8 Excellent Ways to Enjoy Your Garden’s Greens (That Aren’t Salad)
Salad is a remarkably easy (and healthy) dish to make when you grow your own greens with Tower Garden. Simply dress a fresh harvest with a little olive oil and vinegar, and bon appétit! (Need some new salad ideas? We’ve got plenty for you here.)
But easy isn’t always the most exciting. If you’re getting bored with your salad routine, the good news is there are many other ways to use your homegrown greens. So, get creative in the kitchen and try one of these eight options.
1. BLEND FOR A SUPERFOOD SMOOTHIE
One of the most popular alternatives to salad, smoothies offer a quick way to squeeze more nutrients and fibre into your diet.
What can you put in a smoothie? Pretty much any kind of green, from lettuce to kale. Many fruits are fair game, too.
2.STIR-FRY FOR A SAVOURY TREAT
Try stir-frying your greens, especially hardier varieties like bok choy, mustard, and kale.
The process is simple: Just toss a handful of greens into a pan with olive oil, and cook over medium heat. You can also include your greens in a larger stir-fry dish — perhaps one with broccoli, carrots, onions, and other veggies.
3. ROAST FOR A SMARTER SNACK
The kale chip craze may be behind us. But roasting your greens remains an easy way to make your own crispy, healthy snacks. All you really need (besides greens) is olive oil, spices, and an oven.
No kale on hand? You can substitute another hardy green, such as collards.
4. SIMMER FOR A WHOLESOME SOUP
If you’re not adding greens to your soups, you’re missing out! In addition to enhancing a dish overall, cooking greens in soup can improve their flavour, as heat tames the bite of bitter greens.
5. ROLL FOR A HEALTHIER WRAP
Some greens, like Swiss chard, collards, and mustard, grow so large it’s like they were meant to serve as wraps.
Try rolling up taco ingredients or tuna salad in your large-leafed greens. Or, for a heartier wrap, check out this recipe.
6. PROCESS INTO PESTO
Did you know that — in addition to the traditional ingredients — you can add greens to the processor when making pesto?
Try kale or rocket. Both will enrich the pesto with nutrients and help preserve its vibrant colour. (Rocket will also give the pesto a peppery punch.)
7. GRILL FOR AN UNCONVENTIONAL BARBECUE
You might be surprised to learn that you can actually grill certain greens. From kale and romaine, to radicchio and Belgian endive, grilling greens generally involves brushing them with a simple baste and cooking quickly on the grill until the greens are slightly charred.
8. GET CREATIVE
When it comes to using your greens, there are many possibilities beyond the categories above. The menu is as big as your imagination!
Hopefully this list has inspired you to try new and interesting dishes with your Tower Garden greens. Because growing your own food is fun, and eating it should be, too!
