The Good Greens

Nutrition is a fascinating concept. It never ceases to amaze me.

When I was a child, carrots and peas were often placed on my plate. I was told that these vegetables were very important for my health – because of the vitamins. With the pea-carrot duo came potatoes – lots of them, with parsley on top – and of course some meat on the side, bathed in gravy.

Well, I will skip the meat part because obviously enough has been said about it.

I am more interested in the other components of the classic dish. Especially the green stuff. It turns out that one of the main values of peas – as with any other bean – is not the vitamins, but the proteins.

And the hidden treasure of the turnip – which had never seen the plate back then – is actually the carrot “weed” (has more calcium than spinach). Which, by the way, is not an isolated phenomenon. Many turnip greens are edible and often quite delicious. The same can be said for some of other underrated “byproducts” of well-known vegetables, such as cauliflower leaves.

And as for that garnish on the potatoes, many common kitchen herbs have the most surprising nutritional values. The same goes for unassuming salad greens like arugula.

But be careful how you define “green”. Some of the best greens actually wear a completely different hue.

I can’t wait to meet them all… .

Many turnip greens are edible and often quite delicious.

Side Notes:

• Recipes involving turnip greens: [Fish in Hiding], [Pizza Vagabond], [Vegetable Broth]
• I actually buy vegetables based on how much of the plant I can use now and how the whole plant looks. For example, if the carrots, cabbage turnip/kohlrabi or the red radishes have good greens on them, I can use those – and the vegetables are the closest to fresh.