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Category: Greens

  • One-Pot Kale & Quinoa Pilaf

    This is a super fast and easy, one-pot light, citrusy, healthy, satisfying dish. The original recipe calls for kale but any leafy green vegetable will work. I used collards but I have used spinach and chard. It’s all good. *At the bottom of this post there is a photo of this dish I made doubling the greens and adding some clementine oranges. Feel free to play with this recipe.

    I pretty much follow the Food52 recipe with just a few changes. It’s so simple the changes don’t really matter though.

    Kale Quinoa Pilaf slightly adapted from a Food52 article

    • 2 cup salted water
    • 1 cup quinoa
    • 1 bunch of kale or any leafy green like collards or spinach, washed and chopped
    • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
    • 2 scallions, minced (I used onions)
    • 1 tablespoon oil
    • 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts (I used a mix of seeds, nuts and dried fruit)
    • 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese (I actually had this but  use any cheese)
    • Salt and pepper

    Bring the water to a boil in a covered pot. Add the quinoa, cover, and lower the heat until it is just enough to maintain a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes, then add the kale to the pot and re-cover. Simmer another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow to steam in the pot for 5 more minutes. (I let mine steam off the heat for more like 30 minutes and it was fine. The photo is when the quinoa has been simmering for 10 minutes and I just added the kale)

    While the quinoa and kale are steaming, take a large serving bowl and combine the lemon juice and zest, scallions (or onions), oil and goat cheese in a serving bowl.

    When the quinoa and kale are done, fluff the pilaf, and tip it into the waiting bowl with the lemon and oil mixture. As the hot quinoa hits the scallions and lemon it should smell lovely. Toss to combine, seasoning with salt and pepper, add more lemon juice and top with nuts and seeds if you are using them.

    Leftovers are great for several days. I like to add a little lemon and oil to freshen it up after a day or two in the refrigerator.

    • double the greens and added citrus

  • Greens with Brown Butter, Raisins and Nuts

    A CSA member (Hi Nancy!) sent me a recipe from an old vegetarian cookbook. It sounded elegant, simple and delicious so I had to try to make it! It is basically sauteed greens tossed in a sauce of brown butter, currents (I used raisins) and nuts.

    Greens with Brown Butter, Raisins and Nuts Adapted from Field of Greens by Annie Somerville.

    • 3 Tablespoons Brown Butter
    • 2-3 Tablespoons raisins or any dried fruit
    • 2-3 Tablespoons any nuts or seeds, I used pecans
    • 2 large bunches of greens, kale, chard, collards, spinach or any mix (I used collards and spinach) washed chopped. I chopped up my stems, you can discard the stems if you don’t like them.
    • Olive oil for sautéing, salt and pepper and red pepper flakes if you want a little heat

    To make the brown butter put the butter in a deep sauce pan, deep so it doesn’t splatter everywhere and just heat it until it’s brown. Stand at the stove and watch it. If you walk away it might burn, the browning happens pretty fast. It goes from this…

    ….to this in a couple minutes. It doesn’t look that brown in the photo but you can smell the toasty nutty butter. Stop before it gets too dark or it might taste burnt.

    Chop your greens and cover your raisins with some hot water, just a little water, you want to plump them just a little you don’t want them mushy, and chop your nuts too.

    Get a big pan and heat your olive oil and add the greens.

    Let the greens cook a little bit until they wilt then add most of the brown butter, raisins (I added the soaking water, but you can drain it if you want) and nuts and toss until the greens are wilted/cooked to  your liking, taste it for doneness and if it needs salt and pepper or more of the brown butter and mix it up really well.

    This fork is loaded with a perfect bite, some greens with nice taste texture from the nuts and sweet chewy from the raisins and the brown butter is elegant in the background. Yum.

    I had some roasted cauliflower so I added that to the finished dish and it was soooo good. I think any vegetable would be great prepared with the brown butter and raisins and nuts as a dressing.

  • Sauteed Greens

    Here is a super basic prep for when you are wondering what to do with your bunches of kale, collards or chard. After a quick sauté you can serve your greens hot, at room temperature, or you can refrigerate the greens and store them for up to 7 days and eat as a cold “salad” or add them to a grain or egg dish, pasta or my favorite-added to my morning oatmeal! After cooking the greens are much easier to store-Bonus!

    Sauteed Greens Serves 4

    • 1 bunch of greens, washed and chopped
    • 1-2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
    • 1-2 Tbsp. minced garlic or onion (optional)
    • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • Vinegar or lemon juice, optional for seasoning

    Shake the rinsed greens in a colander to remove the excess water, but the leaves don’t have to be completely dry. Remove the tough stems and chop the leaves.

