed with olive oil, some chopped shallots and seasoned with salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer on a sheet pan and roasted at 375 degrees until they crisp, they deliver a savory, flavorful crunch that is a perfect accompaniment for almost any entrée. She also suggests blanching and layering any of this variety of greens in lasagna or polenta, much in the same way that spinach is commonly used.

Brandon Miller, chef of Monterey’s Stokes Restaurant offers an easy rule of thumb. “Wimpier greens are better consumed raw, as in salads. Sturdier greens stand up better to cooking.

“I like to layer several kinds of sautéed chard throughout a savory bread pudding,” he says. With a little imagination, an altogether different visual and flavor component can result from experimenting with different varieties.

Tender, bittersweet rocket is another leafy green that is showing up on menus in a host of guises. Better known as arugula—although no one seems to know where the word originated—it has a flavor that can hold its own, whether sautéed as a vegetable accompaniment to a main course, wilted and tossed into pasta or roasted on pizza. At Bernardus Lodge, Chef Cal Stamenov pureés tender, young arugula to a make a piquant, bright green sauce, in much the same way that basil becomes pesto.

Part of the chicory family, bright ruby-hued radicchio has gained popularity among chefs for the bright splash of color it imparts, as well as its crunchy, assertive character. The world’s largest grower of radicchio, European Vegetable Specialties Farm in Salinas, has helped to create a market stronghold for this Italian favorite. Known for keeping its crunch, it is not only popular as part of a salad mix, but drizzled with olive oil and roasted or grilled, as Chef Stamenov is fond of, and served as a foil for goat cheese.

Digesting all the “new” types of produce and their applications may take a little time. But it’s clear that locals can lose the canned spinach; becoming more food-adventurous is all too easy here.

KNOW YOUR GREENS

Japanese Greens

Mizuna —Feathery and decorative as a garnish with spiky, pointed leaves and a mustardy flavor. Mature greens are best to consume sautéed or stir fried.

Mibuna —Milder and sweeter than mizuna, with sorrel-shaped, rounded leaves, best used in

salads.

Komatsuna —Sometimes called mustard spinach or Tendergreen, with large oval leaves and spinach-like stalks. Mild and juicy, similar in flavor to bok choy and spinach.

Other Greens

Mache —Better known to gardeners as corn salad or lamb’s lettuce, it grows in small, compact bunches and has a mild, sweet flavor. Best used as a salad green, lightly dressed.

Sorrel —Its tart, acidic flavor is common to its several shapes and varieties. With a citrus-like flavor, it does well mixed with other milder greens in salads. Wilted and pureéd, mellowed with cream, it makes an elegant sauce for seafood.

Endive —With curly, feathery leaves and a pale yellow to dark green color. Because of its bitter nature, it is best used sparingly in salads and is delicious wilted in hot dressings.

Escarole —Another type of endive with broader, flatter leaves, excellent in soups.

Frisee —Curly endive, usually harvested at a petite stage. Popular in salad mixes and as a frilly plate garnish.

Belgian Endive —With pale yellow or red-tipped leaves, their long, elegant shape makes this a popular crudité item, perfect for holding any number of savory fillings. Also holds up well to long braising.