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Article 13. Eat Your Greens

EAT YOUR GREENS....
...is advice that is frequently repeated in nutritional circles. Ah greens – dark green like a forest and hiding nutrients that can kill cancer cells, cleanse the liver and chase the winter blahs . Cooked to perfection they can satisfy the most epicurean of tastes, but often as not, they are cooked to destruction.

Lets take Kale and Swiss Chard, Spinach and Rapini, Dandelions and Lamb’s Quarters – that are rich in calcium, cancer-fighting phytochemicals called indoles, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. They are rich in fiber that protects against constipation, colon cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease and other maladies of civilization . What more could one want?

When these leafy greens are cooked in water they tend to dwindle down to practically nothing, besides being soggy. Instead, prepare an aromatic (not hot) spice mixture in which you cook the leafy greens for just a few minutes. In this way the nutrients will be better preserved, there will be a larger volume and the flavour will be infinitely better. If using kale, cut out the stems; they tend to be tough except in very young plants.
Lamb’s quarters – growing in some profusion in many a back yard as a common weed, are exceedingly rich in calcium and boast a flavour that is more delicate than spinach.

Remember that greens with a slightly bitter taste (dandelion greens, rapini) tend to be excellent liver detoxifiers, something we don’t get enough of.

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Edith Carter

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