I wonder if this is the part of the Food Forest where Popeye spends most of his time...
Other Names: Malabar Spinach
Family: Basella alba Edible Portion: Leaves Malabar spinach is a rather attractive vining species that is just as happy climbing up a trellis as it is sprawling along the ground. The edible leaves have a thick texture, and make perfect thickeners to any soup or stir fry. With a distinct bell pepper flavor, Malabar Spinach is truly a fine perennial vegetable to incorporate into your diet. Native Origin: Malabar spinach is native to Indonesia, and has naturalized in Hawaii. Malabar is a heat loving vine and produces vigorously. It has adapted well to Florida and is enjoyed as a spinach substitute. General Description: Malabar Spinach is an aggressive vining species that produces thick, heart shaped leaves. If trellised, it will grow quite vigorously in the heat and be a very productive part of the garden. The variety of Malabar located in the Food Forest appreciates frequent pruning and sustains high yields throughout the summer. Season of harvest: The prime season of harvest for the Malabar Spinach is during the summer months and into fall. Malabar does not tolerate cold. It will grow slowly if at all during the winter months while exploding with new growth during the summer. It does perform year-round production in the tropics just as all of the other wonderful perennial vegetables. Harvesting Techniques: Harvesting from the Malabar Spinach is quite simple. Locate the new growth, whether it is growing up the fence or sprawling along the ground, and snip the top 4 to 5 inches of new growth at a slant, right above some of the old growth leaves. This encourages the plant to continue producing and provides you with ample greens to enjoy. Preparation: After you have harvested the Malabar Spinach, strip the leaves away from the vine. Once you have the leaves removed from the original vine you can either chop them up or use them whole, depending on what dish you will be incorporating them into. Because of the mucilaginous texture of the Malabar, it is not ideal for salads. However, a more savvy perennial green connoisseur will enjoy them raw. The flavor of Malabar is quite similar to a bell pepper. Combined with the mucilaginous characteristic, it makes a perfect thickener for soups and sauces. Add some diced Malabar to a tomato sauce for a unique pasta experience you won’t forget. Malabar also goes great in stir-fries, specifically Chinese recipes. To avoid creating that slimy texture similar to over-cooking okra, just sauté the Malabar for five to ten minutes less than the recipe calls for. Nutritional content: Malabar is high in many vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin C, A, phosphorus, calcium, and potassium. Malabar is low in calories but provides essential beta carotene and non-starch polysaccharides which aid in digestion. Special Information: Should be grown on a trellis or fence. Other uses: a red dye is obtained from the juice of the fruits. Used as a rogue and a dye for official seals Medicinal uses: antidote, aperient, astringent, laxative; the paste can be applied to boils. |
Additional information can be found at any of these helpful links:
http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scene9529.html http://www.worldcrops.org/crops/Malabar-Spinach.cfm http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Basella+alba Malabar Spinach & Fruit Salad
Ingredients:
4 cups Malabar Spinach 1/2 cup sliced snap peas 1/2 cup raspberries 1/2 cup sliced strawberries Honey Balsamic Dressing *(try any other fruits and/or berries combos) Directions: 1. Divide Spinach into two servings. 2. Add half the snap peas to each serving. 3. Add half the berries and fruit to each serving. 4. Toss and drizzle with dressing. |