Great, Green, Glorious Greens

Great, Green, Glorious Greens
by Leanne Ely, C.N.C.

If you live in the South, you know what greens are- collards,
turnip greens, kale, mustard greens, creasy greens. If this all
sounds Greek to you, listen up! There's a fully nutritious,
taste treat waiting for you that's no further away than your
grocer's produce department.

Some foods just happen to be more nutritionally dense than other
foods- greens are such a food. Take Iceberg lettuce for example-
please. This stuff is essentially water and not much more,
nutritionally speaking. There are much better options.

The key is the color. Dark, green leafy stuff always packs more
of a nutritional punch than the wimpy, light green stuff.

And a perfect example of that is Greens, capital G. These
nutrient-dense, leafy friends are packed with A and C vitamins
and also supply a good amount of (surprise!) calcium to the body.
And one of the best things about these veggies is they're cheap-
maybe 39 cents a pound (or so-depending where you live). If
you're itching to garden, growing any of these greens is easy
and rewarding- they grow like weeds! The bonus with the turnip
greens is the turnip on the end of the green. Turnips are
delicious in a variety of ways, like in soups, stews and even
sliced thin in salads!

Start looking at your produce section more thoroughly. I know
how it is.you hone in on the stuff you always buy and don't
really take the time to look around and see what else is there.
But start perusing the produce and look at the stuff caterers
and restaurants more often than not use for garnish. Pick up some
kale and give it a try. You'll love it! Really!

Here is a very simple, introductory recipe for beginning Greens
eaters:

Great Green Greens
Servings: depends on how much you cook!

1 bunch collard greens -- deribbed, chopped
turnip greens
creasy greens
kale

Wash well, derib the big ones like collards, then steam till
tender. It may take awhile on the collards, the others watch.
Stick a fork in to test for tenderness.

Serve with rice wine vinegar. Completely delicious and highly
nutritious.

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Hip Tips
*Spinach is the ultimate "fast food" green. Throw it into
salads, pasta, and even stir fries. It wilts almost
instantaneously and ratchets up the nutrition a major notch.