Like many baby boomers and older adults, I love fresh produce! And I really adore it when I know where it’s grown (my own backyard) and what goes into it (water, air, and liquid mineral blend nutrients). Fresh, local, pesticide-free, full of nutrients, tasty, colorful–the adjectives go on and on…
As many of you know, I’ve enjoyed aeroponic vertical gardening with my Tower Garden for almost a year now. In fact, documenting my Tower plants’ growth is one of my favorite Instagram activities!
Confessions–I’ve always felt a bit embarrassed by my lack of a green thumb. My father tended a very successful backyard mini-farm when I was younger, and my mother was fabulous with all plants. But I, on the other hand, have what I call a “black thumb.” I either over-water, under-water, or just ignore my plants–to death.
But my current gardening system takes only once-a-week water and maintenance. And this spring, it’s served up an abundance of produce: spinach, parsley, cilantro, green onions, many types of lettuce, and kale. And boy, do we have a plethora of kale, growing copiously at eye level and beyond!
I’ve never been a huge fan of kale, though I know it’s a very healthful veggie. But with such a large supply right out my back door, I’ve learned to tolerate and even enjoy it.
I’ve chopped it for salads, sliced it for omelets, ripped it up for smoothies, and soon will be shredding it for baked kale chips.
Anybody have any great recipe ideas?
Kale is definitely worth eating, as it’s an excellent source of:
- fiber
- calcium (And unlike spinach, the calcium in kale is more readily absorbed)
- antioxidants
- potassium
- vitamin K (People taking blood thinners such as warfarin or Coumadin should speak to their doctor before consuming a lot of kale, as the vitamin K could interfere with the activity of these medications)
And this green leafy may help improve blood glucose control in people with diabetes, lower the risk of cancer, support heart and skin health, and help prevent the development of asthma.
If you want more information about Tower Gardens, check out this website.