Organic Produce: A Tour Through Our Leafy Greens Selection

You know that leafy green organic produce can take your dishes to a healthier more visually appealing level. You also know that there are more to these bibbed warriors than simply tossing up a salad for garde manger. Spinach and romaine have a totally legitimate foothold in the leafy green world, but as a chef you like to think outside the ruffage. We’ve got your back with a quick tour through some of AgriExotic’s leafy offerings, from the tried-and-trues to the under-used.

Napa Cabbage

The China native Napa cabbage’s mild leaves easily take on a sweet flavor and softens considerably when heated. Its high water content makes this product one of our more sensitive items, so we store it safely from ethylene-producing products that could easily wilt its leaves. We can also break their leaves down if you have your eye on sprucing up some kimchi.

Lamb’s Lettuce

Lamb’s lettuce, mache, corn salad—it goes by many names and has even more uses, and we can get it. We like it for its nutty flavor and that it plays well with most dressings. Like most of our stored, sourced, and ordered greens, we like to keep these dry and avoid exposing the leaves to moisture, at this can damage the product.

Purple Kale

The pretty and tasty purple kale is always on standby. We like those signature tough leaves, its dusty purple color, and its strong flavor that demands strong pairings. We can break the ruffage off the stems, and prefer to keep kale safe from temperatures that are too low or humid conditions. We are not just trying to protect the structure and flavor, we also can’t bear to see that purple fade to brown.

Sorrel

We love the versatile, flavorful sorrel and its more subtle variant: French sorrel. Our restaurant owners chefs, and bartenders love it for pretty much anything! So, we like to have this one on hand or commit to special orders. That earthy, lemony flavor is in high demand! These also remain in our controlled cooler to prevent these tender leaves from taking on too much water and spoiling.

How We Store Tender and Tougher Greens

We know that not all leaves are created equal, and the chefs depend on us to know that some greens require a little more care than others. For example, we keep soft, tender greens like spinach, arugula, and most types of lettuce in the controlled environment of our coolers to keep them crisp. We store them unwashed, as leaves should never be washed unless they are about to be used. This can cause water-logging or retained moisture that damages leaves or can lead to spoiling and even mold.

Tougher leafy greens are another story. So, greens like cabbage and kale get a different approach. We still store them similarly to our tender greens, but these actually prefer a little more hydration in their diet. For that reason, we keep and tend these separately from the tender varieties.

No matter which of the leafy green vegetables you prefer, choose a quality produce provider like AgriExotic or any organic produce needs. We can special order any tender, tougher, or more exotic greens you may need. Order today and take advantage of our easy delivery and pick-up options.