BY KAT PEARSON, GIRL IN THE GREEN
Welcome back to part two of leafy green alternatives. To recap, my fresh alternatives to lettuce (that tolerate our hot humid climate better and won’t bolt within a week of planting) are Okinawa spinach (Gynura bicolor) and Brazillian spinach (Alternanthera sissoo). Although there are other greens you can eat raw, I’ll admit there aren’t any more I’m a big fan of. But there is one more green I couldn’t live without in the garden: sweet potato leaves! (Ipomoea batatas).
Unlike actual potato plants (Solanum tuberosum), which are entirely unrelated, you can eat all parts of the plant. The leaves are edible raw, but I prefer them lightly stir-fried. They are healthy, full of calcium and vitamins and delicious stir-fried with a bit of chillli, garlic and kecap manis (sweet soy sauce). Sweet potatoes make an excellent (vigorous!) ground cover. I have it growing in my front yard as a living mulch to protect my soil, suppress weeds, and provide a place for the chooks to dig that leaves less obvious holes in the yard. If you don’t have the space for it to take over, try growing it in a raised bed or large pot. You might not get the best tuber harvest, but the leaves are worth it. I’ll admit I had visions of going out to ‘bandicoot’ sweet potatoes from the yard whenever I had a hot chip craving, but it’s rather dirty work, and they aren’t that easy to find off the cuff, as they can grow quite deep!
Speaking of stir-frying with garlic…. Garlic is a little tricky in a humid climate, and there are cultivars that grow better here, but as a quick addition to any stir fry, salad, or curry, why not grow society garlic? (Tulbaghia violacea) You know, the one with pretty purple flowers that the council plants on median strips. Yep, it’s edible and tastes like garlic. As a bonus, it’s also not related to garlic and onions (Allium sp.), so it’s a great alternative for people who can’t eat them.
If you’re in the Redlands area, I recommend you check out www.littleislandorganics.com.au. Rod sells Rocky Point products (which I 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!
ABOUT KAT
I love gardening, growing my own food and plants in general. I’ve been working on our current garden in subtropical Brisbane for the last six-plus years, but have been gardening for much, 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 brand new puppy (who likes to chase said chickens, and is not averse to helping me dig a hole!).
