More on Greens - tops, stems and other trimmings

Turnips and radishes are delicious - you may not realize that the tops of both of these are not only edible, they are delicious, so don't throw them away. They can be added to soups, stews or sauteed like you do broccoli raab - heat a large saute pan, add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for a minute - don't let the garlic burn. Add a large pile of chopped mixed greens and keep moving around in the pan. They can be eaten as is, or to bulk it up and make a meal out of it add a can of white beans (or other cooked protein) and serve with pasta or rice. Top with grated cheese if desired.

Stems from kale, chard, onion roots, stems from herbs, etc can be used as a veggie stock base. Place them in a freezer bag in the freezer and keep adding your trimmings until you have enough to make stock - check out the Vegetable Stock recipe on this site for a larger list of what to keep.

For greens that you just can't use in a short period of time, here is an easy way to save them, which I learned from a fellow member. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While you are waiting for it to boil, prepare the greens you want to save by removing stems and rough chopping any large leaves. Place the greens in a large colander and place in the sink. When the water comes to a full boil, slowly pour over the greens. Let the greens cool enough to handle, then squeeze out as much water as you can, keeping the greens in a fist-sized ball. Place the ball(s) in a freezer storage bag in the freezer. Later, when making soups, stews or saute's, just remove the amount you want.