Organic Oriental Green In Snow (Chinese Mustard)

Green in snow
Latin name Brassica juncea
Approximately 450 seeds per g

Oriental vegetables have revolutionised winter salad production. As their name suggests they come from China and Japan. Being brassica, or cabbage family, the plants are very cold tolerant making them ideal for our autumn and winter months. It also means that some of the varieties have that hot, mustard kick to them. The variation in leaf, colour, shape and texture make them perfect for mixed salad and they are very quick growing too. Most varieties are cut and come again salads while some can also be stir fried.

Green in snow, as its name suggests, is a very cold tolerant plant and can really extent the period of winter salad production. The leaf is dark green with a jagged edge. It is also known as Chinese mustard. Very young leaves can be used in salads, the bigger the leaf gets the hotter it becomes. Larger leaves can be stir fried and used in recipes calling for oriental greens.

How to grow:
Sow March until September in open ground. Prepare the soil and sprinkle the seeds over or grow in drills. Thin as necessary. You can use the thinnings in salad or as garnish. Plants may bolt in very hot weather so you may need to avoid mid summer sowings. Later sowings can be grown undercover.
Harvest young leaves three to four weeks after planting and cut larger leaves frequently as required.

Pests and diseases:
Protect the plants from slugs with an environmentally friendly method. Flea beetle may also be a problem. You can protect the plants from flea beetle using fine mesh.

How to cook:
Try Chinese mustard in this simple Asian side dish. Serves 4.
half a cup of onion thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic crushed
I tablespoon olive oil
500g/ 1 lb Chinese mustard leaves washed and shredded.
3 tablespoons of vegetable stock
salt and pepper
teaspoon sesame oil.

Fry the onion in the olive oil until soft and beginning to brown, add the garlic, after a minute or two add the greens and stock and cook until the greens have wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Toss the greens in the sesame oil and serve.