Spring Greens
I'm dreaming of spring greens. It's only mid February, but I can feel the seasons begin to shift. Spring is the time for greens. They help you lighten up from heavier winter foods. And there's a lot to choose from.
kale, spinach, chard, parsley, lettuce, cilantro,dill, mustard greens, collards, arugula, watercress, endive, escarole, lambsquarters, Chinese cabbage, bok choy, chickweed, dandelion greens, tops of radishes, tops of beets, tops of daikon, turnip greens, Swiss chard, and mesculin mix. Some are tough greens and need cooking like kale and collards. Some are soft and can be eaten raw, like spinach, arugula, lettuce, cilantro, parsley and dill. So try a variety. Spring greens heal you Spring is the time for the liver to cleanse, say the Chinese in their healing system. I agree. Green help your liver digest fat. Also in spring it's helpful to reduce heavy and fatty foods. Give your body a spring cleaning. And you might like a green drink. The one I like is called Amazing Grass, a mix of greens, grasses and berries. It tastes good. There's also barley greens drinks available. I love it for any time I feel too intense or overworked. It is refreshing, better than soda! Glorious greens. After a while, Your body will start to crave them! The energy of spring is upward, light, bright and fresh. So make your food like that, too. Stir fry and salads and light soups are all good places to have your spring greens. Here's some recipes: Strawberry Spinach Salad with Mint Dressing 2 cups fresh spinach, wash and tear into bite size pieces 2 handful strawberries, sliced 2 Tbsp red onion, diced 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped Toss these together and add a a light dressing like this: 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup rice vinegar 2 Tbsp or so fresh mint salt and pepper to taste Mix the dressing in a separate bowl, then add the amount you want to the salad. variations: spinach also goes well with orange wedges, avocado, and apples. Basic Boiled Spring Greens Choose 8 cups of one or more of these: Beet greens, bok choy, dandelion greens, mustard greens, Swiss chard, turnip greens , kale, etc Bring 2 quarts of water to boil in a big pot. Wash greens and remove any tough stems. cut into bite size pieces Add greens to boiling water. For tender greens, cook 30 seconds to one minute, for tougher greens, cook 5 minutes. Pull out the greens with s slotted spoon. drain and serve with lemon.
Oriental Greens Soup 1 1/2 cups leeks, sliced 5-6 shiitake mushrooms, fresh, sliced 2 cups sliced bok choy 1-2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp finely grated ginger (I use a microplane) 2 tsp sesame seeds, raw or toasted 1 tsp sea salt 2 Tbsp sesame oil 1 Tbsp arrowroot, dissolved in a bit of cold water 5 cups water lemon zest, fresh lemon juice Add oil into a big soup pot and heat on medium lo heat. Add garlic and sesame seeds and saute 2 minutes or so. Add leeks and mushrooms, saute 5 minutes. Add water, ginger, salt and greens. Bring to a boil and cook 10 minutes. add arrowroot and mix in. Cook 3 minutes. Add lemon zest and lemon juice to taste. Spring greens are easy to grow. Alan grows kale, bok choy and collards and they are so soft and fresh, better than any store bought greens. I encourage you to try it!
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