Mustard - Fresh from the Garden

Twins! Merlin (condiment) and Minerva (leaf) Mustard come from the same plant.
But boy are they different!

Merlin, did you ever dream you would grow up to become a condiment? Be honest...

Mustard is a member of the cabbage family. Its leaf can be prepared like kale, collards, turnip greens, and other members of its family. In fact, they're great mixed together.

I'd love to show you a nice picture of last year's mustard crop, but the leaves were completely consumed by flea beetles before I had a chance to photograph them. I did get a few seeds to experiment with (and re-plant).

Mustard seed is widely used as a flavorful and zesty condiment, in addition to its folk use as a medicine. Although there are some 40 varieties of mustard (including a number of Asian varieties), black, white, and brown mustards are commonly used as a condiments.

Had you been born a hundred years earlier and come down with a chest cold, your family would most likely have treated you with a mustard plaster. Ground mustard was mixed with flour and water, spread on a cloth, and then placed on the chest. After a period of warming, the person was placed upside down to expectorate any phlegm loosened by the plaster.

When eaten, mustards contain similar cancer-fighting compounds as the other cabbages.

Mustard is generally regarded as having warming energy.

Please see your health provider for guidance on your own health program.

Mustard greens can be prepared like kale. Please see Kelvin Kale's page for quick serving tips. You'll see that he and Minerva Mustard are two of a kind! For more tasty ideas, I highly recommend the reference cookbook, Greens Glorious Greens: More than 140 Ways to Prepare All Those Great-Tasting, Super-Healthy, Beautiful Leafy Greens.

Mustard condiment can be used in any number of ways — to dress the classic American hot dog (please try to find some without nitrates) ... potato salad ... baked beans ... spicy marinades for meat, fish, or vegetables. It's also commonly used as a sweet dipping sauce or salad dressing. Fresh mustard seed may be crushed with a mortar and pestle or whizzed in a clean coffee grinder.

Mustard — Try this: Mix equal parts of olive oil and cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar. Add a little salt and pepper, a healthy pinch of ground mustard seed, and some chopped fresh herbs — oregano is good. Whisk or stir and drizzle over garden fresh salad greens. Yummy!

Try this: Mix equal parts of olive oil and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper, ground mustard seed, a clove of crushed garlic, and your choice of fresh herbs. Place some fresh salmon in a zip-lock bag or shallow glass pan and cover with the oil / lemon /herb mixture. Marinate for 20 minutes or longer. Grill, broil, or bake. The usual rule of thumb is ten minutes per inch thickness of fish, though that may vary according to the heat of your fire or oven and personal taste.