I’m so thrilled that fresh, local leafy greens are back in town! I planted my garden a little later this year; now, each day, I’m excited to see more fresh greens popping up and making their way to my dinner plate: baby lettuces, beet greens, spinach, and chard. The young leaves taste so flavorful!
I’m also a member of a Community Supported Agriculture farm that has been delighting me with fresh-picked arugula and beautiful heads of lettuce. And a friend recently gave me a bunch of spicy mustard greens to try. So I like to mix in a few of the tangy leaves of the greens with the milder lettuces in my salads; I also add the greens to omelettes and soups.
Leafy greens are packed with nutrition and flavor, and when they’re fresh-picked and local, they’re even better. So celebrate the beginning of summer with something green!
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Selecting and Storing
- For salads, select baby leaves of arugula, chard, and beet greens, as well as all sizes of lettuce; for sautéing, select larger leaves of greens. Look for crisp stalks and leaves with vibrant color.
- Remove stems and any bruised leaves. Wash in a clean sink or large bowl full of water to remove dirt and sand. (Repeat until the water is clear.) Remove the leaves and place in a colander or pat dry with a clean towel.
- Wrap in damp paper towels, place in a plastic bag, and refrigerate.
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Fun Facts
- Swiss chard is also known as white beet, strawberry spinach, seakale beet, leaf beet, Sicilian beet, spinach beet, Chilean beet, Roman kale, perpetual spinach, silverbeet and mangold!
- Arugula is known as “rocket” in some parts of Europe.
- Lettuce is a member of the sunflower family.
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Nutritional Information:
- Leafy greens are an excellent source of iron, calcium, Vitamins A and C, and folic acid.
- Greens are very high in dietary fiber and low in calories and sodium.
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Recipes:
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Sources/Links:
From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Farm-Fresh, Seasonal Produce
The Leafy Greens Council
For a list of farms in your area and more recipes, visit www.localdifference.org.
Taste the Local Difference is a project of the Michigan Land Use Institute’s Entrepreneurial Agriculture Project, which works to grow jobs, save farmland, and build healthier communities with food that’s thousands of miles fresher.