    Heat a large skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add the olive oil followed by the garlic or onion if using and cook for a few seconds until it is light brown. Be careful not to let your oil smoke or burn the garlic. Add a couple of handfuls of greens and toss with tongs, incorporating the garlic so it doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining greens all at once, or in batches if your pan isn’t large enough to hold it all at once.

    Toss constantly so the greens wilt evenly.

    When wilted, taste first, then season with salt and pepper. Sometimes greens have a natural saltiness so you don’t want to over salt. Continue cooking over high heat, tossing often, until the excess liquid evaporates.

    Turn greens out into a bowl and season with vinegar or lemon juice.  Here is a photo to show how much the greens reduce down for easier consumption and storage. That is two bunches of greens sauteed to fit in a smallish container.

  • Green Shakshuka

    Shakshuka generally is a creamy saucy tomato dish made with tomatoes, cream, herbs and spices. This green shakshuka uses lots and lots of greens and herbs. I used nut milk because that is all I had and it wasn’t very creamy but had a nice mild rich flavor. This is one of those dishes that is endlessly adaptable to use whatever you happen to have and customize it to your personal taste.

    Here is the recipe I very loosely followed with my changes in parentheses.

    Green Shakshuka

    • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 large onion chopped (I didn’t have an onion!)
    • 3 large cloves garlic crushed
    • 1 1/2 pounds mixed greens (I used 2 bunches of collards. ANY greens will work here), stems removed and roughly chopped.
    • 1/4 cup vegetable stock (I used water)
    • 1 cup packed mixed fresh herbs finely chopped (I used parsley and chives. Basil, cilantro, tarragon, a little mint, any soft herb would work. Feel free to mix and match what you like.)
    • 1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeño, (I didn’t have a jalapeno. I would have added it if I did)
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • 1/2 to 3/4 cup half-and-half, cream, yogurt or nut or oat milk depending on how creamy or saucy you like it.  (I used cashew milk)
    • 8 large eggs (I used 4 for two of us and had leftover shakshuka)

    Heat a skillet to medium heat, add the olive oil. Once the oil shimmers, add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring, 1 more minute or so. Add the chopped greens and water or broth and cook that for a few minutes until it wilts.

    Add the herbs you are using and cream or milk and cook that for a few more minutes until it all sort of collapses and melds together.

    Make some dents in the greens, add the eggs then cover the dish and cook that over a medium heat for about 5 minutes.

    The cream or milk does two things, 1. it steams the eggs so they cook evenly and 2. makes the dish luscious and rich. Serve it with crusty bread, pita or potatoes.

    ….or maybe tortillas for breakfast tacos

    Have a great week. I’ll see you at pickup.

    Mo

     

     

  • Green Tacos

    Aylyn sent me a couple ideas for dishes using our CSA vegetables. I really like soft tacos using vegetables so I had to try the green taco recipe she sent.

    The recipe is quite simple.  I only changed a couple things using what I had.

    It was quick to make and very satisfying. I had some kale, walking onions  and garlic scapes and a little asparagus. You could use collards or broccoli and any allium you like. I loved the creamy tang of goat cheese but any cheese or yogurt or vegan option would work.

    As always, use what you like and have. My changes are in parentheses

    Green Tacos makes about 12 tacos. Great for leftovers.

    1 large bunch of greens, washed and tough stems discarded
    1 1/2 tablespoons oil
    1 large onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick (I used walking onions)
    3 garlic cloves, finely chopped (I used garlic scapes)
    1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
    1/2 cup water (I needed a little more)
    12 corn tortillas, warmed with a bit of water in a kitchen towel in the microwave (I heated mine on the stove)
    1 cup of any cheese or cheese substitute you like. (I used goat cheese)
    A large handful (6-10) cherry tomatoes (I used radishes and avocado)
    1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (a store-bought salsa or hot sauce will work) (I didn’t use this and didn’t miss it)

    Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high, add the onion and cook until golden but still a bit crunchy, 4-5 minutes.

    Meanwhile, slice the greens crosswise into 1/2 inch slices.

    Add the garlic and chili flakes to the onion and cook for an additional minute, then add the water, a large pinch of salt, and the greens.

    Reduce heat to low and braise, cover, for about 5 to 10 minutes or until the greens are nearing tender, but not quite finished.

    Meanwhile, put the cherry tomatoes (I didn’t use these, but feel free to if you have them) into a dry skillet over medium-high heat until blistered, transfer to a small food processor with the chipotle pepper in adobo and a large pinch of salt, and blend until smooth.

