Hi, i'm basically a lurker, I spend too much time posting elsewhere already. But the high quality posts are very appreciated!

in the interest of rut avoidance, I'm trying to make a list of dark leafy greens.
I have:
kale
arugula
chicory
collards
dandelion
mustard
spinach
chard

I've seen (somewhere!) a suggestion that spinach could include Jamaican spinach (amaranth, I think) that seems dubious to me.

chicory - I wasn't sure what that was. wikipedia says it is things like frisee, radicchio and endive.

am I missing any dark green leafies?

Are are any of the asian greens - or are they all cruciferous?
would turnip greens count? (yes, I am from the Amerian south)

botanically confused, but glad that brocolli is not on this list!

I used to buy a salad mix at the farmer's market that had a little mustard greens in it. Hoo wee! It gave that salad a little kick, let me tell you.

How about putting bok choy on your list? Not sure it belongs but it is green and leafy, at least at one end.

beetroot leaves

yes, turnip greens count!

you can add watercress too.
I thought amaranth was an ancient seed pod-like grain?

oh, and don't forget dark green sea-weeds-- super nutritious.

You can also eat radish tops and carrot tops. Oh and escarole! Yummy. One of my favorite greens is an Asian green with a hollow stem that kind of looks like spinach - I've seen it called ong choy online, but when I asked the people at the Chinese restaurant if that's what it's called they gave me a blank look so there must be other terms for it too.

If you want some fun things to do with greens, I had a whole week-long greens series on my blog: http://cavemanfood.blogspot.com/sea...greens%20series I have some other greens on there too that aren't part of the series - just click the "greens" tag in the right column.

what is rut avoidance?

It sounds like the vegetable my Chinese daughter-in-law refers to as "water spinach". And this googled image refers to it by both names:
http://en.wikivisual.com/images/c/c...ter_spinach.png

It's one of my DiL's favorites and she can only find it in the Chinese market.

I just don't want to get into a rut! I've really been eating a lot of kale and dandelion greens lately b/c they are so easy to fix.


There are some interesting things at the world market...

i'm just trying to figure out if "dark green leafy" vegetables is just a description of color (in which case blanching your endive would seem to defeat the purpose) or if there's an underlying botanical grouping?

If so, the cruciferous stuff would be separate (bok choy?)

or perhaps anything with a certain percentage of calcium and other minerals will fit the bill? like romaine?

escarole sounds good.

rats... just threw out some radish tops. Although they looked gnarly.

carrot tops... wow, surely that is more of an herb? they don't look edible in large quantities that's for sure....

I've had water spinach and it didn't do a lot for me, but I could try again. Will eventually try the seaweeds too, but I admit I am unenthusiastic. A rut is looking ok when I think about seaweed!

The big problem I am having right now is sourcing GF condiments like fish sauce, oyster sauce, etc. This is a must for DH.

oooh! CavemanFood - I really like your blog!!! Thanks so much for your time and effort!

Oyster brand fish sauce and Thai Kitchen brand fish sauce are both gluten-free, as far as I know. I have actually called Thai Kitchen about that.

I've always assumed that "dark green leafy" was simply a description. I believe the color indicates the presence of carotenes, and is a good indicator of high mineral content as well. Be warned, though - many of these greens are also high in oxalates, which block absorption of minerals and can lead to kidney stones. And some of them, including the crucifers, have goitrogens. My rule of thumb is: if they are too tough and bitter to eat raw, boil them and drain the water. And add salt and fat liberally - in our house we use ghee and lard.

Fortunately we have chickens, who will obligingly accept any greens we reject, and give us eggs in exchange. They even pass on some of those vitamins and minerals!

I never worry about getting into a rut. If I eat the same thing every day and I feel good, that's all that matters to me. I have a pretty regular weekly menu and I only change it if I get tired of a particular food - for example, I started feeling like Roast Beef night was too lean, so I asked the butcher to replace the roast in our order with extra hamburger. Now we have three hamburger nights and no roast beef!

If you eat your vegetables seasonally, you might eat a lot of one thing for a few weeks, but you'll never get stuck with it. Do you have a farmer's market near you, or is there a CSA you can sign up for? A CSA is kind of fun - you don't get to pick what vegetables you get each week, but they're always fresh. You don't have to think about what to buy, just how to cook it. You might find yourself rediscovering traditional recipes that use things that come in season together!

Choy Sun oyster sauce is gluten-free. I double-checked with the company. It's a brand of Lee Kum Kee, the parent comapny that invented oyster sauce. Squid brand fish sauce is g-f and very good.

Pea shoots are very tasty, so are chrysanthemum greens (Find them at the Chinese market). Cavalo nero (Tuscan black kale) is my favorite.

You don't need a list, though. Just go to the farmer's market or the Asian market and grab one you've never tried before. You don't really need to know the name or have a recipe for that specific green, greens are versatile and interchangeable.

It's been so long since I had greens I forgot the classic way to cook them - with a hambone! Our butcher always has an amazing selection of smoked bones, but since I rarely eat greens, I have no reason to buy them.

Any particular reason you don't eat greens? They're yummy. Especially cooked with a smoked bone. I am so jealous of you with that butcher of yours! I have nothing like that.

Wow, I have to admit that seemed dubious; but sure enough - it appears to be true:

The sauce was invented in 1888 by Mr. Lee Kam Sheung, in Nam Shui Village in Guangdong Province, China.[1] His company, Lee Kum Kee, continues to produce oyster sauce to this day ( from the wikipedia )