Kermit, that lovable Sesame Street frog that influenced a generation of Gen Xers, had it right when he sang, “It’s not easy being green.”
Bet you didn’t know his back-up singers: kale, chard, mustard greens, tatsoi and sorrel.
A few years ago, that unlikely chorus was really singing the blues: “Nobody likes me; everybody hates me. Guess I’ll go eat worms…”
Now, thanks to dietitians, nutrition counselors, adventurous cooks and backyard gardeners, the greens are standing tall, finally getting the respect they deserve.
But do we like them?
Some of us do. But some of us remain afraid, said Shared Harvest garden manager Karen Esser.
“These greens are unfamiliar to many. People don’t like to try things they don’t know. Or they may have had one bad experience that keeps them from trying the same vegetable again,” she said.
Esser is a familiar face in the cooperative organic garden, on County Road 234. With more than 60 other families, she works the soil week after week from April until the plot is put to bed, less than a month before the snow flies.
Esser recalled years of hating beets because she’d only sampled pickled beets. But after she discovered a dozen different ways to prepare the beets she was growing, the personal chef found an appreciation for the ruby-colored root vegetable. Now she loves beet tops, too.
Esser said texture can be a big turn off, especially if a green vegetable feels slimy or slippery instead of crunchy or creamy. She referenced the era in which spinach was served right out of the can, “Popeye style.”
The spinach-eating sailor might have won the heart of Olive Oyl, but he did little to convince a generation of cartoon viewers to eat spinach because it was a good route to muscle-bound fitness.
What if Popeye had taken his strength from a fresh spinach salad, dressed in a dab of olive oil? Could the crispy crunch of fresh spinach have convinced kids to trade in the iceberg lettuce for a deeper green alternative?
Maybe.
Even making small substitutions in which less-nutritious garnishes are replaced with deeper green choices gradually introduces better nutrition into the diet.
Olive oil and spinach are still a great pair, said Susie Young, a registered dietitian at Durango Cancer Center. Plus, the antioxidant effect of carotenoids, found in most deeply colored vegetables, can be amped up for more benefit.
“Carotenoids are fat-soluble. If you cook your greens in a small amount of fat, you’ll increase the rate of absorption in the small intestine,” Young said.
Sautéing in olive oil is one of Esser’s favorite ways of preparing most greens, including the distinctly flavored beet tops that most folks throw away. Many root vegetable tops can be tossed into stir-fried dishes, soups and stews to add color, interest, nutrition and variety, Esser said.
For novices ready to conquer their fear of green vegetables but not interested in making huge dietary changes, Esser and Young recommend mixing small amounts of the unfamiliar into familiar standbys, such as mincing greens into scrambled eggs, omelets or quiches.
Using a mandolin for slicing and a food dehydrator can help change the texture and turn vegetables into chips for snacking or a garnish, Esser said.
Young echoes the good advice. Substituting deeply colored, carotenoid-rich vegetables for those that are less nutritious, eases unfamiliar foods onto the plate and helps cooks wander into more adventurous territory.
“I strongly recommend small, incremental changes,” Young said.
She counsels recovering cancer patients and the chronically ill to be more conscious of their dietary choices so they can make the type of nutrition and exercise decisions that will be practiced for a lifetime.
Whether it is starting an exercise program or introducing new flavors and nutrition-packed foods into one’s diet, or both, Young said it’s all about creating a “new normal.”
Making the commitment to good nutrition pays off, Young said. For example, research indicates that eating a diet rich in carotenoids, specifically those containing lutein and zeaxanthin, just three times a week can delay the progression of eye diseases such as macular degeneration, which eventually causes blindness.
While Young champions leafy green vegetables for optimal health, she pairs a good diet with regular exercise, emphasizing the mind and body connection that comes with the commitment to a regular program.
Esser, too, recognizes the value of good nutrition, but for her, it’s equally about taste. She said learning to eat unfamiliar vegetables can be as easy as creating a good dip or dressing and just setting out a variety of greens for sampling.
It helps, too, to start a backyard garden. Plant a greens garden and you’ll be motivated to use what you nurtured to the harvest, she said.
“I had a very conventional taste upbringing,” Esser said, referring to a childhood in which there was little menu exploration.
But when Esser realized she had a passion for gardening and found friends with the same interest, her green vegetable world expanded. She found ways to experiment, be resourceful and enjoy the unfamiliar.
Durango pharmacist Andrea Chadwell gardens with Esser.
Chadwell’s favorite find in Shared Harvest’s garden is sorrel, a lemon-flavored herb packed with vitamin A that towers among the other plants, looking more like a perennial, large-leafed flower than an edible green.
Chadwell picks the smaller leaves, most plentiful in the spring, and adds them to salads. At least five days a week she tosses them into a blender with a variety of vegetables including spinach, frisee, beets and avocado. Some days she’ll add an orange, almond milk, tofu and even raw oats or chia seeds.
“This will really hold you over until lunch,” Chadwell said, explaining that the process is quick and no expensive equipment or a strainer is needed.
“I’ve been through about three blenders. My favorite place to pick one up is at the thrift shop.”
Chadwell said she’s been juicing for years, and that the combination of vegetables and fruits with the chia seeds helps her maintain a glucose balance and thus curb cravings. She mixes the daily drink based on what she has available and the flavor combo she desires, never tiring of her breakfast routine.
Esser said that even the gardeners at Shared Harvest who have ready access to the crops occasionally shy away from some of the Asian greens such as Chinese cabbage and tatsoi, a peppery salad addition. It’s a matter of putting these lesser-knowns on the table and making those household words, she said.
In time, these humble and easy-to-grow champions will be as appreciated as basil, cilantro and arugula, which decades ago were also the newest kids in the neighborhood.
Kale Orzo Salad
Ingredients:
1 12-ounce bag Garden Time (or other brand) organic orzo
1 bunch organic kale, chopped
1 pint organic cherry tomatoes, halved
½ organic cucumber, diced
¾ cup organic carrot, shredded
½ organic red onion, diced
½ bunch parsley coarsely chopped
6-8 large, organic basil leaves, coarsely chopped
¼ cup organic extra virgin olive oil
2-3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
Cook orzo according to package directions. Cool. Add all vegetables. Toss gently. Dress with olive oil and vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill.
Recipe courtesy of Durango Natural Foods.
