Top 10 Green Veggies - My Favorites

MY TOP 10 FAVORITE GREEN VEGETABLES

I enjoy green vegetables year-round! I am a Veggie Lover! I eat veggies for lunch and dinner. I prefer to buy organic vegetables whenever possible and support local stores and markets. However, there is such a short growing season in British Columbia and on Vancouver Island that most of our produce is imported from California and Mexico.

Summertime is the perfect time to enjoy fresh local vegetables on Vancouver Island from local farmers or farm markets; and even in the local grocery stores. Wintertime is also a perfect time to enjoy imported fresh vegetables that are not stored or available from local vendors in the winter months. Imported vegetables are as fresh and nutritious and are equal in quality to locally grown vegetables in the summertime. The Travel Distance from California to British Columbia on the I-5 is only 1-2 days.

My Top 10 Favorite Green Vegetables are: Green Asparagus, Green Beans, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Green Cabbage, Long English Cucumbers, Green Iceberg Lettuce, Green Onions, Green Peas, and Spinach. I enjoy most vegetables; green, orange, and red but Green Veggies are my favorite. I love my Green Veggies the Best!

Various Green and White Vegetables
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It's important to stay healthy and eat a variety of foods including Green Veggies.

Refer to Canada's Food Guide to see what the recommended Fruit and Vegetable requirements are for the day.

Sometimes it's hard to eat fruit and vegetables for lunch or dinner everyday. I often snack on Green Veggies to try and make sure I meet Canada's Food Guide's recommendations.

Another great way I enjoy my veggies, is in a veggie juice. I would love to have a juicer to make my own vegetable juices.

#1 GREEN ASPARAGUS

Green Asparagus is another favorite green veggie of mine. I seem to buy it often whens it available at a good price. Green Asparagus is usually imported from California; although it is grown in BC, too. Over the years, I have noticed the quality of Green Asparagus has improved. The Green Asparagus stalks are thinner and have a sweeter taste.

When I was little, my mom used to make fancy rolled up asparagus sandwiches for her bridge club. Sounds pretty tasty; that's if you are a fan of Green Asparagus. Green Asparagus is pretty crunchy and tasty pickled. A pickled Green Asparagus, or sometimes a White Asparagus, or pickled green bean, is often added to a bar drink in a pub or restaurant that has a vegetable-based juice.

I'm afraid I have to scratch another, great, Green Vegetable off the list of family favorites. I have tried but I'm afraid I enjoy Green Asparagus all by myself.

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#2 BROCCOLI

Broccoli is another green vegetable I have in the fridge year-round. I enjoy Broccoli steamed or I add it to casseroles in the wintertime. In the summer, I add it to salads for a different flavor or to add a bit of color in a plain salad.

Most of the Broccoli on Vancouver Island is imported from California and is available year-round. Organic Broccoli is the one of the green vegetables that is bitter so I prefer to buy regular Broccoli. Broccoli is available to purchase loose by the crowns (the tops) which is more expensive, or whole in a bunch.

Broccoli is also available to purchase in a prepackaged bag; usually in some type of mixed salad. Broccoli is also a family favorite in the wintertime. My family enjoys Broccoli almost everyday.

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#3 GREEN BEANS

I love the taste of Fresh Cooked Green Beans. There is nothing better than lightly steamed fresh green beans with margarine and your favorite seasonings. So Nutritious and Tasty!

Fresh Green Beans are imported to Vancouver Island from California in the early summer months. They are medium in size and very fresh and tasty. Fresh BC Green Beans are available in late summer from local and mainland BC farmers.

I buy extra Fresh Green Beans in the summertime, blanch them whole, freeze them on cookie sheets and store them in plastic bags, in the freezer for winter. There is nothing like the taste of fresh green beans, year-round, fresh or frozen.

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#4 LONG ENGLISH CUCUMBERS

I love the taste of Fresh Raw Long English Cucumbers. There is nothing better than a freshly, peeled long English Cucumber, cut in chunks with salt and pepper.

Long English Cucumbers are grown locally, almost year-round, in greenhouses on Vancouver Island. They are also grown in greenhouses on the mainland of BC. The growing season begins in March, followed by two plantings that are harvested throughout the summer months.

In the winter months, Long English Cucumbers are imported from Mexico. There is nothing like being able to enjoy Long English Cucumbers year-round. They taste as delicious in the summer as they do in the winter.

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#5 GREEN ONIONS

I use Fresh Green Onions instead of Green Peppers and always have them on hand in my fridge. I like using Fresh Green Onions to add a little bit of zip to everyday recipes such as scrambled eggs, potato salad, spaghetti and for most recipes that call for green peppers.

Fresh Green Onions are grown on Vancouver Island in the summer months and imported in the winter months. Both organic and regular varieties of Green Onions are available all-year round. The cost of Fresh Green Onions never seems to vary. It's always the same. Green Onions are very affordable.

