Red giant mustard green
Brassica juncea var. integrifolia
Similar veggies:
Kale, Red russian kale, Red kale
Other names
Tuscan Kale, Dinosaur Kale
Biggest Red Giant in 2019
A quick introduction
Red giant is one of the spiciest Asian greens we grow. We usually make bunches of red giant but you might also also find the leaves bagged. It grows best in fall but can also be grown in mild springs. Technically it could be eaten raw but we find that the taste is too spicy for many of our members and would recommend cooking it as this mellows the spiciness a lot. In mild springs the flower stems that appear at the end of May / beginning of June can become a real delicacy, being crunchy and sweet. In other harsher years the flower stems become rather tough and unpleasant to eat. When you find a bunch of flowering red giant in your CSA basket, always check the stems and discard the tougher parts.
Storage
As with all Asian greens we recommend washing red giant greens in cold water (we do pre-wash it at the farm), then dry it and store in a closed container in the fridge. This way it will keep for almost a week.
Season
Spring and fall
Suggestions for preparation
As all greens, red giant will be more tender and needs less cooking time in the beginning of its growing cycle and becomes a little more tough when it is harvested for the second or third time. When you find a bunch of flowering red giant in your CSA basket, always check the stems and discard the tougher parts. We like to sauté red giant with ginger and garlic and serve it alongside a hearty Dal (Indian lentil soup/stew). Red giant can also be used to make Saag paneer, which is often made with spinach but we find that the mustardy taste of red giant works even better.
Recipes
Lemongrass stir-fry by Nigel Slater that works will all kinds of different greens and is especially tasty with mustard greens.
Japanese blanched greens
Vegan Saag paneer (we also got this nice recipe for saag paneer as a recommendation from one of our members, it van be made with all kinds of different greens)
Use red giant instead of spinach in this bean soup with garlic and rosemary
Pad Thai (replace the chinese cabbage for Red Giant)
A simple recipe for potato & greens fritters recommended by one of our members.