Ever since August, I've been stoked on greens.
Growing up, there were some greens - stuff that I hated. Peppers (a hell shell stuffed with rice), green beans (usually accompanied by a can opener) and iceberg lettuce.
My mom isn't horrible. Much. Except that she kept me from my love affair with beets. And denies it.
I took out this book from the library (borrowing saves money and reduces waste. And if you like it that much after reading it, then buy it used from Amazon.) It's called Greens, Glorious Greens and I'll be damned if I've made one recipe from this book. I even shamelessy renewed it for another three weeks.
However! This book has been a complete primer for a Greens Ignoramus like myself. It gives a short chapter on various greens (Chard, Bok Choy, Mustard Greens, Cabbage, Dandelion Greens, etc) mentioning what to look for, how to store it, what parts you eat and then gives recipes on what the heck you do with it.
I'm in love. I will be buying this one eventually - used of course, someone else's grease splatterings and spighetti sauce sprinkling the pages.
This summer I have successfully incorporated chard and kale into our weekly meals. Two days ago I went brave. I bought the one green in the book that was not a success for the authors. They openly admitted that there isn't much to do with this one.
Given my past relationships with men and how they could benefit from my love and attempt at makeovers, I had to try it.
Mustard Greens have entered our lives. And it's not so bad. That's probably because they tried to warn me. It was rather anti-climatic (like all the hype surrounding There's Something About Mary - all for the Load Glazed Hair shot) in that it wasn't nearly as intense as the book said.
Of course if you sautee a pair of socks with shallots and garlic, they probably won't taste that bad either.
Before we were eating the greens on a daily basis, I had symptoms of tingling a lot. Particularly in my legs and one big toe and sometimes my arms. After eating them nearly daily, the tingles dumped me. I don't know what I was missing, but clearly, the greens helped.
I love flipping through the various chapters and choosing the next vegetable that will be adored, washed, chopped and then sauteed.
Sorry folks. That's about as adventurous as I get. Or will admit to on this blog at the moment.
Tonight, I am making rice balls. (I'll pause for those of you who need to smirk).
If you chop up the vegetables tiny enough, mix them with the rice, coat with flour (gluten free in our case) and fry up! A fabulous way to sneak in the veggies.
Speaking of. I'm burning the balls. Time to go gently maneuver them.
4 comments:
ahhh... the joy of greens. according to the Angels, greens are important energetically as well - green foods nourish the heart chakra. one of my favorites is watercress - use it in place of lettuce in salads and on sandwiches... it has a peppery flavor that i can never get enough of!
Thanks for sharing that! It makes perfect sense for me....I am so Serene about the Green! Ha ha! Really though...a new love affair. The watercress is in that cookbook I mentioned and its a flavor I have not yet approached on the dance floor. I'm guessing that you eat it raw (in salads and on sandwiches). How does it taste cooked? Am I revoking it individuality by cooking it?
When I was a kid, or maybe just a younger kid, I was an incredibly picky eater. Greens? Uh uh. Beets? Are you nuts? Brussel Sprouts? You umust be looking for an excuse to discard this tablecloth.
I had borscht once, and it was only after I enjoyed it that I was told it was beet-based. So beets became tolerable, if slightly horrific, color-wise. I still expect them to taste like grape juice concentrate.
Beans I have come to love, but green beans only when they are fresh, washed, and steamed just to the point of half-crunch. I like pretty much all other beans. I'm actually soaking black beans right now for a kitchen adventure tomorrow.
Greens, however. . . my main issue with greens, and when I say greens, understand that I am from the south, parts of it deep. Greens are soul food. And the greens down ehre are slimy and stringy, and regardless of the flavor, I have to choke them down if I get them down at all. It's a consistency thing with me. I have the same issues with cooked spinach, unless said spinach is a pizza topping or in som other way delivered. Spinach pie rocks, for example.
But collards, mustards, etc - down here they are runny with vinegar and just plain hard to swallow. I don't care for cabbage and kale on general flavor principles.
I've had watercress however, in sandwiches, and it is an interesting enhancement.
I still question the sanity of brussel sprouts - who looked at these nuggets of nasty and deemed them food?
How I WISHED beets tasted like grape juice concentrate! YUM!!
What's the deal with mesclun greens, Shades? What does the book have to say? Because to me, they look like big dandelion greens (aka weeds) and they sound like a 60's drug.
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