Garden Reflections - Leaf Vegetables

A vibrantly colored row of orach 

I love leaf veggies. They grow fast and are among the first things to come out of the garden

Greens

I grew a large variety of leafy greens this year including arugula, escarole and multiple types of leaf lettuces

The lettuces did magnificently. They were gorgeous, tasty and so abundant that the chickens got to enjoy their fair share of the crop as well

I also picked a decent amount of spinach, orach and kale. We used some fresh but most was blanched and frozen for later use in various recipes.
I harvested a little over 10 pounds of greens this year

Celery 

Though celery isn't traditionally considered a leaf vegetable, I grow mine primarily for its tasty leaves rather than the stalks.
I grew Golden Pascal celery this year. Now, I don't like celery much. I'm not fond of the flavor of raw celery and the texture makes me gag. But, I do like it in soups and stews. Knowing that it needs lots of water to produce thick stalks I only water it a little bit, forcing it to produce an abundance of thin stalks and, in turn, lots of leaves. Since the leaves are more intensely flavored than the stalks, and also dry well, I feel I get more out of my celery this way than if I grew it in ideal conditions.
I harvested 3 pounds of celery this year

Herbs

Sage, marjoram and oregano ready for drying 

I grow the majority of my herbs in large pots on my deck. It makes for easy access since they are right out the kitchen door. Nearly every herb I grow is either perennial or biennial in my area, so there is no need to plant new seed each year.
I grow basil, bay laurel, borage, catnip, chives, cilantro, marjoram, mint, parsley, rosemary, sage and thyme.
I  harvested nearly 2 pounds of herbs this year, enough for fresh use and to supply plenty of dried herbs for use over the winter months

Cabbage 

My cabbages were a little small this year because of a few factors. Drought took a toll on them. They are also the chickens favorite thing to snack on if they manage to sneak into the garden. Finally, cabbage moth was a problem as well

Still, I picked a few small heads, totaling nearly 4 1/2 pounds, enough for a small batch of sauerkraut and a couple of meals

I harvested over 19 pounds of leaf vegetables this year