Chicory Greens : Grumolo

I can't say enough about these greens - cooked or raw - greens and beans, salads, sautéed like spinach - they are ever-loving good!

The bonus to these seeds - I purchase from seeds of italy - growitalian - or Baker Creek - rareseeds - is they are PERENNIAL!  all of the plants came back this spring.  Our frosty winters are -20 below so anything that comes back each year is HARDY...


If you dig below the surface you will find long taproots similar to dandelion - as chicory is the larger  plant category.  These greens are highly nutritious.  good source of fiber, potassium, and vitamins C and B9...

Washing Greens

Great Ceasar's Salad Dressing

One of my favorite scenes in "Madmen" is when they make Ceasar's Salad at table side - it takes me back to when we ate out as a family and this was a special treat made in a large wooden bowl with such ceremony!

This is a modern take.  Just play with the ingredients until you get the right proportions for your palate.  Some prefer more acidity to their dressings, some more garlic.  You don't need a whole lot of anything except olive oil by the cup and tablespoons for everything else - I used the juice of one whole lime. I like to use this dressing to give any greens a lovely coating - romaine, kale, dandelion greens.  Skip the crutons! add the Worcestershire sauce if you have it but I don't think it's essential.
Mine is a simple process - no ceremony.  There are Key ingredients but it can be quickly thrown together and blended until creamy in a blender or food processor  - they are:

sea salt
black pepper - freshly ground
egg yolk - farm fresh
lemon or lime juice - fresh squeezed
pecorino cheese - freshly grated
mustard
olive oil
garlic - farmer grown
anchovies or fish sauce


http://redboatfishsauce.com/fish_sauce.html.

1. The freshest fish makes the best fish sauce.

The primary ingredient in Red Boat is select fresh wild-caught anchovy from the crystal clear waters off the Phu Quoc island archipelago. We use only black anchovy (Ca Com) to lend a unique character and superior flavor to our nước mắm nhi.

2. Artisanal not processed. 

A centuries-old traditional method of slow fermentation in large tropical wood barrels to achieve the smoothest, richest, and sweetest flavor.

3. It takes two. 

We bottle only pure first press “extra virgin” fish sauce so with Red Boat, you are getting an amber elixir that is made of just two all natural ingredients: fresh wild caught anchovy and sea salt.

Wild Mustard Greens

One of the best wild edibles is mustard greens - I have to thank a friend eating green in the Hudson Valley for his great referral of these greens - so I am passing it on to you so more people are aware of this wonderful wild edible.  Wild greens are more nutritious than cultivated.  There are many types in the brassica family - the ones I like the best are 1/ garlic mustard

this forms a white flower - this is one of the first wild greens to emerge in the SPRING!

and 2/ the larged leaf mustard forming a "broccoli rabe" type head

these are prolific NOW! - we are picking them along with GARLIC SCAPES - and saute with olive oil for that garlic leafy green combo - add beans - chickpeas or cannelloni beans - for a fantastic and nutritious meal...

Learn more from this video.  Once I start posting videos -  I'll show you how to cook these Italian style as opposed to the boiling American style as Steve is doing here.  Cute and informative videos from eat the weeds.com

Nutrient Density: Fruits & Veggies

Not surprising - cabbage, chard, beet greens, chicory, parsley, collards, Romaine, endive - all are highly nutritious veggies.  I always wonder - would the findings vary from field to field and growing methods?

One of the misnomers of nutrition labels is it represents the individual products - rather they are standards of a unit measurement of raw materials that go into the product.  There is no regard to where and how it's grown and harvested.  A lab test of the particular item may result in a different nutrition panel.

One thing that is known for sure - a diet rich in dark leafy greens and cruciferous veggies is a healthy one!  To learn more about this list of nutrient dense foods - go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2014/13_0390.htm

Item	Density
Watercress	100.00
Chinese cabbage	91.99
Chard	89.27
Beet green	87.08
Spinach	86.43
Chicory	73.36
Leaf lettuce	70.73
Parsley	65.59
Romaine lettuce	63.48
Collard green	62.49
Turnip green	62.12
Mustard green	61.39
Endive	60.44
Chive	54.80
Kale	49.07
Dandelion green	46.34
Red pepper	41.26
Arugula	37.65
Broccoli	34.89
Pumpkin	33.82
Brussels sprout	32.23

^a Calculated as the mean of percent daily values (DVs) (based on a 2,000 kcal/d diet) for 17 nutrients (potassium, fiber, protein, calcium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, zinc, and vitamins A, B₆, B₁₂, C, D, E, and K) as provided by 100 g of food, expressed per 100 kcal of food. Scores above 100 were capped at 100 (indicating that the food provides, on average, 100% DV of the qualifying nutrients per 100 kcal).

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DARK LEAFY GREENS :Farm fresh picked, packaged, and ready to cook and eat

Our package is a mix of heirloom naturally grown and wild foraged greens - packing a BIG PUNCH of nutrients!!!!

Getting one or more servings per day of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, dark green lettuce, collard greens, or kale should be enough to meet the daily recommended target of 120 micrograms per day for men and 90 micrograms per day for women...http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/calcium-full-story/

Arugula 

Broccoli 

Dandelion Greens 

Kale 

Mustard Greens

Spinach

Swiss Chard

Beet Greens

Edible flowers and leaves

Foraged Greens - lambsquarters, garlic mustard, wild mustard

what to do with dark leafy greens fresh picked, washed and packaged - ready to cook and eat - and may include :
note - it is best to include grated cheese, yogurt, beans, or other sources of calcium with your greens

stir fry - add ginger, sesame oil, peanuts, soy sauce, hot pepper, scallions
greens and beans - chickpeas, canneloni
Minestrone - add veggies, tomato sauce
greens and pasta - cook pasta, add oil and garlic
green Smoothies
frittatta and omelettes

FROM LOWCARBDIETS.COM

"Dark green leafy vegetables are, calorie for calorie, probably 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, among many other effects. Dark green leaves even contain small amounts of Omega-3 fats.

