A Guide to The Greens of your Life

It's well-known that vegetables contribute greatly to overall health, but, for some reason or another, most people completely ignore dark green leaves from their daily routine--and it is a shame, both to the farmers, who overproduce what ultimately becomes waste, and to the people, who have no idea of their benefits. I must first refer everyone to Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's Greening Your Life podcast, but for the basics, read on.


Obviously, greens are important to me, as my banner is a bunch of Cavolo Nero (Dinosaur / Lacinato Kale), but really, how important? Well, I'm unashamed to admit that I actually crave the bitterness of Belgian Endive, the tang and sulfuric crunch of curly kale dressed with lemon juice and olive oil with dried cranberries, etc. But how do these leaves stack-up against the average head of romaine? Well, romaine is a great start--it is high in vitamins A and C, fiber, even protein. Otherwise, it is mostly water, as it's blandness might indicate. 


Curly kale, on the other hand, is tough--it really must be chewed into submission. And yes, I do mean chewed, which is not as difficult or unappealing as I have made it out to be, but I generally encourage people to eat their greens in a raw state, not least because when cooked their texture becomes somewhat akin to baby-food. At this point, you might be thinking, well, "why? That sound's awful". Allow me to reassure you that you will not only become accustomed to the textures and flavors of greens, but you will come to crave them, too, as your body drops some hints about the nutrients that it needs.


There are over 1000 leafy plants species known to be edible, and most of those commonly cultivated go soggy on store shelves, or are bought and go soggy on fridge shelves, or perhaps get steamed, puréed, and stirred into a vat of butter and cream, which I will never recommend. If blending is your thing, then chuck a handful of collards, kale, spinach, or some of each in a blender, then add some parsley, cilantro, and a peeled lime. Finally, add a some purified water, and, maybe, an avocado. Blend and enjoy. I prefer this on the thinner side, as thick green smoothies make me want to vomit, but it's really all about personal taste. I would also note that you can add a variety of things to these to up the ante even further: maca powder, cacao nibs, coconut butter, flaxseed oil, hemp seeds, chia seeds, etc. The point is to increase the bioavailability of nutrients and essentially make yourself a multivitamin in food form. 


A few ideas:


Curly Kale with Pine Nuts, Cranberries, and Lemon Dressing:


1 Bunch Curly (regular) Kale
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup raw pine nuts (pignolia)


tossed with:


2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, or flaxseed oil
juice of 1 lemon, organic
salt
pepper


Serves 2-4


Green Jewel:


1 handful parsley
2 handfuls cilantro (coriander)
1 handful collard greens
1 handful spinach
1 lime, peeled
1 avocado
1 tsp flaxseed oil
pinch salt
water, about 1-2 cups


blend for 30 seconds to 1 min in a high-speed blender, or longer in a regular blender. Serve immediately, but drink slowly. 


Serves 1-2.