Leafy Greens - the little black dress of the vegetable world

A weed is no more than a flower in disguise...April 9th
Pewter Cuff on Canadian Thistle

It's a beautiful day up here on the top of the world. The sunshine is back and the snow gone. There's a light frost on the ground which made this gigantic thistle glisten. I am going to protect it and watch it grow into a beautiful flower for the butterflies. A weed is no more than a flower in disguise.  My first post on the grannycirlcle blog. Love, R.



Clara - Beautiful cuff - adore your pewter work. 
I don't know if you can eat thistle leaves  - I know as children we would carefully pull apart the fibrous top to reveal a nut which we ate; but I am feeling passionate about leafy greens. Leafy green vegetables are like the 'little black dress' of the vegetable world. They go with just about everything and they’re appropriate for every occasion.

Obviously, the best way to eat greens is uncooked, fresh from the garden, with Spinach or Rocket being my favourites because of their versatility. They can be stir fried in a little olive oil, wilted by steaming for a very short time, but I love them when added to cooked vegetables, at the last minute for extra colour and super nutrition as with Roasted Vegetables


Quick-cooking Greens

These greens can either be eaten raw or lightly cooked. Six cups of raw greens become approximately one cup of cooked greens and take only a few minutes to cook. Spinach, Chard, Rocket, Beet Greens, Dandelion greens, Sorrel and Cabbage belong in this category.


Sichuan Style Spinach or Green Leaves - Serves 4 as a side dish

30g peanut oil (slurp)
20 black peppercorns
4 dried red chillies
2 garlic cloves
2 bunches English spinach (or baby spinach leaves)
Sea salt
30ml chinese wine (slurp)
Dash sesame oil
Method - Heat oil over medium heat, add ground peppercorns and chilli until fragrant. Remove, add garlic, then wine, salt, spinach and cook until wilted and liquid nearly evaporated. Add seasoning, and chilli.


More about the little black dress of vegetables and why I am passionate about them, apart from their help with Fitinmyjeans. Green leaves are perhaps the most anti-ageing of all foods and once I start on them I have to give you all the good news. Love C

It was common for our ancient ancestors to eat up to six pounds of leaves per day, ie a grocery bag full of greens each and every day? Calorie for calorie, they are perhaps the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food. They are a rich source of minerals (including iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium) and vitamins, including vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins. They also provide a variety of phytonutrients including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which protect our cells from damage and our eyes from age-related problems, can help prevent age-related cognitive decline and may also reduce your risk of skin cancer among many other effects. Dark green leaves even contain small amounts of Omega-3 fats.
Almost Carb-Free, with the carbs that are there packed in layers of fibre, which make them very slow to digest.
Perhaps the star of these nutrients is Vitamin K. A cup of most cooked greens provides at least nine times the minimum recommended intake of Vitamin K, and even a couple of cups of dark salad greens usually provide the minimum all on their own. Recent research has provided evidence that this vitamin may be even more important functions.


Vitamin K
•Regulates blood clotting
•Helps protect bones from osteoporosis
•May be a key regulator of inflammation, and may help protect us from inflammatory diseases including arthritis.
Fat-soluble vitamin, so make sure to put dressing on your salad, or cook your greens with oil.


Storing - Greens should be dry or almost dry, after washing; store in a bag with as much of the air pushed out as you easily can. I like to put a barely damp paper towel in for just the right amount of moisture. Then, put them in the vegetable drawer of your fridge.