Mustard Greens

Red Mustard Greens image courtesy of VeggieGardeningTips.com (http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/mustard-greens/).

Mustard greens (Brassica juncea) originated in the Himalayan region of India and have been cultivated around the world for over 5,000 years. It's no wonder, as they offer unique flavor and are extremely nutrient-dense! An excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, and vitamin C, as well as folic acid, calcium, carotenes, manganese, copper, and fiber, they are thought to protect against breast cancer and heart disease, as well as promoting bone health. They are especially beneficial to women going through menopause, as they also offer a good source of phosphorus, vitamins B1 and B2, magnesium, protein, potassium, and iron, among others.

Due to their peppery flavor, mustard greens are also known as gai choy, Indian or Japanese mustard, or California pepper grass. For maximum shelf life, store in a plastic bag with as much of the air removed as possible. Be sure to check out all of the mustard greens recipe suggestions on the blog by clicking on the label "mustard greens" in the right hand sidebar of the blog (http://lffccsarecipegroup.blogspot.com/search/label/mustard%20greens). As always, if you have a recipe suggestion that you'd like to share, please email us at csa@lancasterfarmfresh.com!

Sources:
http://www.everynutrient.com/
http://www.localharvest.org/
http://whfoods.org/