Spring bitter greens, Rovinj, Croatia

Rovinj vegetable market

In Southern Europe, there is a tradition of eating bitter green vegetable in spring, to clean the liver after a winter of heavy rich food. 

radiccho lettuce

These could be cultivated ones like radiccho lettuce, or wild ones like dandelion leaves, wild asparagus.

dandelion leaves

I prefer to cook the bitter leaves with other vegetable to tone down the taste, good choices in season are deep dark green Savoy cabbage and parsley.

Wild asparagus is not too bitter and could be eaten on its own, or with addition of a handful of parsley.

wild asparagus & parsley

Only the top half of wild asparagus are tender enough to be eaten.

wild asparagus tea

One of the old ladies in the market told me that the bottom half could be used to make tea, have the same health benefits.