Washing Greens

I have to admit, I love "greens".  By  greens, I mean Turnips, Collards and Mustard greens.  As a rule, I like my spinach raw, so it doesn't figure into that equation.  I am kid of  particular about them.... I like to cook them fresh.  Frozen will do in a pinch, but canned  just don't cut it!.  For years, I bought them in the bunch and washed each leaf by hand, just like people have done for centuries.  I learned lots of things over the years;  My dad washed them in the bathtub in an icy bath.  My mother-in-law  taught me how to "look" them (which meant check for bugs and worms), and my boys'  babysitter taught me that my first wash should always be in hot water and salt to knock the sand to the bottom of the sink (It works). Marty's Grandmother told me how to cook them "just right".

BUT, the last few years, I was able to put all of that knowledge aside when I found a marvelous new product at the grocery store...There they were,  right in there in the produce section...Cut," looked" and washed greens!!! Eureka! No more frozen hands and sore back from that hour long process! How great is that!?!?! It must have been how people felt about electricity or indoor plumbing!! (I know, I exaggerate a bit!) So, I have been in "green heaven" for the last few years!

Then..Friday night, we were at Winn-Dixie, and we saw the prettiest full bunch of greens, ever! I saw those wonderful bags, and I don't know if it was the price, or the pretty greens or what, but I bought a bunch instead of a bag.  I knew how much work it would be, and every time I looked in the fridge, I put it off.  Well, you can only do that for so long.  So, Sunday after noon, I just dug right in.  Cutting, "looking", washing and salting! The years had been kind to me, I remembered how to do it, and the most wonderfully surprising part, was that I was blessed with sweet memories of each person that told me how to prepare them.

A few hours later, we sat down to cut, washed, "looked" and cooked greens! Thank you Lord, for this wonderful bounty and for the sweet memories, too!