Showing posts with label subtropical vegetable. Show all posts
Showing posts with label subtropical vegetable. Show all posts

24 April 2011

Spinach in Pahoa?


Oh, how I miss garden-fresh vegetables from the mainland! Yet Waimea territory, northwest of Big Island and about 2600-foot altitude, is prime for my favorite veggies. Spinach is one of those favorites and it's an on-going challenge to find it in Puna.

So once at the Maku'u market, I met a Filipino lady selling vegetables and herbs. I told her about my spinach craving and she introduced me to Okinawan spinach, (Gynura crepioides). She said is was used in stir-fry by her family and although she hadn't tried it raw, she didn't see why it could not be enjoyed that way.

I transferred the plant to a larger pot with lettuce and watched it flourish in my Pahoa garden. Then I made stir-fry, spinach omelet, pasta casserole, and varied cooking recipes. Okinawan became my lettuce substitute for sandwiches and salads. I found it a bit tougher than conventional spinach, but it was tasty.

This is a sub-tropical perennial vegetable that can be grown as a ground cover. It roots well by placing a cutting directly in the ground, from sun to partial shade. I read that when planted from seeds, it somehow loses the purple underside of the leaves. Well, it's hard enough to find the plant, much less seeds, so it's growing throughout my garden today.

As pictured, this spinach has lovely soft-teeth edged shiny leaves that are green on top and purple on the bottom. The seller said tiny flowers can be either yellow or orange-red, but I've never seen any blooms and have been growing it for about two years.

My lilikoi is producing now, so a passion fruit vinaigrette to accompany raw Okinawan is on my to-do list. Should be tasty with my cherry tomatoes, basil and local goat cheese. If in my hood, I'll share a clipping!

References:
Hawaii Cities by Elevation
Pahoa Stats
Maku'u Farmer's Market is held on Sundays, 8am-2pm in Keaau. Find Hawaiian crafts, plants, produce, jewelry, shells, ethnic and recycled clothing, food, books, etc. from approximately 150 vendors.