Yes, I’m talking about spring, but also about eating your greens!! I love spinach, arugula, chard, kale, etc with a PASSION. This time of year makes me so excited because soon we will be planting our urban garden out on the deck (this weekend, in fact – the temperature will be in the mid-70’s!!). Also, the farmer’s markets will open in May, and my organic CSA farm will begin harvesting in June (it’s my 9th season getting veggies with them!).
Why are green vegetables so good? If you eat a range of greens, you’ll get just about every vitamin and mineral, including: Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, Vitamin C, E, K, and folate; minerals like manganese, iron, copper, calcium, potassium, zinc, and riboflavin.
Also, greens contain a group of anticancer compounds known as glucosinolates. These compounds exert antioxidant activity, and are potent stimulators of natural detoxifying enzymes in the body.
I try to eat greens every day, like my favorite Rainbow Swiss Chard, above. They become addictive – I think I can *feel* their goodness 🙂 And they will give you a ton of energy in your next day’s yoga practice!
I thought I’d share with you one of my favorite recipes EVER. It’s called Warm Salad, and it’s from the world famous Moosewood Cookbook. After travelling for a few days, I was craving this simple dish, which is a nutritional powerhouse. The best thing about this recipe is that it’s *very* forgiving. You can really use approximations, and it will still taste AMAZING!
WARM SALAD by Mollie Katzen
You can use any combination of greens that you’d like. Use 2-3 greens from this list: escarole, chard, mustard greens, dandelion greens, kale, collards, spinach, tat soi, napa cabbage.
3Tbs. olive oil
5 cups of mixed greens (I recently used one small head of Napa cabbage, one bunch of chard, and one bunch of spinach)
1-2tsp. salt
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 medium leeks
2c. red onion
10oz. sliced mushrooms
1 stalk celery
½ small head of cauliflower
3TBS balsamic or wine vinegar
6TBS parmesan
Fresh black pepper
1) Heat 1TBS oil in a deep skillet or wok. Add the greens, one handful at a time, salting lightly after each addition, and adding more greens as soon as the ones in the pot cook down a bit. Use a fairly intense level of heat under the pot and stir as you cook. When all the greens are wilted and tender, stir in the garlic. Cook and stir one minute more, then transfer to a platter.
2) Add the rest of the oil to the skillet and when it is hot, add leeks, onions, mushrooms, celery, and cauliflower. Salt lightly, and stir-fry quickly over med-high heat until just tender (5-8 minutes). Add to the platter, mix gently to incorporate the greens, and sprinkle with vinegar and parmesan while still hot. Grind black pepper, and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, with thick slices of toasted bread to mop up the juices (I don’t usually do this).
Enjoy!
Barrett
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