We eat greens almost every night. You can add any spice you like. Sometimes we add a little curry powder. Sometimes some thai paste. Sometimes garlic or onions. But generally we only use salt and oil.
1. Prepare your greens. If they have large, woody ribs, devein the leaves by slicing them out. I now skip that and fold the leaf in half holding the soft part of the leaf with my left hand and pulling up on the stalk with my right. This removes the woody part quickly. You can then slice your greens in 1" sections if you'd like. To do this uniformly, pile up a large stack of leaves and roll them and then slice. I also skip this part and just cook them whole.
2. Wash your greens thoroughly. If they're really dirty (after a rain) I'll soak in a sink and drain and soak again and drain and then spin in a salad spinner. Again, if I'm really in a hurry, I just place the greens in a colander and let them drip a little. The water helps them steam and cook anyway.
3. Turn on the heat in a large skillet. Pour in a circle of oil (about 2 or 3 T). If you're using onions or garlic, be careful not to overheat the pan because you'll burn the garlic quickly. Quickly add the garlic and then the greens. Toss. Salt using a salt grinder and sea salt (1 - 3 turns). Toss. Cook until they're deep green and wilted. Add about 1/2 c water, cover and turn off the heat. They're ready to serve.
If you cook your greens too long they're mushy and not very flavorful.
Pesto
This is a basic recipe that we use for pesto of all types. It's good for mustard greens, basil, very young garlic mustard and nettles:
1. Gather and clean your leaves. Take them off the stems and spin in your salad spinner.
2. Most greens can be used fresh. If you're making nettle pesto, you should blanch and plunge in ice water and drain (this will remove the stinging from the leaves). Place leaves in a food processor along with 1/1 to 1 clove of garlic and about 1/2 T of sea salt. Turn on the processor and pour in olive oil until the leaves are processed according to your preference. If you run the processor too long, it will turn to mush. I keep adding leaves until the batch is pretty full (about 2 - 3 cups).
3. Add a few pine nuts (maybe 1/8 c) and a handful of grated parmesan cheese. If you're using garlic mustard, I recommend walnuts.
Taste and add more salt or garlic if you would like. But be careful - the garlic strengthens with time as the mixture ages.
This can be kept in the fridge for a week or so or you can freeze it. The quality isn't as good when frozen but it sure is nice to have basil pesto pasta in the middle of winter!
1. Gather and clean your leaves. Take them off the stems and spin in your salad spinner.
2. Most greens can be used fresh. If you're making nettle pesto, you should blanch and plunge in ice water and drain (this will remove the stinging from the leaves). Place leaves in a food processor along with 1/1 to 1 clove of garlic and about 1/2 T of sea salt. Turn on the processor and pour in olive oil until the leaves are processed according to your preference. If you run the processor too long, it will turn to mush. I keep adding leaves until the batch is pretty full (about 2 - 3 cups).
3. Add a few pine nuts (maybe 1/8 c) and a handful of grated parmesan cheese. If you're using garlic mustard, I recommend walnuts.
Taste and add more salt or garlic if you would like. But be careful - the garlic strengthens with time as the mixture ages.
This can be kept in the fridge for a week or so or you can freeze it. The quality isn't as good when frozen but it sure is nice to have basil pesto pasta in the middle of winter!
Vegan-Raw beet and cashew spread
Vegan-Raw beet and cashew spread
This is another recipe from Angela Madaras - it is about the best appetizer I've had in a long time. Also good as a side dish with eggs (well, we eat a lot of eggs so anything is paired with eggs around here).
1 chopped beet (all veggies raw)
6 chopped carrots
3 cloves crushed garlic
2 Tbs. grated ginger
2 C. chopped cashews
2Tbs. tahini
1 cup chopped parsley
juice from two lemons
2 Tbs. tamari, brags or soy sauce
2 Tbs. olive or flax oil
water to thin out
Blend it together and adjust to your own taste
This is another recipe from Angela Madaras - it is about the best appetizer I've had in a long time. Also good as a side dish with eggs (well, we eat a lot of eggs so anything is paired with eggs around here).
1 chopped beet (all veggies raw)
6 chopped carrots
3 cloves crushed garlic
2 Tbs. grated ginger
2 C. chopped cashews
2Tbs. tahini
1 cup chopped parsley
juice from two lemons
2 Tbs. tamari, brags or soy sauce
2 Tbs. olive or flax oil
water to thin out
Blend it together and adjust to your own taste
Bread
This is contributed by Angela Madaras, fellow food blogger, CSA farmer, and extraordinary woman.
