Winter greens, teeming with micronutrients, nourish my family during the darkest days of the season when the fields offer little else but stored apples and pumpkin. As days grow shorter, spinach, Swiss chard and other winter greens slowly replace the tender mesclun lettuces of spring and summer before the cycle begins anew. At the height of the winter season, when snow blankets our little ski town and gingerly encroaches on the farmland to the west, winter greens make their appearance on the supper table every evening.
While a winter filled with greens, greens and more greens may seem dull or very limited, winter greens are remarkably versatile. The peppery nuances of turnip greens provide a lovely pungency when compared to the subtle sweetness of fresh, baby spinach while more exotic Asian greens like tat soi and mizuna offer a charming alternative to classic and well-known greens such as Swiss chard and collards. Local, farm fresh winter greens are widely available and readily grown in a variety of climates – making them easily accessible from farm stands and farmers markets even on the coldest and darkest of days.
Winter greens are a rich source of micronutrients: particularly, the antioxidant beta carotene as well as vitamin K1, manganese, potassium, calcium and iron. Yet, it’s important to note that greens also contain the anitnutrient oxalic acid which binds of minerals present in the leafy vegetables, inhibiting their full absorption. Cooking greens lightly and choosing fresh, young leaves helps to mitigate oxalic acid content by about 15%; however, persons with healthy intestinal flora are able to effectively metabolize oxalates to a greater degree than those who suffer from gut dysbiosis – illustrating yet another critical role that beneficial bacteria play in human health. Indeed, both lactobacillus bacteria as well as oxalobacter formigenes play a role in the body’s ability to effectively process oxalates. Use of antibiotics, which kill beneficial bacteria as well as pathogens, may cause the loss of these critical bacteria.
1. Swiss Chard
Swiss chard is a leafy green vegetable related to the common garden beet. It’s dark, broad leaves and often vibrantly colored stems, are rich in vitamins and minerals. A one-cup serving of cooked Swiss chard contains 10,717 IU vitamin A, mostly as beta carotene, 573 mcg vitamin K and 32 mg vitamin C as well as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and manganese. Swiss chard, with its faintly beet-like flavor, is particularly well suited to citrus fruits. For a nourishing side dish, heat butter in a skillet until melted, fry shallots auntil well caramelized, add chard and cook until tender before deglazing the pan with orange or lemon juice. Choose Swiss chard with dark leaves, avoiding those with pallid or yellowing leaves, and with a crisp stem.(…)
Read the rest of Five Winter Greens You Don’t Want to Miss (473 words)
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© Jenny for The Nourished Kitchen, 2009. |
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