    Remove the cover from the greens and cook off the moisture until they are nearly dry.

    Season with salt and pepper to taste. Fill each taco with a tong full of the greens, top with cheese and or salsa.

    Enjoy!

    Have a great week. See you at pickup.

    Mo

  • Winter Squash, Spinach and Broken Pasta Bake

    I saw this Yotam Ottolenghi recipe in the Guardian a while ago and was intrigued. You basically thinly slice or cube winter squash, add a few other ingredients, mix it and and bake. There is no roasting the squash first, no boiling the pasta. The one hitch in that recipe is it calls for fresh lasagna noodles. Thus the reason I hadn’t made it. I rarely make pasta from scratch.

    Then one of my favorite bloggers made a few user friendly changes to the original recipe. She used broken dried pasta, not fresh and different ratios of cheese and omitted the tomatoes. So I made it.

    I combined what I liked of the two recipes, as always using what I have. The result is a really easy dish that is more vegetable than pasta and is worthy of being on a holiday table.

    I used 1/2 this butternut squash and peeled and sliced it thin on a mandolin, you can use a knife and cut it thin or in chunks. It looks like cheese, it’s not. It’s butternut squash sliced thin.

    In hindsight I think I would use a kabocha or delicata squash next time so I didn’t have to peel it. I forgot to take a picture of the spinach I used, but there was about 1/2 a bag of spinach. You can use kale or chard if you like. I used the odds and ends of the cheese I had in the refrigerator.

    Preheat your oven to 350F and gather the ingredients.

    • 1 large egg
    • 1 cup (250 grams) ricotta
    • 1 cup (100 grams) finely grated parmesan, divided in half
    • 1 cup (85 grams) coarsely grated cheese I used aged cheddar and mozzarella
    • 1 1/4 cups (300 grams) water or two tomatoes, I used tomatoes
    • 2 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil
    • 1 1/2 – 2  teaspoons kosher salt, depending on how salty your cheese is
    • Freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
    • Freshly ground black pepper
    • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste-optional
    • 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced-I used a shallot
    • 2 tablespoons thinly-sliced sage leaves or 1 teaspoons chopped thyme leaves (optional)
    • 5 ounces (1/2 a bag) spinach or another green, roughly chopped
    • 1 1/4-pound (560-grams) butternut or another sturdy winter squash, peeled, seeded, sliced thin or 1 pound (455 grams) in prepared chunks, sliced thin
    • 8 ounces (225 grams) dried pasta (see Note), broken into pieces if large/long

    Mix the first 12 ingredients in a bowl

    Then the last 3 ingredients.

    Mix them together and put them in a casserole dish and sprinkle the rest of the parmesan cheese on top and cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.

    This is after one hour.

    Take the foil off and bake it another half hour until it is brown and crispy.

    Let it sit for a half hour or so before you cut it to let it set so it is easier to cut and get out of the casserole. There you go. Lovely side dish or vegetarian main dish.

    Well, this is it, week 23. Another CSA season in the books. Thanks for a great year. Maybe I’ll see some of you at the Winter CSA pickup, if not hopefully next year.

    Be well and happy.

    Mo

     

  • “Creamed Greens”

    This is a super easy, elegant satisfying plant based dish that is better than creamed spinach you would get at an old school steak house. These greens will complement any grilled, steamed or roasted vegetable, meat or fish or you could even serve it with noodles or rice.

    The base (sauce) of the sauce is tofu not heavy whipping cream and the result is so much better than original dairy base dish. I saw the recipe here. I have made this twice and changed just a few things but basically followed the recipe. You can use any greens you have. I used a bunch of kale, but chard, spinach or collards would be just as delicious. I used mushrooms but if you don’t like mushrooms-use onions or eggplant. Don’t have greens? Use the sauce with roasted peppers or winter squash. Don’t want an Asian profile? Sub nutritional yeast and any nut or oat milk for the Asian seasonings like I did in the second photo. Here is what I used the two times I have made this.

    If you don’t care about being plant based you could use parmesan and regular milk. Here is what you need.

    Creamed Greens.

    • 8 ounces tofu I used firm tofu
    • 4 tablespoons soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoons mirin
    • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
    • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 4 cloves garlic, minced
    • 2 tablespoons finely minced ginger
    • 4 ounces mushrooms
    • 1 bunch of greens I used kale
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

    Put the tofu, soy sauce, mirin, and vinegar in a blender and blend on high until smooth, 1-2 minutes until it is really smooth. If you want it thinner add water or milk (plant or animal) That’s it. you just made a delicious ‘cream’ sauce yum.