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 than we once thought (the current minimum may not be optimal), and many people do not get enough of it.

Vitamin K:

• Regulates blood clotting
• Helps protect bones from osteoporosis
• May help prevent and possibly even reduce atherosclerosis by reducing calcium in arterial plaques
• May be a key regulator of inflammation, and may help protect us from inflammatory diseases including arthitis
• May help prevent diabetes

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin, so make sure to put dressing on your salad, or cook your greens with oil.

Almost Carb-Free

Greens have very little carbohydrate in them, and the carbs that are there are packed in layers of fiber, which make them very slow to digest. That is why, in general, greens have very little impact on blood glucose. In some systems greens are even treated as a "freebie" carb-wise (meaning the carbohydrate doesn't have to be counted at all).

Note on oxalates: Some greens contain substances called oxalates which may bind some percentage of the calcium in the greens."

Braised Kale

Italian Greens and Beans

Use any dark leafy greens and whatever beans you have on hand.
The nutrition of this combination is perfect!  Addition of cheese/ dairy helps to absorb the nutrients.
2 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
veggie or chicken broth
white cannellini beans, chick peas, or other beans
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 anchovy fillet (optional)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1 head escarole, or curly endive
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

New Ideas & Culinary Inspiration!

See our links - Noteworthy - off to the right for some new ideas on ideas for diverse healthy ingredients in your diet. Click on these links to view video or articles with new ways to cook mostly fruits & vegetables. Click on blog titles and link to more videos!

Walk around our society and see many obese, morbidly obese, and tired people. Many of our food systems have corrupted our bodies. Sedentary lifestyles induce early onset muscle atrophy.

We suggest you maintain homeostasis by sprinting, focusing on dark leafy greens and local farm products in your diet and always - read the ingredients of all food before you purchase. No synthetic substances are digestable!

These videos on health tips include
1.detox
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfBgVStqdxI
2.eating close to mother nature
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9fo3vyf2Rw
3.focus on the outcome you want
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4e1lupvCU8

choosing nutrition, active lifestyles, and calm

Here's how to make dark leafy greens a greater part of your diet...Dark greens pack more nutrients into their leaves so you can feel better, naturally! Vitamins are abundant in leafy green vegetables. Derived from the term “foliage,” folate, is a member of the B vitamin family found primarily in dark leafy green vegetables, legumes, citrus fruits, beets, meat, and wheat germ. Dark greens' high concentration of chlorophyll, the green pigment in plant cells, provide higher levels of nutrients: The darker a green is, the better it is for you!

Arugula (Beta-carotene, iron, vitamin C) The potent peppery flavor. salad green.
Beet Greens (Beta-carotene, calcium, iron, vitamin C) Steam or Saute. salad green.
Collard Greens (Beta-carotene, calcium, folic acid, iron, vitamin C) Steam or Saute.
Dandelion Greens (Beta-carotene, calcium, iron) A member of the sunflower family. salad green. steam. saute.
Kale (Beta-carotene, calcium, folic acid, iron, vitamin C) Stalks and tough center ribs should be removed. soups. saute.
Mustard Greens (Beta-carotene, riboflavin, thiamine, vitamin C) sharp and peppery. Steam or Saute.
Broccoli rabe. Steam or Saute. Frittata. Pasta.
Spinach (Beta-carotene, iron, vitamin C) salads. steam. saute.
Swiss Chard (Beta-carotene, iron, vitamin C) member of the beet family. celery-like stalks that are usually white or red.

Lifestyle choices may reduce risk of cardiac death - be PROACTIVE - here is a list to live by and live well!

"NO SMOKING"

"a glass of red wine (or purple grape juice) — are helpful as well...with their antioxidant properties"

"have cholesterol checked, and be tested for high-sensitivity CRP...if CRP (C-reactive protein) is elevated, the risk of heart attack is too"
HSCRP is 1.6 mg/L or .16 mg/dL

"main sources of fat — olive oil and oily fish as well as nuts, seeds and certain vegetables ...improve cholesterol ratios and reducing inflammation...cook with canola oil and use more expensive and aromatic olive oil for salads"

"vegetables, grains, fruits, beans and fish were the dietary mainstays... cold-water fish like salmon, tuna and mackerel; flax seed; walnuts; and canola oil"

Nature hikes, hunting and fishing trips- forget store meats and fish - animals in the wild live healthier too!

"NO processed foods with synthetic ingredients or trans fats - “partially or fully hydrogenated oils - Ugh!

"The relaxation response twice a day by breathing deeply and rhythmically in a quiet place with eyes closed and muscles relaxed... massage, meditation, prayer, yoga, self-hypnosis, laughter, taking a midday nap, getting a dog or cat, hobbies"

"Brief bouts of exercise, even sprints can be helpful. ..accumulating short bouts — just three minutes each — of brisk walking for a total of 30 minutes a day improved several measures of cardiac risk as effectively as one continuous 30-minute session"

"oral hygiene - bacteria causes low-grade chronic inflammation. Regular periodontal cleanings, helps protect your heart as well as your teeth"

"manage diabetes or high blood pressure, if diagnosed, since risk of heart disease is well-established"


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/13/health/13brod.html?em