Malabar Spinach

I started to feel panicked when the kale and spinach bolted. I wasn't ready to lose my backyard salads. We made a shade covering for our new starts but it will take more than shade cloth to keep fresh greens during a South Texas summer. Collards are good, chard is alright and mustard greens add some kick but it is just not the same.

Enter Malabar Spinach which we are growing for the first time. With the little flowers, reddish stems and dark green leaves-it is beautiful! It needs to be trellised because it likes to climb. I like it raw as a fresh salad ingredient and in sandwiches. Apparently it can get slimy when sauteed. We haven't cooked it yet because that sounds completely unappetizing. What is it with summer veggies and slimness? I'm looking at you Okra.