The oyster mushroom gets its name from its cap which, some say, resembles an oyster. The stem of the oyster mushrooms is perhaps more distinct; it unfurls something like one of those old-time paper lady's fans. The oyster mushroom has...

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Chinese Vegetables: Warm-Season Varieties

Chinese vegetables, sometimes called Oriental vegetables, favored in Chinese and Asian cooking are easy to grow. They are tasty, vigorous, and highly adaptable. Most are fast growing and suitable for small gardens and containers.

Chinese vegetables can generally be broken into three groups: those easy to grow in temperate regions with cool and cold winters, those that require higher temperatures and long-growing seasons--sub-tropical plants, and, finally, a small group of water vegetables, tubers, and herbs.

Like other vegetable crops, Chinese vegetables can be divided into warm-season and cool-season growing crops. Here are common warm-season Chinese vegetables. For cool-season varieties see the article: Chinese Vegetables: Cool-Season Varieties

Warm-season Chinese vegetables:

Vegetable amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus for seed/ Amaranthus tricolor for leaf). Amaranthus tricolor also known as Chinese spinach, edible amaranth, hiyu, and callaloo. Cook greens like spinach. Sow in spring; can be grown in summer. Sensitive to frost; germinates best in warm soil. Sow ¼ inch, row 18 inches apart. Greens ready in 50 days; 100 days for seed. Try varieties: Red Stripe Leaf, Tender Leaf, All Red.

Arrowhead (Sagittaria sagittifolia). Also called Chinese arrowhead, swamp potato, and kuwai. The tubers of arrowhead are eaten; bitter when raw but full-flavored like a nutty sweet potato when cooked. Roast, or boil like a potato. Best grown in boggy soil set about 3 to 6 inches below the surface of the water; leave room for root to grow. Harvest tubers all season long. Store for winter in water garden that will not freeze.

Adzuki bean (Vigna angularis). Also know as aduki bean or red beans and in Japan as azuki. A sweeter flavor than most beans. Young beans can be served like snow peas after brief cooking. Puree after simmering dry beans. Cook dried beans like navy beans--just simmer about 40 minutes until tender. Sow ½ inch deep; sow 2 to 3 inches apart in rows 24 inches apart; no need to thin. For green beans harvest when beans just begin to show in pod; for dried beans allow to mature, about 120 days.

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Spinach Growing Problems: Troubleshooting

Grow spinach in cool weather. Sow spinach in the garden as early as the ground can be worked in spring. Make succession sowings every 10 days for a continuous harvest of young tasty leaves. Continue sowing spinach until just a few weeks before the start of summer. Sow spinach again in late summer for a cool fall harvest. In mild winter regions, sow spinach in autumn for spring harvest.

For spinach growing tips see How to Grow Spinach or Spinach Growing Success Tips at the bottom of this post.

Here are common spinach growing problems with cures and controls:

Seedlings fail to emerge; poor germination. Seed sown too shallow. High temperatures or dry conditions will cause seed to dry and fail to germinate. Sow seed in cool weather. Keep soil evenly moist to allow for germination.

Plants are eaten or cut off near soil level. Cutworms are gray grubs ½- to ¾-inch long that can be found curled under the soil. They chew stems, roots, and leaves. Place a 3-inch paper collar around the stem of the plant. Keep the garden free of weeds; sprinkle wood ash around base of plants.

Seeds rot or seedlings collapse with dark water-soaked stems as soon as they appear. Damping off is a fungus that lives in the soil, particularly where humidity is high. Do not plant in cold, moist soil. Make sure soil is well drained.

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How to Grow Spinach

Spinach is a cool-season annual. Sow spinach indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last average frost date in spring. Sow spinach outdoors or set out transplants 4 weeks before the last average frost date. In mild-winter regions, grow spinach in late summer or early autumn for harvest in autumn or winter.

Description. Spinach is a cool-season annual grown for its leaves. Spinach forms a rosette of dark green leaves that can be flat or crinkled (savoy leaf spinach).

How to prepare and cook spinach: click here.

Yield. Plant 15 plants per household member.

Site. Plant spinach in loamy soil rich in organic matter that is well-drained with a pH of 6.0 to 6.8. Grow spinach in full sun or partial shade in warm regions. Spinach is hardy and thrives in cool weather; ideal spinach weather is 50°F to 70°F. Warm weather and long days will cause spinach to bolt or go to seed.

Planting time. Spinach is a cool-season annual. Sow spinach indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last average frost date in spring. Sow spinach outdoors or set out transplants 4 weeks before the last average frost date. In mild-winter regions, grow spinach in late summer or early autumn for harvest in autumn or winter. Plant succession crops of spinach every 2 to 3 weeks. Refrigerate seeds 1 week before sowing to help germination.

