Collard greens

Brassica oleracea var. viridis

leaf · vegetable

A non-heading cabbage with a very tall stem and large smooth leaves picked one by one as needed; the collard greens of the American South. It provides calcium, vitamin K1, beta-carotene, lutein and glucosinolates.

Origin

Eastern Mediterranean

Season (United States)

October to March · grows in your region

Preparation

The thick ribs are removed if tough, like kale ribs. Short steaming keeps its glucosinolates; long boiling carries them off. Most of its goitrogens go with cooking, even a short one.

Molecules

Beta-carotene (vitamin A) · Lutein and zeaxanthin · Glucoraphanin → sulforaphane · Glucobrassicin → I3C · Vitamin K1 · Calcium · ChlorophyllWhat slows things down Goitrogens

Did you know?

In French it is also called green cabbage or cow cabbage.