Washing Fresh Greens*
Fill a sink or basin with cool water. Separate the greens and
submerge them. With your hands, gently but thoroughly swirl the
leaves under the water, then allow them to soak for a few minutes.
The dirt will settle to the bottom. Transfer wet greens to a
colander. *From Vegan Gourmet. Prima Publishing.
Bok Choy, Mushrooms and
Ginger*
Your baby bok choy is a Chinese green used in stirfrys and
vegetable dishes. This calcium-rich food is best tendercrisp. If
you are looking for a different stirfry recipe, try this one.
4 tsp. canola oil
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. peeled, minced gingerroot
4 cups of sliced bok choy
1/4 cup green onions
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
1/4 tsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
In a wok or large skillet, sauté mushrooms, onion, garlic and
ginger to oil over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
Stir in bok choy and green onions; cook for 2 to 3 minutes. In
a small bowl, combine water, cornstarch, tamari and sesame oil.
Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in cornstarch mixture, cover
and cook, stirring 2 or 3 times until liquid has thickened and
glazed vegetables.
Garnish with cilantro or parsley and serve with rice and/or
tofu.
*From Cooking Vegetarian by Vesanto Melina and Joseph Forest.
Published by Macmillan Canada.
Collard Facts
The following excerpt is from John Jeavons et. al in "Backyard
Homestead Mini-Farm and Garden Log Book" where high praise
is given to these greens for their nutritional value, ease of
growing (particularly in West Coast climates) and ability to
withstand climate changes.
"Collards are remarkable plants. Lightly steamed or stir-fried,
gram for gram collards have twice the amount of oxalic acid-free
calcium as milk, over 8 times the amount of Vitamin A as tomatoes,
1 1/2 times the amount of Vitamin C as orange juice, 70% of the
potassium found in bananas, as much iron and phosphorus as
potatoes, and almost twice the protein as oatmeal or white rice!
"Eaten raw, collards have even higher nutritional value.
As a calcium-producer, collards are highly space-efficient,
producing 6 to 16 times more per unit of area than a milk-producing
animal would.
"Collards are also remarkable because they can be grown
in both cool and warm but not hot climates. They are frost-hardy
plants that become tastier after a light frost."
*From Backyard Homestead Mini-Farm and Garden Log Book. Published
by Ecology Action of the Mid-Peninsula.
Mixed Greens
An assortment of assertive greens is steamed then cooked in
the dressing- olive oil and an amalgam of cilantro, garlic and
parsley with lots of cumin. A squeeze of lemon juice finishes the
dish. This salad has big, bold, robust flavors and can be eaten
tepid or hot from the pan or at room temperature. You could also
serve it as a vegetable with a pilaf or mix it with yogurt and
fill a pita bread.
12 cups mixed green such as mustard, rocket (arugula),
watercress, dandelion, kale, spinach, chard, escarole, collard
greens, etc.
4 large garlic cloves
salt
2 good handfuls of parsley leaves
1 or 2 good handful of cilantro leaves
2 to 3 tbsp. virgin olive oil
2 tsp. Paprika
2 tsp. Cumin
1 lemon cut into wedges
Set the greens in a steamer, with the tough ones on the bottom.
Cover and steam until they are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Or bring
a large pot of water to boil, add salt, and cook the greens in
separate batches, separating tough from tender, until they are
done. The times will vary according to the type of green, so
check by tasting them.
Set the cooked greens in a colander to drain, squeeze out the
excess liquid, and chop them roughly. Put the garlic, salt and
fresh herbs in food processor until everything is finely chopped.
Gradually warm the olive oil with the paprika and cumin. When it
begins to smell good, add the paste and mix it with the oil.
Add the greens and cook everything together for a minute or so
until excess moisture has evaporated from the pan. Pile into a
serving dish and garnish with the lemon wedges. *From The Savory
Way. Published by Bantam Books.
Kale Facts
Typically available in the dark green variety (but purple is
also available), kale has a large curly leaf bunched together, it
resembles an overgrown parsley. Kale has a slightly sharp flavour
with a tough leaf. Best steamed or blanched to soften the leaves.
Blanching will produce a milder taste. Can be easily added to
soups, casseroles, burgers and many other dishes without
blanching first.
Wash well in a sink full of water. Discard stems and rinse
under the tap. Shrinks somewhat with cooking, although not as
much as many other greens. Before adding to a salad, shred, then
steam until slightly soft. Easy to grow and can survive harsh
winter climates.
An excellent source of calcium, this dish contains 374 mg per
serving. The daily recommended serving a day for calcium is
between 600-1000mg depending on the source.
Kale Pasta Salad
7 oz rotini
6 cups packed finely chopped kale, ribs removed
2 1/2 cups cooked white or black beans or 1 can (19oz, 540ml)
8 oz tofu, crumbled
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/4 cup chopped pitted green olives
2 tbsp. capers
Dressing:
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Cook pasta until tender and rinse with cold water and drain.
Set aside.
Steam kale until wilted; let cool. With your hands, squeeze
out excess water. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine pasta, kale,
beans, tofu, tomatoes, olives and capers.
In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, garlic, salt and
pepper. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat well. *From
CalciYum! Published by Bromedia Inc.
Hearty Kale-Quinoa Soup
2 onions chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 lb mushrooms chopped
10 cups veggie broth
3/4 cup quinoa
1/3 cup pearl barley
1/3 cup lentils
3 carrots, sliced
3 Tbsp tamari (soy sauce)
2 tsp dried dill weed (or 2 Tbsp fresh)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
4 cups kale, chopped coarsely
~Saute onions garlic and celery in veggie broth until
the onions are translucent.
~Add the mushrooms and cook 5 min.
~Add the broth, tamari, quinoa, lentils, barley and
carrots to the pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
~Reduce heat and add dill.
~Simmer one hour.
~Add parsley and kale and simmer another 10 min.
~This soup really thickens up - you can add some
more broth if you want it less stew-like.
bugus@ladybugorganics.com
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