Tops and roots. All the benefits of tops
Remember the Russian folk tale about tops and roots? There, the bear got the tops, that is, the tops of the turnip and he did not know at all what to do with it. The man apparently did not know either, otherwise he would not have given them to the bear. But turnip tops contain a huge amount of nutrients, for example, per 100 g of product (tops), half the daily value of vitamins A and B9, 130% of the daily value of Beta-karatin and 209% of the daily value of vitamin K, as well as many more vitamins and minerals ... Only young leaves are recommended for food - they are soft and tender, they are added to salads, soups, used as a seasoning for meat. Italians use turnip greens to make pasta and lasagne. The benefits of tops have been proven by scientists.
Almost everyone knows that beet tops are eaten (although not everyone has tried it). Beet leaves can be added to salads, and of course borscht, cold "beetroot", cabbage rolls can be cooked. As with other dark green vegetables, the benefits of beet tops are that they are high in calcium, magnesium and vitamin K, which improve the health of teeth, cartilage and skeletal systems. The choline contained in beet tops protects the liver from fat deposits.
The benefits of radish tops have also been proven. It contains all the same nutrients as the root vegetable, but in a more saturated form. Vitamin C will strengthen your immune system, and potassium improves brain activity.
And radish leaves can be the basis for making a dessert! Yes - yes, a healthy and aromatic dessert. It is necessary to grind the young tops, add honey, insist in the refrigerator for about an hour and you can serve with pancakes.
Undoubtedly the champion is the benefits of carrot tops. Very few people know that it contains more nutrients and vitamins than the carrots themselves. Vitamin C, for example, is 6 times more! As well as vitamin K, potassium and calcium. Carrot tops are added to casseroles and omelets, salads and stews. Experienced fishermen know that real fish soup should be cooked with carrot tops. Even if fresh ones are not available, you can use dried herbs, they perfectly complement the taste of fish dishes. You can make pesto sauce from carrot tops. To do this, you will need, in addition to the tops (tender greens without stems, 2 cups), garlic (2-3 cloves), pine nuts (a quarter cup) and olive or linseed oil (3-4 tablespoons), salt to taste. Salt and grind the ingredients by hand or in a blender until smooth, and then mix with oil - the pesto is ready! You can also rinse your hair with a decoction of carrot tops for strengthening and active growth (both fresh and dried greens are suitable).
To prepare dishes from any tops, it must be well rinsed and poured over with boiling water (blanch). It is very important to remember that you can only eat tops from your own garden, so you will be sure of the environmental friendliness of the product and the absence of traces of chemicals. And do not forget that it is in our interests to collect both tops and roots, so if it is not yet time to harvest the entire crop, "pinch" the tops very carefully so as not to interfere with the development of root crops.
Do not be afraid to experiment, try new things and bon appetit!
