Tasting Notes: The Greens of Spring

Fresh-grown Asian greens and vegetables herald the growing season at Sang Lee Farms

Written by: Cindy Krezel

As sunlit hours increase daily and the ground begins to stir with new growth, we often find that our palates are ahead of the season. We long for those fresh-picked veggies that are still months away. If you feel this way, now is the perfect time for a trip to the North Fork’s Sang Lee Farms, where fresh greens are grown in 16 greenhouses all winter long.

Sang Lee Farms , Peconic, began growing produce on the North Fork of Long Island more than 50 years ago, when the Lee brothers found and filled a niche growing Asian greens and vegetables such as baby bok choi, snow pea shoots and mizuna, a Japanese arugula.

At that time, those specialty plants weren’t being grown by any of the local, conventional farms. The Lees created and ran a thriving business, supplying Chinatowns up and down the Eastern seaboard, cities from Montreal to Atlanta, and even as far west as Chicago.

When his father, George Kim Lee, died in 1980, Fred Lee took over what had become a rapidly changing business. Increasingly, produce was imported and grown with a host of chemical enhancements at prices few local farms could match and wholesaling produce grew tougher each year for small farmers.

By the late 1980s, Lee and his wife, Karen, began experimenting with more natural ways of growing produce as a way of appealing to retail customers. This was also due to the discovery of the North Fork as a tourist destination: Visitors included city dwellers who appreciated homegrown produce and were interested in the process of producing fresh-grown fruits and vegetables.

By 1995, the Lees made the promise to themselves that each introduction to their crops would be grown as close to organically as possible. According to Karen Lee, Sang Lee Farms now grows more than 200 items naturally, using only organically approved materials and some conventional fertilizers.

The quality of the produce paid off quickly in sales, and in 1998 the Lees opened a farm stand to serve retail customers. As the stand grew more popular, they also added many more familiar vegetables, such as carrots, beets, heirloom tomatoes and herbs. They created a U-Pick section of the farm, where buyers can experience the joy of picking their own fresh tomatoes off of the vine.

In 1999, Martha Stewart taped a segment of her television show The Martha Stewart Show at Sang Lee Farms. At the end of filming, the television crew, having had a chance to taste the delicious produce, asked how they could get fresh Sang Lee greens delivered. In response, Karen Lee tested many different shipping methods before finding one she liked—and Mesclun By Mail was born. Today, Sang Lee Farms schedules weekly deliveries all over Long Island and New York, and regularly ships its produce as far away as California and Las Vegas. Sang Lee Farms carefully bubble wraps freshly cut greens, packs them with gel packs, then ships them in FedEx boxes so that the produce will arrive in perfect condition.

The farm’s most popular items by far are its mesclun and petal mesclun mixes. Rather than plant premixed seed, as most mesclun growers do, the Lees prefer to plant 12 to 15 different leafy greens separately, then cut and mix them by hand to ensure the best possible color and flavor ratio. A combination of eight lettuces and five to six Asian greens, including sweet pea shoots and mizuna, are combined into a rich, multilayered flavor and texture. Petal mesclun mix includes seasonal, edible flowers for added richness, flavor and gorgeous color.

While field-grown greens have a certain crispness, from growing in strong sun and wind, greenhouse-grown greens are more delicate, with an almost buttery taste and velvety feel that Karen Lee prefers. “The texture is so soft, it’s indescribable.” Mesclun and petal mesclun mixes are available now, as are a wide selection of salad dressings, fresh-made pestos, canned jellies, pickled vegetables, including a delicious vegetarian kimchee (spicy, pickled cabbage) and an assortment of dips and dressings, all made from Sang Lee’s own herbs and produce.

And this year, as part of their commitment to growing healthful, appealing food, the Lees are embarking on the costly process of becoming certified as organic growers, which involves many steps and voluminous documentation. Despite the difficulties, says Fred Lee, they intend to press on. “Growing organically, and having the certification to prove it, is where we want to be as an organization,” he says.

The farm stand is open Thursdays through Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in February and March; daily from April 1 to Oct. 30. Mesclun By Mail is available from Oct. 1 to April 30. Sang Lee Farms, 25180 County Rd. 48, Peconic (631) 734-7001, or sangleefarms.com

Sautéed Baby Bok Choi
Serves 4
Courtesy of Fred and Karen Lee, this recipe offers an exotic change from spinach or escarole.

1 tablespoon canola or grapeseed oil
½-inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
6 heads baby bok choi, root-end trimmed then sliced lengthwise and rinsed carefully
1 tablespoon Sang Lee Stir Fry Sauce or organic low-sodium soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat oil in a deep, wide sauté pan or a wok. Add ginger and garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add baby bok choi and toss well. Sauté the bok choi for two to three minutes, or until just wilting. Remove while the bok choi is still slightly crisp, and drizzle it with the stir fry sauce or soy sauce. Season with pepper.