What is Malabar Spinach?

Gardening in Central Florida is not always an easy endeavor.  So when you find ways to make it work you get pretty excited about it.  That's why I want to bring up Malabar Spinach.  This vine is grown in India and other tropical places.  It thrives in Hot, Humid, and above 90 degree conditions.  Well that's Central Florida in the summer for sure! This summer I have been experimenting a lot with it and here's what I have learned.  

• Not a true spinach but a terrific replacement for summer when most greens especially salad and spinach won't stand a chance.
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• It germinates great from seed even when I just toss them in the ground in mid July and water somewhat regularly.  
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• The leaves are thick and juicy and have a very mild flavor with hints of citrus and pepper.
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• Malabar Spinach well vertically so you cangrow it up a trellis, or grow it in a container with something to climb on or keep it trimmed like a bush.
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• It is a good source of vitamin A, C, calcium and iron.
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• You can toss it in a salad, soup, stir fry, frittata, or cook it like spinach. 

• All this being said it is not an amazing flavor you will rave about, what it is, is a summer source of home grown healthiness, we have a saying you "feed your body not just your mouth,"at our home.  We like our foods to taste great but we also like to eat nutrient dense homegrown foods to take care of our bodies.  So add this to your hot summer gardening possibilities. (Okra, eggplant, sweet potatoes, hot peppers, and Malabar Spinach are all thriving right now in our Hot Humid Florida garden)

easy to grow in a pot, great for kids because its so easy!

My five favorite vegetables to grow in Central Florida. 

1.  Yard long beans (asparagus beans, Chinese long beans). These grow so well here and look terrific in the garden with their extremely long pods.  Cook like regular green beans or stir fry.

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2. Pickling cucumbers.  I love these for slicing and eating.  We make them into cucumber salad with a little sugar and rice vinegar, toss slices into our drinking water, or make cold cucumber soup with  onion and garlic. Mine are growing on a simple and free pallet trellis.

3. Heirloom tomatoes in Pots!  This is my biggest gardening advice here in central Florida, grow your tomato plants in pots, not in your garden.  There are some things to know however.  The pots need to be big, they need to have enough calcium added(egg shells) to prevent blossom end rot and they need to be watered regularly at the same time each day or few days without getting their leaves wet.  (unless you are watering with compost tea)  There is so much I could say on this but I will end with something about germination.  Heirloom tomato seeds need light and should not be planted too deep or they will not germinate.   Just a little dusting of soil over top.

4.  Pineapples.  These are just cool.  I mean you buy a pineapple, eat it and then plant the top and wait.  Now they do like to be fertilized.  Mine are in a sunny spot in the front yard.  They are planted very close together to deter any critters from getting in the patch.  So far I have never lost one to a critter but I expect to sometime.  I pick them when they just start turning yellow and let them ripen on the counter.  When they are all yellow its time to eat them up!  A side note is that pineapple is good for our pet rabbits to reduce hair balls, so we give them a little too!

5.  Greens.  Really all kinds. Collards, Mustard, Swiss Chard, Turnips, Kale.

These grow great and you can add just a little to so many different meals.  I chop it up like an herb and add greens to soups, tomato sauces,  salads, eggs, you do not just have to serve it by itself.  Add those vitamin packed leaves to almost anything you cook. You can make stuffed Collared or Kale leaves in place of cabbage.  Or instead of Kale Chips, try Collard Chips!

Happy Planting!

Heart Healthy Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies!

Note: when I use my girls (chickens) eggs, I will use the whole egg because I know they have less cholesterol than store bought eggs...  I have one who lays me double yolk eggs.  Wouldn't want to waste that!  My girls are pets that give back!  If you want to omit the wheat germ to keep it gluten free you don't need to sub, just leave it out!


Preheat oven to 375*

1/4  teaspoon salt

1 large egg white

1cup crunchy peanut butter

1/3cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon molasses 

 2 tablespoons ground flax

 2 tablespoons wheat germ

1/4 cup quick oats

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Whisk the egg white with the salt till frothy.  Then add the rest of the ingredients and mix well with a spoon.  Use a teaspoon to scoop heaping spoonfuls about 2 inches apart on baking sheet.  Use a fork to gently push down then bake ten minutes.  Watch the bottoms don't over brown!

Serve with a cold glass of Almond milk!