I drove through the lowlands of South Carolina and was delighted to see a large cornfield for sale. I'm always looking for an opportunity to take some photos and not only was I able to take some photos here, but I was also able to buy some kale. How fresh can kale be bought straight from the field. I became a kale lover a few years ago, but the kale I bought at the grocery store was not field fresh.
I stopped and took some pictures of this pristine garden and the farmer, mr. Lewis, who came out to sell me some of his produce. He tells me he has the best kale and mustard greens and has been growing them for years. I asked him a few questions and his sudden enthusiasm for Wintergreen made me realize that I was going to be there much longer than I had planned. He told me how he had to fend off a deer that thought he had a nice, nice yard. He retired into the swamp and they slept there during the day and came out at night to eat his precious vegetables.
I wasn't always a green lover. In my childhood, I consider myself lucky that my father did not like vegetables. That said, my mom never cooked it except with bananas. I had never been exposed to time; I wasn't sure I had heard of it until my daughter-in-law tried to promote Kale to me.
I grew up in the south and ate mustard greens as a kid, and it's still my favorite to this day, as long as it's made the southern way. Mr Lewis said his main winter crops were kale and cabbage, but he grew a few other things. He also tells me that both vegetables are best after a deep freeze, because the frost makes them sweeter. Both vegetables belong to the cabbage family, which also includes broccoli and cauliflower. I didn't know they were related.
I learned that kale is actually a kale that doesn't grow heads like that. Ponytails can be green or purple. They are easily grown as winter vegetables as they can withstand low teenage temperatures, which many other winter vegetables cannot. I also learned that if I grow kale on a small scale in my garden, I can harvest and replant as stems. If you cut off the old outer leaves, the kale will grow back and continue to produce new leaves. Kale can be planted in spring or late summer and will germinate from seed given a balanced supply of water and plants at the right time.
After leaving the park, I called 'Dr. Ann' (Kulje), a physician who gave up her clinical practice as a family doctor to dedicate her professional life to teaching and inspiring people to take care of their health through diet and lifestyle. 'DR. Anne' saw many children with obesity problems, so she wanted to educate the breadwinners of the family (statistically 90% women), one of her main goals. I know 'Dr. Ann can explain to me the benefits of all these winter herbs.
I know 'Dr. Ann likes kale, mustard and spinach. I thought she could explain the benefits of these winter vegetables to me because she had formal training in both nutrition and medicine.
'DR. Anne first said: "All dark leafy greens are the cream of plant superfoods - they provide more nutrients per calorie than any other food - and kale is definitely the best of them all. To give you an idea, a 100-calorie serving has 190 times more calcium, 3 times more iron, 12 times more magnesium, 15 times more folic acid, 800 times more vitamin A, 11,000 times more antioxidant power and 100 calories of protein. !fresh from the garden. Always in my fall and spring garden . Include a large faucet!"
"It's no surprise that this superfood has been linked to a number of amazing health benefits: increased brain power, diabetes protection, heart health, vision protection and reduced cancer risk."
'DR. Ann also told me that most people don't prepare kale or greens properly when eating salads. First remove the leaves from the strong stem. You then take the leaves and massage them, a practice that essentially tones and softens them. After cutting the leaves and putting them in a bowl, she adds some purple or sweet onions and pours a dressing of extra olive oil, lemon juice, a clove of garlic, a splash of soy sauce and a few drops. garlic. Darling. . She then massaged the salad again, "washing her hands of course" before adding a dollop of avocado. Sounds delicious.
After meeting with "Dr. Ana on the phone, she convinced me that I should add more vegetables to my diet and grow in the garden. Mr. Lewis and his enthusiasm for growing vegetables and "Dr. Anna's advice about eating this superfood, maybe I should take her advice.
'DR. Ann's website is www.dannwellness.com
Betty Montgomery is an accomplished gardener and author of Hydrangea: How to Grow, Grow and Enjoy and The Four Seasons Southern Garden. He can be reached at bmontgomery40@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared in the Herald-Journal: Growing winter vegetables will help you eat healthier
