Callaloo / Greens FV October 2011
Like your mama said “eat your greens”. Defined as the edible leaves of plants, almost every country has a native plant cooked up as greens. Typically stewed or steamed, greens are a staple in many cuisines. Many different plants are used to cook up as “greens”; spinach, chard, beet tops, mustard greens, collards, pokeweed, kale and amaranth just to name a few. It depends on your locale as to what “greens” will be available to you.
In the kitchen you can use almost any variety in a recipe that uses greens. The exception being mustard greens; they are a bit spicy and have a bite of bitter to them. The difference is in the cooking time and texture of the final product. Just remember, the bigger the rib in the green, the longer the cooking process. Chop accordingly and de-rib if needed. An example would be shredding kale in small pieces to aid cooking as opposed to putting in spinach leaves whole. Kale takes the longest time to cook of all the greens. Spinach takes the least and will usually reduce by half in the cooking process.
Nutritionally greens are tops in many ways: greens are inexpensive, easy to prepare, low calorie, high fiber, vitamin and mineral packed! The list of vitamins alone is staggering, A, K, C, B2, B6, etc. Good levels of iron, calcium, potassium, zinc and selenium to boot. Not sure if you could ask much more from a vegetable than that.
When choosing any type of greens, look for moderate to young growth, as this will be a more tender when cooked. Look for insect damage like holes in the leaves or stems. Look for intense color, the deeper the green, generally the more nutritional value. Choose greens that are crisp, avoid those that are limp and lifeless (too long on the shelf). Always wash greens by individual leaf as many are grown in sandy soil and can be gritty if not properly washed. Don’t wash before using unless necessary.
The traditional greens side-dish to the ROM Jerk Chicken is called “callaloo”. In Jamaica callaloo is made from the leaves of the armaranth or taro plant. They are typically stewed and served as a side/gravy/mop dish. Deep green in color and flavor, the amaranth called for in the Jamaican recipe is not available locally unless homegrown. You can easily substitute chard or collards.
Check the recipe for callaloo.
October 2, 2011
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Tags: callaloo, collards, greens, kale, mustard greens, pokeweed · Posted in: Featured Vegetables
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