Greens: They’re more than salad and cooked spinach

• Nick Saltmarsh
• When chef Zoe LeGrece says ‘Go to kale,’ it’s a good thing.

An iceberg salad heavy with creamy dressing might be considered “fresh, leafy greens” to some people, but not to chef Zoe LeGrece, who operated one of Kansas City’s first vegetarian restaurants, Zo’s Cafe, from 1984 to 1994 in the neighborhood now known as the Crossroads.

“People think of greens as something raw or something overcooked,” says LeGrece, who frequently teaches vegetarian cooking classes through UMKC’s Communiversity. “It only takes a little aplomb in one’s cooking technique to see vegetables, particularly greens, in a whole new way.”

One of LeGrece’s favorite dishes from the Zo’s Cafe days are bok choy and kale roll-ups that were inspired by her love for sushi.

“My roll-ups are green maki rolls made with fresh greens,” she says. “The secret is in my tamarind dipping sauce.”

LeGrece will share her recipes – and cooking techniques – for the bok choy and kale roll-ups with tamarind dipping sauce; collard greens, prepared al dente with figs, goat cheese and pistachios; and a “zippity doodah” salad of watercress, arugula, mustard greens and radicchio with an apple-cider dressing at a Communiversity class titled “Ultimate Greens” at 11 a.m. Saturday, September 28, at the Rag & Bone space, 1412 West 12th Street, in the West Bottoms. The class is limited to 12 students and the fee is $25.

“We’ll eat everything we make,” LeGrece says. For more information, call Communiversity at 816-235-1407.