I really enjoy Green Onions as they are not quite as tangy as Green Peppers. And as my family are not big fans of Green Peppers, I can use Green Onions in any types of salads or favorite family dishes.

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#6 GREEN PEAS

Fresh Green Peas have such a short season and are always in short supply during the summer harvest season. But there is nothing like shelling some Fresh Green Peas for a delicious alternative to other Fresh Green Vegetables. I enjoy a handful raw or usually steam them alone or steam them with other fresh or frozen veggies.

Fresh Green Peas are grown on Vancouver Island and are available from local farmers and local grocery stores in the late summer months. I use fresh peas when they available but since they are expensive I tend to use Frozen Peas. Packaged Frozen Peas are readily available here in both the summer & winter months. Most of Frozen Varieties are imported from out of the Province of BC from either Eastern Canada or the USA.

In the summer months, I also enjoy making a layered green salad with Frozen Peas. It's a popular salad to make in summer and winter months on Vancouver Island. Little tiny Sweetlet Peas are my favorite. I often steam frozen peas with carrots or with a variety of other green & colorful vegetables. My family enjoys Frozen Peas in a hearty winter beef stew.

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Green Veggies Opinion Polls

#7 GREEN ICEBERG LETTUCE

My favorite variety of Lettuce is Green Iceberg Lettuce. I love a simple Fresh Chef Salad with green onions, long English cucumbers, tomatoes, cauliflower, croutons and a light dressing. On occasion, I add a bit of green pepper, red onion, green broccoli & add some chicken or tuna.

Green Iceberg Lettuce is grown on Vancouver Island and the mainland in BC in the summer months. It is also imported from California year-round. We are lucky to be able to enjoy Fresh Green Lettuce in a sandwich or salad any time of the year.

My family prefers Green Iceberg Lettuce in a Chef Salad but occasionally we have Romaine Lettuce in a Caesar Salad. Some type of Lettuce is always in the fridge to enjoy with tasty Green Onions and Broccoli!

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#8 BRUSSELS SPROUTS

I love the taste of Brussels Sprouts and they are another favorite green vegetable that I enjoy but I don't buy them that often. I enjoy them simply steamed and maybe with a little cheese sauce; and of course, a little margarine.

Brussels Sprouts seem to vary in size depending on the season. They are very tiny (and too hard to peel) early in the season and others are so huge later in the season. Brussels Sprouts are harvested in the fall in BC but imported from California and seem to be available year-round. I haven't tried pickled ones yet but they are probably quite tasty.

My family are not big fans of Brussels Sprouts but I always cook them for Easter, Thanksgiving & Christmas. It's not a holiday without Brussels Sprouts. If I make cheese sauce, I notice a few on a couple of their plates. Sometimes, I get to enjoy the Brussels Sprouts all by myself.

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#9 SPINACH

I enjoy the taste of Spinach, both raw or cooked but I don't buy Fresh Spinach that often. I prefer to enjoy Spinach simply steamed. If someone would make me a great Spinach Salad with Bacon I would really enjoy that much better than steamed Spinach.

Spinach is grown in BC in the summer months or imported from California year-round. Both organic and regular varieties are grown but organic Spinach is usually available prepackaged in a plastic bag.

When I was growing up we didn't eat a lot of Spinach but I still enjoyed it. I love my Green Veggies. I'm afraid my family will not eat Spinach. We'll have to cross-off Spinach as a family favorite.

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#10 GREEN CABBAGE

Green Cabbage is the last vegetable in my Top 10 Green Veggies List. It's also a favorite green vegetable that I grew up with but I rarely buy it. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to stay fresh very long in my new fridge.

It's another great green vegetable that is grown in BC and imported in the winter months from California. Although both organic and regular Green Cabbage are available to purchase, organic Green Cabbage is very pricey.

I grew up enjoying steamed cabbage, coleslaw, and traditional cabbage rolls in tomato sauce. Some favorite cabbage recipes I enjoy at picnics are lazy cabbage rolls and ramen noodle cabbage salad. Unfortunately, Green Cabbage is not a family favorite at our house but I still can enjoy a cabbage coleslaw when we go out for a chicken dinner!

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My Favorite Ways to Eat All Vegetables

I love fresh green salads, lightly steamed vegetables, baked and roasted vegetables, grilled vegetables, vegetables soups, dipping veggies; all ways of enjoying vegetables, cooked or raw.

I have experimented with a few veggie casseroles but the problem is that it is really hard to fool the smart people that live in my house!

It would be impossible for me to pick just one green vegetable, as I really Love My Green Veggies. But, if I was to make a choice, it would probably be Green Beans.

Here are a few great veggie recipes for you to enjoy and share.

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