Harvest Co-op: Nutrition

Greens include arugula, beet greens, broccoli rabe, chard, collards, dandelion greens,
mustard greens, sorrel, turnip greens, and watercress. They’re easy to cook, incredibly tasty, and generally abundant. Their flavors range from mild (chard, collard, dandelion) through astringent (arugula, sorrel) to sharp (broccoli rabe, mustard, turnip, watercress). They are often served wilted or gently cooked, but make great salad additions, too.

Greens are rich in beta carotene, vitamin C, fiber, calcium, and iron.
When choosing greens, pick the freshest, greenest leaves. Avoid those that are yellow or discolored. Store them unwashed in the refrigerator, lightly wrapped in damp paper towels inside a plastic bag that has been punctured to allow air exchange. Use them within a few days, as their high water content makes them subject to wilt and subsequent decline.

Wash all greens well before using. Separate the leaves and swish them in cool water, changing the water as necessary, until all dirt and sand has been removed. Discard the stems and cook the leaves in the water still clinging to them, unless your recipe specifies otherwise. Cook gently for 5 to 8 minutes.

2 lbs. fresh greens (beet, collard, kale, mustard, Swiss chard, or turnip)
1 beef bouillon cube
2 Tbs. oil
¼ tsp. dried hot red pepper flakes

Rinse fresh greens thoroughly and drain in a colander. Remove tough stems and tear large leaves into pieces. Place in a large cooking pan and add bouillon cube, oil, and red pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover briefly and toss greens with a fork to dissolve bouillon cube. Cover again and simmer gently for 5 to 8 minutes.

Sautéed Mustard Greens
Serves 6

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large bunches mustard greens (about 2 pounds), washed well, spun dry,
coarse stems discarded, and leaves cut into three inch pieces

In large, heavy skillet heat oil over high heat until hot but not smoking and add greens. Turn greens with tongs until wilted. Sauté greens, turning occasionally,
about 5 minutes, or until any liquid is evaporated, and season with salt.

When growing, this green thrives best in the shade and requires a stream or brook nearby to feed its thirsty roots. A heaping cup of watercress has a mere 10 calories. Watercress can be used in salads, as a garnish, or in recipes that range from scrambled eggs or crepes to a watercress-pineapple sorbet.

12 oz. fettuccine, uncooked
12oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
18 oz. can orange juice concentrate
5 Tbs. teriyaki sauce
2 Tbs. lime juice
18 oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained
2 bunches watercress, coarsely chopped
3 Tbs. chopped pecans, lightly toasted
2 oranges peeled and sliced into sections

While pasta is cooking, stir together the orange juice concentrate, teriyaki sauce, and lime juice in a medium skillet. Add the chicken breasts, cover the skillet, and simmer four minutes. Turn the chicken, cover and cook for four more minutes or until done. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and let it cool.

Add the water chestnuts to the orange sauce. Bring to a boil and stir. Slice the chicken into strips and add it to the sauce.

In a large serving bowl, toss together the hot pasta, pecans, and watercress. Add chicken and orange sauce. Garnish with orange slices and serve.

While beets are nutritious vegetables, their leaves supply three times as much vitamin C, four times as much iron, seven times as much calcium, and over a hundred times as much beta carotene as the beets themselves. If you grow your own, don’t discard those tasty thinnings! New leaves with tiny beets attached make a delicious salad, or try the following quick and easy recipe.

12 to 15 tiny beets with leaves attached
2 Tbs. oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 green onion, chopped
½ tsp. dill weed
½ tsp. tarragon
Salt to taste

Wash beets and leaves and remove any inedible portion. Heat oil, lemon juice, onion, and herbs in a heavy pan with a tight fitting lid. Add beets with leaves attached, and steam over medium heat. Check after 5 minutes, adding a small amount of water if necessary to prevent burning. Cook a few minutes more, until beets are fork tender.

-The New Laurel’s Kitchen by Laurel Robertson, Carol Flinders, and Brian Ruppenthal

Broccoli rabe (also called raab or rapini) is a cousin to broccoli, both are members
of the family known as “brassicas.” Rabe is actually a turnip, and while Italians have eaten the greens with their tiny florets for centuries, they consider the roots to be
animal feed. Broccoli rabe is strong in flavor, as are turnip greens in general, and should be cooked to mellow their assertiveness. Orecchiette alla Barese is a traditional dish in the olive-oil producing district around Bari in southern Italy.

2 bunches of broccoli rabe
Salt, to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
6 oil-pack anchovy filets or to taste
1 tsp. hot red pepper flakes
1 lb. orecchiette (“little ears”) or other small pasta, like farfalle, small shells, or rotini
4 quarts water
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Clean and coarsely chop the broccoli rabe. Bring about an inch of lightly salted water to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Add the rabe and cook until it is tender and only a few tablespoons of liquid are left in the bottom of the pan, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm.

In a separate skillet or sauté pan, gently sauté the garlic in the olive oil until it is soft, then melt in the anchovy fillets by crushing them in the garlicky oil with a fork. Add the red pepper flakes and stir to mix well. Turn the garlic-pepper oil into the broccoli rabe and mix.

Cook the pasta in lightly salted boiling water until done. Drain the pasta and immediately combine with the seasoned broccoli rabe. Turn into a warm serving bowl, add black pepper, and serve. (The addition of grated cheese is not recommended with this dish).

½ cup water
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1 large garlic clove, sliced thin
1 bunch broccoli rabe, hollow or coarse stems discarded

In a 12-inch skillet bring water, soy sauce, and garlic to a boil. Add broccoli rabe and cook covered, over moderately high heat 2 minutes. Remove cover and cook until water is evaporated and broccoli rabe is tender. Season broccoli rabe with salt.