- Amaranth. A feature of Asian-inspired stir fries and soup, the greens of this plant are high in protein.
- Swiss chard. High in vitamins A, K and C, chard is an easy-to-grow green that tastes great sautéed in canola oil, garlic and a dash of balsamic.
- Arugula. With a peppery taste, arugula is awesome shredded into a green salad or barely sautéed, as a bed for sliced meat or a small filet of fish.
- Iceberg lettuce. Much maligned, this crunchy green is best served fresh and offers a great architectural element to your salad, according to Deb Perelman, author of The Smitten Kitchen cookbook and website.
- Spinach. Fresh, frozen, cooked, canned. It gave Popeye super strength.
- Red leaf lettuce. With a robust flavour, but a tender bite, red leaf lettuce offers a big vitamin K punch.
- Green leaf lettuce. Toss it in oil and vinegar, and lay it on a platter as a tender-crunchy base for a whole-wheat pasta or barley salad.
- Dandelion greens. Nicely bitter, dandelion greens are best boiled for several minutes, then served with garlic butter or chilled and tossed into a salad. Any large dandelion leaves will do – just be sure you don’t harvest them from an area in which herbicides have been used often
or recently. - Belgian endive. Slice it lengthwise, brush it with canola oil and grill for three minutes over medium-high heat. Salt, pepper, serve!
- Kale. Dark green, curly and delicious, kale makes a great addition to soups and stews. It also dries and freezes well.
