Greens….

In my nutrition work with people I find that sometimes when I say things like “dark leafy greens” I get a blank look or an embarrassed question of “I’m not really sure what you mean by that and I have no idea how to cook them”.  I like to think of the leafy greens in two categories: better-off-cooked and should-be-eaten raw.  In the Cooked category we have things like turnip greens, beet greens, kale, swiss chard, spinach, mustard greens, dandelion greens and collard greens.  Think southern cooking and get those things washed, chopped and into a pot that has had a diced slice of bacon cooked in it first.  Cook the greens in the bacon drippings until the stems are very soft.  I like to add a splash of raw apple cider vinegar and a few drops of hot sauce before serving.  You can also add these mineral-rich bitter greens to any soup or stew.  In temperate climates things like dandelion greens were much appreciated as  some of the early edible greens and they were often an ingredient in spring tonics.  The bitter flavor of these greens is an important digestive stimulant.  One of my favorite practically instant meals involves a package of preservative-free pastrami from Trader Joe’s.  I chop it up and saute it in a little fat and then I add a bag of already chopped and cleaned dark greens from Trader Joe’s (it is a mix of collards and others).  I add a couple spoonfuls of water and cook everything until the greens are soft.  A little raw vinegar and some black pepper and it is pretty delicious.  

In the raw category are the little delicate greens that contain lovely live enzymes and other important nutrients.  I include all the lettuces here.  Some of my favorites are butter leaf, ruby red and a good romaine (not the stuff that I actually use a fair amount of that comes 3 in a bag at T.J.s).  When you compare that bagged romaine to a fresh local romaine you will be amazed.  You can also find little things like watercress, arugula, mache, sorrel, sunflower, or other sprouts and microgreens.  Avoid those terrible alfalfa sprouts that are at the regular grocery store.  Today at the Farmer’s Market I purchased 2 bunches of sorrel (a lemony tasting spinach-looking thing) for $1 each and a bag of the tiniest little spinach leaves.  I threw them into my blender with an avocado, 1T of white miso, 1 garlic clove, 1/2 a shallot, salt and pepper and about 4c of good water.  If you don’t have sorrel you could use other greens and add some lemon zest and lemon juice.  It made a beautiful green raw soup or green smoothie depending on how you like to call it.  I will be eating some for lunch tomorrow at the gym!