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Spinach Planting

Spinach is well suited for the spring and autumn gardens. It is a cool-weather green that can get its start in soil as chilly as 35ºF (2ºC). Sow spinach in the garden 4 to 6 weeks before the last spring frost date. It’s a fast crop and can be harvested in 35 to 50 days, so is well-suited for planting and harvest in the cool weather of early fall as well.

Spinach can be eaten raw or cooked. The dark green leaves of fresh spinach will add color to a lettuce salad. Spinach can be pan-steamed in the water it is rinsed with.

Site. Spinach grows well in full sun in cool regions or partial shade in warm regions. Spinach is hardy and will withstand moderate frost.

Soil. Spinach prefers moist, humus-rich, fertile soil, thoroughly worked with plenty of organic matter added. Light sandy soils with good drainage are best in regions of high rainfall.

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Spinach

Spinach has just the right balance of flavor—sharp and hearty but not overpowering. It is equally versatile raw or cooked.

Spinach can be served raw in sandwiches and salads. Just add a little lemon juice.

It can be served with a basic béchamel sauce or a rich Mornay sauce.

Spinach can be baked au gratin or puréed.

It equally accompanies veal, poultry, fish, aged cheese, cream cheese, eggs, egg noodles, garlic, mushrooms, nutmeg, onions, shallots or sour cream.

There are two main types of spinach: flat-leafed and savoy or crinkle-leafed. The more tender and mild tasting of the two is flat-leafed, especially the baby varieties. Savoy spinach has a stronger flavor with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Spinach grows as a rosette of dark green leaves to about 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm) tall and about 6 to 8 inches (15-20 cm) across. Smooth leaf varieties have thin, tender, sweetly flavored leaves. Crinkle or savoy-leaved spinaches have broader, thicker leaves which hold up better when cooked.

Spinach originated in the Iranian desert near Dasht-e-Kavir and was transplanted to Persian gardens in about the fourth century. The name spinach derives from an old Persian name aspanākh—isfanakh—which means “a green hand”.

Spinach was brought to Spain by the Arab conquerors as early as the eighth century and from there spread to the rest of Europe. The Arabic name for spinach was esbanash; in Spanish the name became espinaca. The first English cookbook reference to spinnedge came in the fourteenth century and referred to it as the Spanish vegetable.

Popeye the sailor made his first appearance in American comics in January 1929, the creation of E.C. Segar. Popeye’s strength was derived from spinach. He often quipped, “I’m strong to the finish ‘cause I eats my spinach.” American consumption of spinach grew by 33 percent in the years immediately following the first appearance of Popeye.

Choose: Select spinach with crisp and dark green leaves that have a fresh fragrance. Avoid leaves that are limp, damaged or discolored. Small baby spinach will have the most flavor and tender texture; older leaves will tend to be bitterer in flavor and have a chewier texture.

Store: Spinach can be refrigerated in a plastic bag for up to 3 days.

Prepare: Spinach leaves should be separated and cleaned in a bowl of cold water to loosen grit and dirt or soaked in a bowl of salty water for 10 minutes to remove bugs and then rinsed under cold running water to remove dirt. Wash spinach just before using it so that it does not become soft. Remove the stems once washed unless the spinach is very young. Spinach will shrink when cooled.

Serve: The dark green leaves of fresh spinach will add color to a lettuce salad.

Add orange segments and almonds to a fresh spinach salad and toss in a sweet-sour dressing.

Add cubes of cheese and sliced fresh peppers and mushrooms to a spinach lunch salad.

The classic spinach salad includes bacon, mushrooms, hard-boiled egg quarters with warm mustard and bacon fat dressing.

A spinach salad can be topped with grilled Portobello mushrooms and strips of spice-marinated grilled chicken.

Cook spinach in a saucepan or a skillet with just the water that clings to the leaves after washing. Add a sprinkling of salt and place the pan over a low heat. Cover the pan so that the spinach steams in its own liquid. Shake the pan occasionally to prevent the spinach from sticking to the bottom. Spinach will cook in 4 to 6 minutes wilting down to about an eighth of its volume. Drain and press out the remaining liquid. Chop and serve with lots of butter.

Try spinach with a horseradish sauce or with melted butter and a little garlic.

Serve spinach with spring vegetables such as baby carrots and young fava beans.

Eggs, fish, poultry, and meats that are served on a bed of spinach, usually with a sauce, are often appended with the phrase à la Florentine. The term originated in 1533 when Caterina de Medici traveled from Florence to marry the king of France. She brought along her favorite Florentine cooks who used spinach in many royal dishes.

Nutrition: Spinach is a rich source of vitamins A and C and B, but it contains oxalic acid which inhibits the body’s absorption of calcium and iron. One cup of fresh spinach contains about 10 calories.

The botanical name for spinach is Spinacia oleracea

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