Left: Okinawan spinach (Gynura bicolor). Right: Brazilian spinach (Alternanthera sissoo). Photos by Kat Pearson.
BY KAT PEARSON, GIRL IN THE GREEN
If you’ve been around edible gardening talks in Brisbane, you may have heard many “spinach alternative” suggestions – those leafy greens that tolerate our hot and humid summers better than more traditional lettuces. There are heaps of options out there, but as always, just because they are edible doesn’t mean they taste good. Some of them are gross. But like everyone else, I’m going to share my top list of the leafy greens I voluntarily and even preferably eat from my garden over summer. I also want to give you a little info on growing each of them (and I tend to ramble), so I’ll split this topic over two months!
A lot of the leafy green alternatives have higher levels of oxalates or oxalic acid. It’s a natural compound that your body can process, but if you consume too much, it’s not fabulous for your kidneys, so it’s generally recommended to lightly cook them, which breaks them down. That being said, I’ve heard lots of people tell me they’ve eaten such and such every day since they were a kid and are fine, so I think a lot of it comes down to predisposition and erring on the side of caution. Personal choice. The problem is that cooked greens are not always what you want in summer – a replacement for silverbeet in your soup is great, but what about crisp, fresh summer delights?
Now, I should point out that I am not a salad fan. If it’s full of roast pumpkin, feta, nuts and bacon, sure, but your typical lettuce, carrot, tomato, cucumber garden salad…c’mon peeps, I’m not a rabbit! I do, however, like a few crunchy fresh green leaves to add to my taco or burger, so I still have a handful of recommendations of leaves that can be eaten raw without any worries.
First up, Okinawa spinach (Gynura bicolor). Some people tell me they find this a bit slimy and prefer Malabar spinach (Basella alba), so it must be personal, but I picked out EVERY TINY LITTLE SLIMY MALABAR SPINACH LEAF from my last dish and ripped the plant out after I tried it. Disgusting. Back to Okinawa spinach: it’s a low, sprawling plant that looks infinitely better with regular pruning and grows ridiculously easily from a cutting. I find part shade keeps it looking nicer, but it will tolerate full sun with water. The underside of the leaf is a beautiful purple colour and if you let it flower, the nectar-rich orange pompom flowers attract all the butterflies. Its close relative, longevity spinach (Gynura procumbens), is also ok to eat, but the leaves are a bit hairier and plain green.
Next up, Brazilian spinach (Alternanthera sissoo). This little guy has CRUNCH. It is quite drought-hardy, too, and loves full sun, although tastes MUCH better if you water it. It’s also a low-growing plant but is quite compact, making a very low-maintenance ground cover perfect for edges, even in ornamental gardens.
If you’re in the Redlands area, I recommend you check out www.littleislandorganics.com.au. Rod sells Rocky Point products (which I personally love) and delivers locally for free! Let them do the heavy lifting and leave you to the fun stuff. Use the code GITG to get $1 off each product!
Part 2 of this article will be published in the November edition of The Community Leader.
ABOUT KAT
I love gardening, and growing my own food and plants in general. I’ve been working on our current garden in subtropical Brisbane for the last five years but have been gardening for much longer in all sorts of places. I’m an ex-engineer, recently turned horticulturist (life’s too short not to work in something you love!). I grow edibles and ornamentals in an often wild, rambling jungle, filled with birds and bugs, including a handful of pet chooks and a dog (though to be honest you’re more likely to find him inside on the couch). Find out more at
www.girlinthegreen.com.au.
