Health and Household Tips

Preparing Greens For Cooking

1. Pick through the leaves, discarding withered or yellowing leaves. Also remove large, tough stems.

2. Run a sink full of cool water. Add the greens and wash in several changes to remove grit and soil that may be clinging to them. Drain and set aside.

3. For collard greens, stack a dozen or so leaves, roll tightly and then cut the roll crosswise into one inch strips. Collards take longer to cook than mustard or turnip greens. Now they are ready to cook. Use your favorite recipe or the one below.

Mixed Greens with Sweet Red Peppers

1 pound collard greens
1 pound mustard or turnip greens
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chicken broth (canned or fresh)
1 sweet red pepper, chopped*
salt to taste

1. Wash and prepare the greens as directed above. Keep the collard greens separate from the turnips or mustards, because they go into the pot first. Leave the mustard or turnip green leaves whole or tear into pieces, if desired.

2. Heat the oil in a large stock pot. Add the onions and saute 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the garlic and saute two minutes longer. Be careful not to brown the garlic, or it will become bitter.

4. Stir in the chicken broth and pepper flakes and bring to a boil.

5. Add the collard greens, using a long-handled spoon to turn the strips over in the boiling broth. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot and continue to simmer for 15 minutes.

6. Add the mustard or turnip greens. Cover and return to a boil.

7. Stir the greens and continue to cook for 30 minutes or until tender (depending on the maturity of the greens).

8. Add the chopped sweet red pepper during the last ten minutes of cooking. Season with salt to taste.

Serves 4
* another source of beta carotene

Recycling Old Toothbrushes

Sterilize old toothbrushes by washing in warm soapy water and rinsing in one quart of water mixed with one tablespoon chlorine bleach. Now they are ready for other uses.

• Clean artificial flowers and plants with an old toothbrush that has been dipped in sudsy water.
• Use the handles from old toothbrushes to stake small plants.
• Use old toothbrushes for grooming eyebrows.
• A clean, old toothbrush is good for manicures and pedicures. It is gentle, yet effective.
• Use a toothbrush to clean combs or hair clippers: just dip it in alcohol and scrub each side of the comb or the teeth of hair clippers.
• Use a toothbrush to clean around the faucets and between the tiles in the bathroom. Dip in a commercial product designed to dissolve mineral deposits and scrub.
• Clean keypads on telephones, computer keyboards or calculators.
• Clean costume jewelry.
• Use a toothbrush dipped in a 50/50 solution of water and vinegar to remove salt lines where the sole meets the leather on shoes and boots.
• Use a toothbrush dipped in soapy water to clean the can opener blade. Make sure it is unplugged.
• Keep a toothbrush dipped in liquid detergent to scrub dirt rings on collars before washing.
• Use a toothbrush to remove lint from velcro fasteners.

You Say Tomato....

Tomatoes are a favorite among small plot gardeners and nothing tastes better than a truly vine ripened tomato. Nutritionists have always known tomatoes were good for you, now there is research based information as to why.

Tomatoes are packed with Vitamin C, potassium and beta carotene. Tomatoes are also a source of lycopene, a substance which has been found to help prevent some forms of cancer, especially prostate cancer. Tomatoes generally fall into three categories, slicing round tomatoes, plum tomatoes and cherry tomatoes. Plant tomatoes most suited for how you will use them.

Plum tomatoes are meaty, eggplant-shaped and may be red or yellow. They are excellent for sauce making, canning and pizzas. Slicing tomatoes are large round varieties which hold more juice and seeds. They are perfect for eating raw in a wide variety of ways. Cherry tomatoes are generally served whole, although they can be cut in half and sauteed in any dish.

Dozens of varieties of tomatoes are available that come in a wide range of sizes, colors and shapes. A single tomato plant will grow well in a large flower pot or bucket. The point is, if you do not plant anything else, plant a tomato and eat them often.

Nutrient Information

Serving size, one cup raw
Calories 24
Protein 1.1 grams
Carbohydrates 5.3 grams
Fat 0.3 grams
Dietary fiber 1 gram
Vitamin A 1,133 IU
Vitamin C 22 mg
Potassium 254 mg.

For more information on tomatoes, visit our website, Watch Your Garden Grow at www.urbanext.uiuc.edu

 

Spring 1999
Greens | Remove Confusion From Vegetable Variety Selection | Tips for Earlier Yields in the Home Vegetable Garden | Planting & Caring for Hedges | Turn on Color in Shade | Bug Bites - Striped Cucumber Beetle | Cybergarden Sites | Lawn Care Calendar | Hort Shorts | Hort Tips | Food Safety - Do Not Hesitate.... Refrigerate | Health Update: Reporting Food | Food Labels: The Dating Game | Healthy Living: Glorious Greens | Health and Household Tips | Did You Knows

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