Farmer's Market - Part I

Today I decided to head to the Union Square Farmer’s Market and I must have been skipping Wednesday’s for a while because after a few weeks without some of my favorite greens I finally found the Windfall Farms of Montgomery, NY stand.

Two of my most favorite greens that I have began to eat in the past 9 months are Sunflower Greens and Pea Greens, and I never seem to find them other then at Windfall.

Sunflower Greens – These tasty little greens are one of the best things you can add to your raw & living food diet to improve your overall health and well being, they are both delicious and nutritious. Sunflower greens are a nutritional powerhouse packed with vitamins A, B complex, D, and E; they also contain minerals including calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and zinc. In addition to these vitamins and minerals, sunflower greens are a rich source of lecithin which helps break down fatty acids into an easily digestible water soluble form, and chlorophyll which benefits many functions within the body, including building blood supply, revitalizing tissue, calming inflammation, activating enzymes, and deodorizing the body. These greens are also a fantastic source of protein and can easily supply you with all the protein your body can use!

How to Prepare: Sunflower greens as a great addition to salads, juices, sandwiches and wraps, they are also great alone by the handful

Pea Greens – Filled with potassium and vitamin C this little green is packed with flavor. Pea Greens are the greens that come off pea plants. Usually sold at markets, it is best to get them fresh as they don’t last too long once picked. They are very common in Asian cooking, not so much what you find everyday but I have found ways of incorporating them into my diet.

How to Prepare: Pea greens as a great addition to salads, juices, sandwiches and wraps, they are also great alone by the handful. Pea Shoots are also delicious eaten alone or lightly sauteed.

Here is a recipe for a salad that includes both Sunflower and Pea Shoots. Enjoy!!!