I feel like I have a PhD in Creasy Greens. A couple weeks
back, I did a piece on some Creasy Greens that I had planted from seed last spring. They didn’t sprout until late last fall, but now I have a nice patch. I wasn’t sure how to harvest, when to harvest or how to cook them, but I received lots of advice and information from my CvilleBuzz readers.
My cousin, Estelle Hill from Clemmons, NC, said that my Aunt Celia used to go out in the cornfields where Creasy Greens grew wild and pick them. She said that Uncle Roy raised his own hogs for fatback, seasonings and various meats to east along with the greens.
Bill Hitt, originally from Culpeper, said he grew up on Creasy Greens. He said to cut them off at ground level, wash thoroughly and eat them now, before they grow larger and get bitter.
Marilyn Norford said that my article triggered memories of Miss Belle Addington.
“”Miss Belle did a bit of ‘basic training’ in the recognition of wild foods with my friend, Ann, and me. She taught us how to pick wild asparagus, mushrooms, and creasy greens,” Marilyn recalls.
Marilyn said she didn’t remember exactly about harvesting but thinks that they lifted the leaves and cut them off, leaving the base, which would grow new leaves.
Others said they dug up the plants but left a couple mature plants for future seeds. Apparently, Creasy Greens are very hardy and can reproduce themselves if a plant is allowed to mature and go to seed.
What we call Creasy Greens is actually Land Cress, or Upland Cress. The plant is native to Europe and has been cultivated there for many years. It is considered a good substitute for the more exotic Water Cress and can be used in sandwiches, salads or in cooked greens, like spinach.
For kicks, I went out to my garden and picked a couple of tender leaves and ate them raw. They were delicious, rich and fruity. The next night I mixed a few greens in a tossed salad – again, delicious.
I’m thinking I will devote that upper patch of my garden (which doesn’t get a lot of sun) to Creasy Greens. If they cooperate, I’ll have a fresh batch each spring without further plantings and I look forward to cooking them as one reader suggested – fried in bacon grease.
Fellow backyard gardeners consider planting a mess of these versatile and delicious greens. If you plant soon, you may have a harvest this spring. If not, leave them alone and they’ll sprout this fall.