Milford chronicle., 1944-04-14
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
By ELEANOR NJ. WILKINSON
HuIritionIst for the State BOard Of Health
WHEN Is A WEED 4 FOOD
CROP!

Crisp colorful greens are an
economical way to better diet
and so to better health In many
parts of Delaware they are free
for the picking" So reads the first
paragraph in the pamphlet Della
ware Greens" a guide to the many
wild as we'll as cultivated green's
in the state. Gardeners who are
not familiar with the delicious edi-
BILE wild greens grown here weed
out and discard many such plants
as lambs quarter. dandeliOn, sor-
rel and pusley from their care
fully tended rows of beans, peas.
etc. The young tender leaves of
these wild greens contain more
protective food value than many
of the cultivated plants for green
leaves rank next to milk and
eggs i'm the list of protective foods.
Greens supply a good amount OF
vitamin A which can be stored in
the body. This makes it possible
10 eat large quantities of greens
during the growing season and
spread the vitamin A from them
over winter months. In addition.
they furnish good amounts of Wit
amin { and with the exception of
spinach, chard and lambs quarter
whose calcium the body cannot
use. are good sources of calcium.
Bulletin Illustrates Edible
Wild Greens
Illustrations of wild edible green
leaves appearing in Delaware
Greens" are: wintercress and chic
ory. the new growth of which are
used in late fall and early spring
before towering; dandeliOn used
from late February through May;
lambs quarter and poke weed ap-
pearing i'm April; sorrel, yellow or
curly dock, purslane or pusley, and
milkweed appearing at varying
dates from late April through June.
These plants are all at their best
when young and tender before
towering. Single copies of Della
ware Greens" are available with
out charge from the State Board of
Health, Dover, Delaware.
Cook Greens The Easy Way
Both wild and cultivated greens
should be cooked the easiest way
possible to retain their food value
and flavor.
/. Wash thoroughly.
2. Cook just until tender in a
small amount of boiling salted
water.
3. Serve at once.
4. Save cooking water for
soups, stews. etc.
(Omit soda for ii destroys a
large part of the vitamihs.)
Greens may be seasoned with
salt, pepper, lemon. bits of diced
cooked bacon or salt pork, or
savory white sauce.
Fresh Greens II Months A Year
In Delaware
For this kind of food, garden
specialists of the U. S. Department
of Agriculture are suggesting that
we grow more and can less. Del
awareans can have fresh greens
for the table II months year by
making use of both wild and cul-
tivated varieties. Collards, chard
and wintercress are available for
use now. Kale, beets and turnip
greens withstand considerable cold .
and may be had in the garden in
early spring and late fall as well.
Other greens as Swiss Chard, New
Zealand spinach will stand con-
siderable summer heat. County
agents will supply information as
to times and varieties of greens to
plant. Since crisp delivious
greens are available fresh through
the. year, the freshly cooked ones
have better flavor, and the pro-
cessing time needed for safe can
ming necessarily overcooks them,
it is not wise to can greens. Jar
space should be saved for foods
which have a shorter growing sea-
son and can be more satisfactorily