Rosie Cooks Up A Mess O' Greens.

I love my Fall Garden. I love the segue from Summer Warmth and Bounty to the Richness and Depth of my Fall Garden. It's complex. It sates different appetites. What with the post-DaylightSaving'sTime- gettin'-dark-earlier-hours, the body calls out for stronger measures, to sustain it through the coming months. Instead of the bright, light colors of spring salad mixes, I welcome the dark, earthy greens in my garden. They are richer and deeper in color, in intensity, and in taste. (Although I do have a spring-like mesclun mix, and spinach, and arugula growing also, for my lunchtime salads.) The Spring Garden is light, bright, and easy, and a wonderful break from the coldness and bleakness and dormancy of Winter. My Fall Garden is a transition to tide me over the Winter Season until the Promise and Hope of Spring.

Mr. Hawthorne went out and picked the greens.

This is a mix of mustard greens, collards, turnip greens, Swiss chard, and kale.

Mr. Hawthorne anally washed and rinsed each leaf before panning them with about 1/2 inch water and a chunk of salt-cured country ham.

Bring to a boil, lower temperature, cover, and simmer.

Twenty minutes later.

Add in a couple of sliced potatoes. And cook for about 30 minutes more.

The mildness and comfort of the potatoes paved the road for the intensity, heartiness, and boldness of the greens. Do you Nawthenuhs eat greens? If you don't, you should. Do they have them in your grocery stores? If they don't, they should. Are greens just a Suhthun thang?

I drizzled some Malt Vinegar on the greens. Of course, I'd already put buttah on the greens and the potato. Would you ever doubt that?

Oh wait. I checked out my freezer inventory and I had corn muffins. Mr. Hawthorne had just picked some of his heirloom maters.

Would you look at that picture. The simplicity. The textures. The colors. Yellow. Green. White. Red. A minimalist meal. Greater than the sum of its parts. Synergy. I like it.