Fall Greens
Written by Zeba Due
There is an abundance of greens coming from the earth and
teaming up with more fresh vegetables to add to the Eat Local Challenge
opportunities here at the VFC.
Some are so new, specific nutritional information is scarce but
all dark leafy vegetables have similar nutritional properties. Dark leafy
vegetables are rich in iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium as well as
vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins. They provide phytonutrients
including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which protect our cells from
damage and our eyes from age related problems. Dark 
greens even contain small
amounts omega 3.
Another not so familiar green food is the “Broccolo
Spigariello”. These scalloped
green leaves have a combination of broccoli, turnip, and kale flavors. These
petite greens are ideal as a salad mix, edible garnish, and also in soups or
casseroles.² They are here for a limited time only, so be sure to give them a try while they are available!
A very familiar green leafy vegetable is the Kale. A few of
the many nutritional qualities of kale are calcium, iron, magnesium,
phosphorous, potassium, sodium, zinc, Vitamins A,C, B6, K, thiamin, riboflavin,
niacin, pantothenic acid, folate, omega 3 and 6.³
Kale is also an excellent addition as a salad mix, edible
garnish, in soups and casseroles. Individuals like to sauté kale in hot oil
with a little tamari, salt, and pepper. Other people like it sautéed in butter
with fresh garlic, salt, and pepper. I have also been informed that it taste
great after pressure cooking for about 7-10 minutes. Blanching kale for about
3-5 minutes, straining, and freezing, preserves it for future use.
Sources
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbsuperfoods/a/greensnutrition.htm.
- www.specialtyproduce.com
- www.nutritiondata.com