In search of spring cabbage

Credit: iStockphoto

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Q: As an expatriate Brit, every spring I mourn the unavailability of spring cabbage. Please tell me why no one grows it here? Swiss chard and spinach have their place, but cooked they disolve into a soggy green heap in which I quickly lose interest. Is seed available here?

As another expatriate, (from Guildford, England), I am well qualified to answer this question! The spring greens (as we used to call them), were always available from the farmers’ market and the greengrocer’s.

In Canada I grow collards for spring greens, as they are prolific non-heading cabbage greens that will not go soggy when steamed or cooked. I also grow ‘First Early Market’ cabbage for spring greens, as this non-heading cabbage has a slightly-wrapped heart, which is tender and sweet when diced and lightly steamed.