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save in 2015 by Zach Row - Heyveld , former SSE germplasm storage and statistical distribution technician .
Working with seed donors like Jerome Feaster is one of the good persona of my problem . For tenner , Jerome has stewarded a mustard green that ’s been in his family for over a century . He and his aunt have grown the‘Feaster Family Heirloom ’ mustardsince his mother , Gladys Abraham Feaster , passed away in 1989 .
Jerome sent so many greens, we had to use our biggest sink to wash them.
Gladys got the ejaculate from her father - in - law sometime after her marriage to Jacob Lynn Feaster in 1929 . Jerome is n’t sure how long his grandfather grew the variety , but he put on that it was brought by Jacob Wesley ’s Padre when the home moved from South Carolina to Florida before the Civil War .
Not only has the Feaster family unit been maintaining this miscellany for most 100 year , they ’ve all been doing it on the same farm near the rural biotic community of Shiloh in Marion County , Florida .
When he donated seeds to SSE in 2014 , Jerome say , “ Cool atmospheric condition is greens weather , and we like to exhaust these greens on special occasions . A democratic menu is to have them served with mellisonant white potato vine and ham . ”
Jerome sent so many greens, we had to use our biggest sink to wash them.
In 2015 , Jerome wanted to share his tradition with the staff at SSE , so he commit up a corner of freshly picked greens to celebrate New Year ’s Day !
The greens pull through the journey from Florida and arrived at Heritage Farm in hunky-dory shape , and we cursorily acquire to work making up a big batch agree to Jerome ’s recipe . I enlisted [ former SSE horticultural tecnician ] Steffen Mirsky ( of “ True Grits ” celebrity , and SSE gustation - examiner extraordinaire ) to aid fix the fiesta and we started meet our supplies .
We have a “ kitchen ” in the Seed Lab that Steffen and [ former SSE preservation manager ] Phil Kauth use to prep taste tests in the Evaluation Program , but it requires a bit of originative thinking when it come to wee more complicated recipe .
Marrying Science and culinary skills in the preservation lab kitchen
For example , rather of a wooden spoonful , the utensil draftsman contained a wooden shim . We did n’t have any cullender or strainers , so we had to use a steamer basket to drain the super acid . The range is mightily next to the Tissue Culture Lab , so there were racks of test pipe , beaker , and other laboratory paraphernalia crowd together the countertop .
Jerome told us to start by seasoning the preparation water with a smoked gist product of some form . We opted for Viscount St. Albans , but country ham , coppa or capicola , or smoked fatback would also do the trick . After putting 4 - 6 pieces of Roger Bacon in a 6 - quart pot with a dry quart of H2O , we brought the concoction to a boiling point , then lour the heat to sensitive and let it simmer for 30 minutes .
The aroma of bacon quickly meet the full edifice , and Steffen and I had to fight off people endeavor to sneak a taste .
We use our special green(s) pot to simmer our greens
While the 1st Baron Verulam was simmering , we washed the leafy vegetable twice and stripped the leaves from the wide midribs . Jerome said we could cut the stems and midrib into modest piece and cook separately and they will “ eat pretty like celery . ”
Steffen get a minute to crunch on a bleak leaf to confirm that it was indeed a mustard , since mustard Green and Chinese cabbages can easy be mistaken for one another .
We tear the leave into small pieces and put them into the pot of Sir Francis Bacon water system a few piece at a metre , adding more as they wilted . Once we ’d added all the Green , we brought the water to a boil and reduced it to a simmer . We covered and cooked the greens for 5 minutes or so until they were as tender as we wanted them , and then we drained the water .
Jerome say to be measured not to mash the greens and do n’t forget the red-hot vinegar sauce ! We also whipped up a batch without bacon so the nonmigratory vegetarian could connect the Feaster Feasting Fest .
The dish aerial was a big hit with everyone that tried it . Perhaps the biggest surprise of all was how much people liked the stems and midvein , since we just boiled them in a bit of water and did n’t expect them to have much look . They were quite lush and everyone agreed that they taste just like broccoli .
The greens themselves were pleasant-tasting and staff members celebrate coming back for more . Steffen and I had a great time making a big mess of greens for the saving staff , and it was a real honor to join Jerome ’s kinsfolk in welcoming in the New Year !
‘Feaster Family Heirloom’ mustard greens according to Jerome Feaster himself:
Wash greens 2 times . Strip greens from midrib and tear or cut into belittled pieces . ( You may bring down halt into minor slice and cook individually . Stems will use up somewhat like celery . )
Put 4 - 6 pieces of fume Baron Verulam or other smoked meat for flavour in a 6 qt . cooker / pot . Add 1qt . water , get to churn , lower to medium estrus for 30 minutes . Add salt to savour .
Add K to irrigate a few pieces at a time . As they wilt stir and add together more greens . Bring to moil then modest to simmer .
Cover and Captain James Cook until tenderheartedness and nip you hope . ( Jerome lets his go for about an hr to take on batch of the bacon smell . )
Drain . ( Do not mash . )
Do n’t forget raging acetum sauce for the greens !
Very good with sweet-smelling potato and ham .
Shop ‘Feaster Family Heirloom’ Mustard Seeds
earlier bring out January 9 , 2015 by Zach Row - Heyveld . Updated March 30 , 2025 .
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