The LocalHarvest Blog

Ever since I finally learned how to properly cook fresh vegetables (which I hate to admit did not happen until I turned about 28 years old), I have been fond of leafy greens of all kinds. Kale, chard, spinach, mustards, collards, etc. I did not grow up with greens as part of my diet, except the very rare occasion my mom would nuke some frozen spinach topped with some sort of processed cheese product in the microwave. It generally did not go over well with my brother and I, and I probably took very few bites of it. But once I became a gardener myself and started regularly attending farmers markets, greens became a way of life. At the end of market days, I would often drive away with a full box of leftover greens that other farmers would give me.

There are a lot of reasons to like greens from a gardeners perspective: relatively pest resistant (a few exceptions include aphids, flea beetles, and snails), tolerate a wide range of temperatures especially on the low end, some are biennials or even perennials meaning they will continue growing over multiple years, can regenerate after cutting them (called "cut and come again"), don't require copious water, and many are aesthetically pleasing and can add color to your garden (such as rainbow chard or purple kale). Growing them from seed is easy- check out this guide here.

There are a lot of reasons to like greens from an eaters perspective too: high in micronutrients, anti-oxidants, fiber, low calorie, and zero carbs. They are versatile and can go in every meal, even desserts (not so strange, I swear) and are generally affordable and readily available in many parts of the country. I have included 6 Kale-centric recipes below. I have tested each of them and they are delicious. Kale in particular is high in potassium, Vitamin B6, C & K, calcium, iron, and fiber. It is truly a superfood and should be added to your diet. See this website for all about cooking different greens.

So go ahead- get your kale on! A collection of great kale recipes awaits you at the end of this newsletter.

Kindly,
-Rebecca Thistlethwaite

Guillermo

07:00 PM CDT