Enjoy the following tips and recipes!

Collard Greens

Health benefits of Collard greens

• Wonderfully nutritious collard leaves are very low in calories (provide only 30 cal per 100 g) and contain no cholesterol. However, these greeny leaves contain very good amount of soluble and insoluble dietary fibre that helps control LDL cholesterol levels and also; offers protection against hemorrhoids, constipation as well as colon cancer diseases.

Widely considered to be healthful foods, collards are rich in invaluable sources of phyto-nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties, such as di-indolyl-methane (DIM) and sulforaphane that have proven benefits against prostate, breast, cervical, colon, ovarian cancers by virtue of their cancer cell growth inhibition and cytotoxic effects on cancer cells.

I enjoy collard greens are either in my morning fruit smoothie.  I use one banana, one slice of fresh pineapple, a cup of frozen blueberries or strawberries, water to thin, about 1 1/2 cup and 3 or 4 collard leaves.  This satisfies me all the way to lunch!

Collards are also great steamed.  Put about a half inch of water in a pot with a cover and get it boiling.  Chop the collards and add them to the water with a little salt.  Steam them until tender and you can eat them with lemon juice or vinegar.  Or, take the collards and add them to a stir fry or to pasta sauce.  Eating greens is the best thing you can do for your health!

Garlic Scapes

Harvesting:Before it is time to harvest the garlic, the plant sends up a single thick round shoot from the center and the end is a bulging area that will eventually burst open with a flower. In order to encourage the garlic bulbs to grow larger, the garlic scape should be cut off so that the energy can be spent on the bulb, not the flower.  Scapes can be used in place of garlic in any recipe.  They keep up to 3 months in the fridge, but don't let them sit that long!  They are fresh and delicious!  Enjoy!

Asparagus is one of my favorites.  I love it grilled, steamed or raw!  It's a great addition to a raw vegetable tray if you blanch (put into boiling water for 30 seconds and immerse in ice cold water immediately to stop the cooking process).  I use lemon juice, salt and pepper when it's steamed.  On the grill, put it in foil with a little olive oil and garlic and cook until tender.  For the last minute of cooking, put it directly on the grill to brown a bit.