It’s all about salads and green smoothies this week in the Gatti household. I’ve expanded my garden this year to make room for more lettuces, and we also belong to a CSA for the variety of great vegetables our local farm provides.
If you’re unfamiliar, CSA stands for community supported agriculture. A CSA gives you direct access to high quality, fresh produce grown locally by regional farmers. By purchasing a CSA, you are purchasing a “share” of a farm’s produce.
If this interests you, localharvest.org is my favorite resource for locating a CSA near you.
Anyway, our CSA box these past couple of weeks has been filled with lettuces and greens like romaine, spinach, baby kale and collards. Which ironically, are the same veggies I’ve chosen to grow at the house.
We’ve been eating greens for breakfast, lunch, snack and dessert 🙂
If you have more greens in your house than you think you can consume, here are my Top 5 Ways to Prepare a Plethora of Greens:
- Juice or Blend. Last month I spoke about the benefits to juicing and blending. If you missed it, you can read all about that here.
- Sautee. Greens like spinach, kale and collards can be lightly sautéed in a little bit of extra virgin olive oil on low heat. Add some sea salt and a squeeze of fresh lemon and you have quick side dish.
- Make them into chips. Kale chips, in particular, are a family-favorite. Find my recipe for Crunchy Kale Chips here.
- Toss them into soups.
- Prepare a Salad in a Bowl. I like to prepare a Lunch Salad in a Bowl, dressing on the side, and leave it center stage in the refrigerator for quick grabbing for lunches and dinners.
If you’re still feeling overwhelmed, you can always feel good about giving them away to an appreciative neighbor or at a potluck.
Not eating nearly enough greens? Now’s a great time to get started. Choose your favorite green and make a plan to prepare it this week!
