Colorful Leaves

• Orach grows well in salty soil and often has a slightly salty flavor. Varieties include red, white and yellow foliage. Many people prefer the red variety for its good flavor and beautiful foliage, although some French cooks consider the yellow variety to have superior flavor. Red orach grows on dark red stems, with leaves that are red on one side and deep green on the other.

Simply Orach

• If you have never eaten or cooked with orach, start with young greens in a simple salad. Mix equal parts lemon juice and olive oil. Toss with washed and dried orach leaves, and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Make a zestier dressing by chopping a garlic clove in a blender and mixing in a small amount of Dijon mustard and fruit jam. Add equal parts vinegar and olive oil. Add other tender greens and chopped vegetables to the salad as desired.

Cooking Orach

• Include any variety of mature orach leaves in soups, such as leek and potato, or stews. Substitute orach for some of the spinach in dishes such as quiche or spanakopita. It can also replace Swiss chard in dishes such as stuffed lamb. Stuff large orach leaves as you would grape leaves. When cooked, red orach turns other ingredients a decidedly pink color, much as beets do. This trait allows you to make colorful pasta, couscous or rice dishes.

Starring Orach

• Restaurants and growers often experiment with heirloom vegetables such as orach. In 2000, chefs at New York City's Judson Grill sauteed green stalks of spring garlic in olive oil; added mature orach leaves, vegetable stock and butter; and cooked just until the orach wilted. Seasoned with salt and pepper, the orach accompanied meat dishes. Mariquita Farm of California offers its consumers a pasta recipe using orach greens. Saute onion or garlic in olive oil and add a large bunch of clean orach greens. Cook about two minutes, until the leaves are wilted. Add salt and pepper and mix into a batch of cooked spiral pasta.