Posts Tagged greens
Chef Abby Cooks with Kale! (Eat More Kale! Part II)
Posted by castironidaho in Events, Recipes on July 18, 2011
So, after my last post on the wonderful qualities of kale, I was informed by Ms. Corita Waters, of Greenbelt, MD, that there exists a website called eatmorekale.com! Sadly the website is dedicated more to selling t-shirts that say Eat More Kale, than to actual Kale recipes and information. It’s still awesome, and I’ll probably order one. The authors say that the purpose of the Eat More Kale t-shirt is to start conversations about what we eat and why, and according to some customer responses, it works. I’ll let you know.
So, our second kale recipe this week comes from Abby Carlson, the chef-in-residence at the Peaceful Belly Farm. Let me tell you folks, when a farm has it’s own chef, you know they’re an awesome farm. Abby has been doing weekly cooking demonstrations at the Capital City Public Market, using produce from various vendors. I’ve watched a few of them and have been impressed because she usually makes very simple food, but I usually still learn something new from her demos. I also love the slick overhead mirror that lets you see everything she is doing, and the yummy samples! Her space is almost right across from ours on Idaho Street, so if you don’t have enough good reasons to come to the farmers’ market already, come check her out! I believe her sign says “Chef at the Market.”
The week I managed to take some photos, she was making this recipe:
Sauteed Greens With Exotic Spices
- 2 bunches of Kale or other braising greens of your choice (swiss chard, collards, beet tops, etc.), long stems and tough ribs removed
- 1 Tbsp peeled ginger
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Salt
Spice options:
- 1 Tbsp brown mustard seeds, popped
- OR
- 1/2 Tbsp Ajiwain or Fennel Seed and 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
First Abby showed us how to pop mustard seeds, which was a new trick for me. She basically put them in a hot, dry skillet, put the lid on, and shook them a bit over the heat, much like popping popcorn the old fashioned way, in a pot (which I also recommend!). Soon we could hear the little seeds popping open, and they smelled delicious. She put these aside and made the rest of the recipe.
Next, she made a ginger and garlic paste by crushing ginger, garlic, and a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle. She sauted this in oil until it also smelled wonderful, then added the chopped greens and 1/4 cup of water. You could also use stock. She cooked it until the greens were soft, stirring, and then added the popped mustard seeds at the end. Yum!
– Katie
Boy (or Girl!) Scout Veggies with Sage Butter
Posted by castironidaho in Recipes on July 6, 2011
Summer is on! Marty and I have been super busy with the gardens, both combating the weeds and harvesting the bounty, which is the reason for our lack of blog posts of late. A lot of the time we’re so busy, and so overwhelmed by the garden’s offerings, that all we can do is throw everything into one pot and cook. Or in this case, into one aluminum foil packet.
You can make Boy Scout Veggies with any type of veggies, and with any type of herb butter. So far we’ve tried sage and dill. Usually just one herb at a time, to really enjoy the flavor of that one and the flavors of the veg…..this is a great dish to let the flavors of all the different vegetables shine! And, it’s a great way to use up ALL of those CSA veggies, if you only have time to cook once this week!
Here’s a sample ingredient list:
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Peas
- Beets, including the greens
- Kale or any other greens
- Turnips
- Radishes
- Broccoli
- Onions
- Sage or other chopped herbs
- Couple of tablespoons butter, cut in little cubes.
(Later in the season, get your zucchini, peppers, and cherry tomatoes in there, too.) Wash and chop all veggies. Toss with herbs and butter cubes. Pile as many of them as you can fit onto a piece of aluminum foil. We usually need at least two pieces. Top with another piece of foil and wrap tightly for the grill.
We use a charcoal grill and bury the packet in the coals. If you’re lucky enough to be sitting around a campfire, scout style, you can throw this right in your fire’s coals. It you have a gas grill, cook it on the top rack and be careful, it will cook faster than you think.
Unwrap and enjoy with your favorite grilled meat! We also found leftovers to be a wonderful quesadilla filling. Toast two tortillas in a cast iron pan, reheat the veggies in another pan, then pile them between the two tortillas with enough grated cheese to stick it all together. Yum!
– Katie
Mizuna Salad with Fish and Mango
Posted by castironidaho in Farm and Garden, Recipes on May 29, 2011
Spring is here! And so are the greens from the garden. If you’re a regular reader, you’re probably starting to catch on that I make a lot of salad with fish on it. It’s a quick and delicious dinner, especially when greens are plentiful.
Everybody’s eaten lettuce and spinach, but maybe if you’re in a CSA this year, especially City Gardens CSA, you’re seeing some more unusual greens. Here in Idaho, a number of delicious cold-weather-loving greens are available only in the spring. Mizuna is one of those! Mizuna is a mustard green with a very mild flavor, not bitter like some other mustards. To grow mizuna, you should direct seed it in very early spring, in mid March. Mizuna will bolt as soon as it gets hot, so you can plant it in a partially shaded area of the garden. The bugs also love it, so we cover ours with row cover to keep them off, and can help keep it from bolting, too.
You can mix it with other salad greens, and the pointy leaves will make your mix really attractive, or make your whole salad from mizuna, as we have here. Don’t cut the white stems off though, those are the crunchiest and most flavorful part.
Ingredients:
- Nest of Mizuna or other salad greens
- Sole or other white fish
- Dusting of flour
Mango dressing:
- One mango
- One small onion
- Handful of Cilantro
- Handful of Basil leaves if you have them
- Juice of 2 limes
- Splash of rice vinegar
- Salt and pepper
To make the dressing, chop mango, onion, and herbs. Squeeze 2 limes over the mixture and mix, add rice vinegar to get the desired amount of liquid in your dressing. Season with salt and pepper. You could really use any chunky dressing, or substitute another fruit for the mangos, maybe strawberries if you want something in season.
Arrange a bed of mizuna on a plate. Drag the sole fillet through flour and pan fry in butter. It doesn’t take long at all to cook, as sole is very thin. You could use other fish, we’ve also used trout. Top with dressing and serve.
-Katie
Baby Bok Choi with Garlic and Shrimp
Posted by castironidaho in Recipes on February 7, 2011
More from Jenn’s Chinese New Year Party! And more for all you shrimp lovers. This one made me SO EXCITED to grow bok choi this spring. It’s usually one of the first things we have ready. –Katie
Baby Bok Choy with Garlic and Shrimp
Ingredients:
4 oz. bok choy mui/baby bok choi (cleaned and rinsed)
1/8 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup peeled baby shrimps
3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
Method:
Heat up a wok with the cooking oil and saute the chopped garlic until light brown or aromatic. Add the baby shrimps and stir-fry until the shrimps are half-cooked. Add in a pinch of salt to the shrimp, and then follow by the baby bok choy. Quickly stir-fry the vegetables, dish out and serve hot. Do not overcook your vegetables. They should retain the vitality and crunchiness.
