EAT YOUR
GREENS! By Kate Justen
WNC Parent columnist
Kale is the new black, the trendy healthy food. People love it or eat it because they think they should love it. Others add it to their diet and after a few tries, they like it and eating it becomes a habit. Eating habits are something, like all other habits, that develop over time. There is this theory of the 21-day rule; you can create or break a habit in 21 days. As parents, we may have experiences that support this theory. It is often said with infants and toddlers that you need to introduce them to a new food five to seven times before they will eat it. Changing or creating a healthy eating habit takes time and patience. You will have to try different recipes, or just forget the recipe all together and do some trial-and-error cooking. If you know what flavors you like, add them to your favorite greens. You can easily change the flavor of these recipes by adding curry powder, fresh herbs, hot peppers or hot sauce, different types of oils and vinegars, honey or your favorite spice or sauce. Winter in Western North Carolina is a great time to add greens to your diet — not just kale but all kinds of greens. They are easy to grow and provide a variety of flavor to your favorite dishes. Mustards. Collards. Broccoli rabe. Bok choy. Pak choy. Arugula. Spinach. Radish tops. Beet greens. Swiss chard. Cabbage. All add vitamins and minerals that help us maintain a healthy weight, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, lower risk of diabetes and heart disease. They contain a lot of water which helps to keep us hydrated and in turn contributes to healthy hair and skin. It is also been said that regular consumption of dark leafy greens can help with mood and memory loss. Kate Justen is the program director of FEAST — Fresh Easy Affordable Sustainable Tasty, a program of Slow Food Asheville. Contact her at feast.avl@gmail.com or visit www.slow foodasheville.org.
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Greens, eggs and ham 1 recipe greens and garlic 1 loaf of bread 1/4 pound sliced ham or bacon (vegetarian ham or bacon) Eggs 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
Cook greens and garlic. Remove from pan and set aside. In the same pan, saute the bell pep-
per for about 5 minutes in 1 teaspoon oil. Remove from pan and set aside. Make the egg: In the same pan add about 1/2 teaspoon of oil, just enough to coat the pan add 1 to 3 eggs. Pierce the yolk with a spatula and season lightly with salt and pepper. When firm, flip the egg, about 1-2 minutes depending on how hot your pan is. Add ham to the pan just long enough to warm it.
Greens and garlic
Lay greens on a cutting board. When the stack is about 1 inch high, roll 2 bunches fresh greens (chard, the stack of greens and slice them into collard greens, kale, mustard…) long ribbons. 1 tablespoon olive oil Over medium heat in a large skillet, 4 cloves fresh garlic, chopped add oil, garlic and hot peppers. Cook for 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 2 minutes. (can substitute white vinegar) Add greens a handful at a time, stir 1/2 teaspoon sea salt in between each handful as they dePinch red pepper flakes or fresh hot peppers (optional, make as spicy crease in size. as you want) Add vinegar and salt, cover and cook for an additional 2-10 minutes. Rinse greens well and pull leaves Greens should be bright green. off stems, compost stem.
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