ORLAND — As winter turns to spring, Paul and Karen Volckhausen are seeing greens.

No, the last letter in that sentence isn’t a typo. While other people are focused on making sure their lawns are neatly manicured, the Volckhausens are watching the first crops of lettuce, beet greens and spinach spring up in their hoop house at Happy Town Farm.

While rainy and overcast weather this spring has made for a slow start at times, recent batches of sunshine mean the greens have taken off.

On one such recent sunny morning, with Branch Lake sparkling in the background behind trees that were just leafing out, the Volckhausens walked through the hoop house while farmhands harvested lettuce for mesclun mix.

Mesclun mix, which originated in France, has traditionally included a variety of young greens, ranging from various types of lettuce to spinach.

Some mixes include dandelions, and though the Volckhausens don’t use the familiar yellow-flowered plant in their dishes, they noted with a chuckle that they would have a steady supply if they wanted to.

The Volckhausens have a couple of ways that they particularly like to enjoy their spring greens. One is to make a spring mix salad; the other is to braise the greens.

Spinach or mustard greens are two types they like to braise, Karen said. They start by heating oil in a wok, and then throwing the greens in until they’re well-coated and “maybe a little wilty.”

Then, they add a little water to the mix and turn the heat way down. Once some crushed garlic has been thrown in, the wok is covered. The Volckhausens also like to use a little ume vinegar, made from umeboshi plums.

How long the greens stay in the wok after that depends on one’s own tastes. For crunchier greens, they only need to stay in for a couple of minutes. For those who like them softer, the greens can stay in for perhaps 10 minutes or so.

“We love greens cooked that way,” said Karen. She noted that the greens do cook down a lot, so don’t be surprised if it looks like there are fewer greens at the end of the process than at the start.

For a spring mix salad, Karen said, people can put in “whatever you have around.” At Happy Town Farm, that can include chives and herbs such as mint, sage or tarragon. Edible flowers such as Johnny jump-ups also can be added for a colorful touch. Whatever goes into the mix can then be coated with a favorite dressing.

“It’s wonderful,” said Karen.

In Maine’s climate, fresh, homegrown greens are not available year-round. To get them through the winter months the Volckhausens rely on another favorite, using what they have stored up in the root cellar that season.

“We love roasted vegetables,” Karen said. “We love them.”

Not only are they tasty, she said, but they’re very simple to cook, too. Take whatever vegetables are on hand —parsnips, beets, potatoes or onions, to name a few choices —then cut them up and lightly coat them with olive oil.

Once coated, a few other ingredients are added: a little salt, along with “any herb you like” (Karen says rosemary is “terrific”), and then a dash of balsamic vinegar.

“I think it adds to it,” said Karen, referring to the final ingredient.

The vegetables can then be put in the oven, set to either 350 or 375 degrees F. How long the vegetables stay in there depends on which ones are used — parsnips and carrots will take longer, for example.

Done correctly, the process should result in a finished product that is a true treat for the taste buds.

“It is heaven,” said Karen. “Roast vegetables are heaven any time of year.”

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