The Easiest Bread Recipe
This recipe was from New York Times a while back and has been handed down to me from many hands. I can barely read the copy but the recipe works and it can be amended to add a variety of seasonings and other stuff. I have arthritis and gave up baking bread due to lack of ability to knead. This is a non-knead bread. Anything which is un-needy is good for me.
Mix 3 cups all purpose or half wheat and half white organic flour together in a glass bowl with quarter tsp. active dry yeast and one and quarter tsp. sea salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water and mix until it looks well blended and sticky. Cover with plastic warp and let sit in calm-warm spot for 12-18 hours.
When the surface of dough is bubbly it is ready to gently roll into a ball lightly for a few seconds with extra flour for hands and cover again 15 minutes. Then through flour on a kitchen dish towel (non terry) and roll the dough into your floured hands rolling it into itself forming a ball which will sit on the towel folded end facing down for another 2 hours lightly floured on top and covered with floured towel.
Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees a half hour before baking. Place dough in a well greased casserole dish with lid(I use cast iron dutch oven) by gently allowing it to roll off towel into dish. No messing with it will form up when it cooks.
Bake for 30 minutes covered then 20 minutes not covered.
Viola……………Fresh bread. Best left out on wooden cutting board to crust over for a couple hours.
The Easiest Bread Recipe
This recipe was from New York Times a while back and has been handed down to me from many hands. I can barely read the copy but the recipe works and it can be amended to add a variety of seasonings and other stuff. I have arthritis and gave up baking bread due to lack of ability to knead. This is a non-knead bread. Anything which is un-needy is good for me.
Mix 3 cups all purpose or half wheat and half white organic flour together in a glass bowl with quarter tsp. active dry yeast and one and quarter tsp. sea salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water and mix until it looks well blended and sticky. Cover with plastic warp and let sit in calm-warm spot for 12-18 hours.
When the surface of dough is bubbly it is ready to gently roll into a ball lightly for a few seconds with extra flour for hands and cover again 15 minutes. Then through flour on a kitchen dish towel (non terry) and roll the dough into your floured hands rolling it into itself forming a ball which will sit on the towel folded end facing down for another 2 hours lightly floured on top and covered with floured towel.
Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees a half hour before baking. Place dough in a well greased casserole dish with lid(I use cast iron dutch oven) by gently allowing it to roll off towel into dish. No messing with it will form up when it cooks.
Bake for 30 minutes covered then 20 minutes not covered.
Viola……………Fresh bread. Best left out on wooden cutting board to crust over for a couple hours.
Rhubarb Cake
Rhubarb Cake
Topping
1 cup chopped nuts 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
½ cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cake
1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons unsalted butter ½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg 1 pound rhubarb cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup plain yogurt
2 cups all purpose flour
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 13 by 9 baking pan. For the topping combine the nuts, granulated sugar, melted butter, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
For the cake, beat the brown sugar, softened butter, and egg with a mixer until well blended; beat in yogurt. Add the flour, baking soda, salt to the butter mixture; stir to blend. Fold in the rhubarb and spread the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle on the topping.
Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes, until center springs back when gently pressed. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before cutting.
Topping
1 cup chopped nuts 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
½ cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cake
1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons unsalted butter ½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg 1 pound rhubarb cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup plain yogurt
2 cups all purpose flour
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 13 by 9 baking pan. For the topping combine the nuts, granulated sugar, melted butter, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
For the cake, beat the brown sugar, softened butter, and egg with a mixer until well blended; beat in yogurt. Add the flour, baking soda, salt to the butter mixture; stir to blend. Fold in the rhubarb and spread the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle on the topping.
Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes, until center springs back when gently pressed. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before cutting.
Citrus Collards with Raisins
Citrus Collards with Raisins
I don't remember which recipe book we found this in but it's a good one. This is a nice dish to take with you to a party - no one will believe it's collards and it doesn't need to be refrigerated. It's also a nice way to serve greens for children as it's a little sweet and salty.
1 large bunch of collard greens
Coarse salt
½ tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove minced
1/3 cup raisins
2 medium oranges
Remove stems from greens. Roll and cut leaves into thin strips. Rinse. In large pot bring 3 quarts to boil with salt. Add greens, boil 10 minutes. Drain. In sauté pan sauté garlic for 30 for a minute. Add greens, raisins and a pinch of salt. Sauté for three minutes. Section oranges, add them to greens and heat them up for 30 seconds. Serve immediately or room temp.
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