    Honestly, you can stop right here and put this on anything.

    If you are making the greens heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and then salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and most of it has evaporated. Add the greens and cook, stirring, until just wilted.

     

    Stir in half the tofu mixture (save the rest for another batch or to use with other veggies) and cook until warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with more salt to taste and serve warm.

    I’ll be playing with different seasonings for this dish. I hope you try making this. I think it’s a winner.

    Fall is in the air. I’m ready for cooler weather. Have a great week.

    Mo

     

     

  • Vegan Kale Pesto

    I have lots of recipes and ideas here on making pesto. Last week our Harvest Manager Kevin was telling me about a vegan kale pesto he makes all the time. I wondered if this space needs another post on pesto? Kevin sent me the recipe and I made his vegan kale pesto. I really like it and decided to share it with you. It isn’t as assertive as traditional basil pesto where a little goes a long way. Kale pesto is more subtle and I think more versatile, more a backup singer than a lead. Because it has no cheese it is lighter and the flavor of the nuts and herbs and kale are more discernable than traditional pesto.   

    Kevin got his kale pesto recipe from a vegan restaurant in Denver, Somebody People. The original recipe uses a whole bunch of kale and no basil but asks for leaves from a bunch of radishes. I didn’t have that so I used mint and a few basil leaves. I loved the mint in this pesto. You can use a handful of what ever herbs or extra greens you have.

    I followed Kevin’s Somebody People pretty closely but used what I had.

    • One bunch of Kale, ribs removed
    • One cup of olive oil. I would use 3/4 cup next time
    • Juice and peel of 1/2 lemon I totally forgot to take a picture of that, DON’T leave it out!
    • 1/4 cup of any nuts you like. I had macadamia nuts. If you can’t do nuts try sunflower seeds or hemp seeds
    • 3 or 4 cloves of garlic
    • a handful of herbs. I used mint and basil. You could use radish or carrot tops instead of herbs.
    • salt and pepper

    Method for making Kale Pesto

    • Blanch the kale in boiling water for 2 minutes and shock it in cold water and squeeze out the excess water.   I completely forgot to take a picture of that.
    • Put the garlic cloves in a food possessor and give them a spin then add the blanched and squeezed kale and everything else except the olive oil-give that a spin.

    Slowly add the oil while the processor is spinning.

    That’s it. You made kale pesto.

    I mashed some of this pesto with some avocados and had it on toast for breakfast.

    I mixed some kale pesto with some beans and chopped vegetables for lunch.

    And yeah, I had some tossed with pasta…that is another post.

    I hope you try this fun twist on pesto.

    Have a great week.

    Mo

  • Shaved Zucchini and Kale with Miso Ginger Dressing

    This is a versatile easy dressing to keep in your meal rotation repertoire. As it is this makes a hearty tasty kale zucchini salad like this or it can dress up some roasted vegetables, sliced cucumber and onions or steamed broccoli or beets. If you add a little tahini or peanut or almond butter to the dressing and add some noodles and some protein you have a meal.

    This makes enough for two big salads.

    You will need;

    • 6 tablespoons neutral oil -not olive oil
    • 2-3 tablespoons rice vinegar
    • 5-6 teaspoons white miso
    • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
    • 1 teaspoon sweetener like agave or honey or maple syrup
    • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
    • Ginger, peanut butter, almond butter, chili flakes-all optional I used ginger and chili flakes today.

    Use the lesser amounts of vinegar and miso and mix everything up in a bowl and taste it. Today I used the lesser amount of vinegar and the larger amount of miso. See if you want more miso or vinegar or maybe more sweetener.

    Now make your salad. I used half the dressing for a bunch of kale and one shaved zucchini.

    Mix that up and add some seeds and nuts.

    Man I love shaved zucchini in salads. I hope you try this and have fun with some variations of the basic recipe I have written.

    Have a great week. See you at pickup.

    Mo

     

     

     

  • Spicy Salad Mix aka Braising Mix

    This mix of greens is my favorite bagged/cut green we grow.

    It has two names; Spicy Salad Mix and also Braising mix (same thing, different names). Both the names for some reason scare people from trying it. Folks think it is crazy spicy or it needs a fancy cooking method.

    If I were queen of Red Wagon I would banish the name Braising mix, I’m ok with calling it Spicy Salad mix. Right now the leaves are pretty small and great in salads. Soon they will get bigger and be a more sturdy green and I would call it a Hardy Greens mix when it gets bigger…but I’m not queen…so I’ll call it Spicy Salad mix.

    Let’s take a closer look at what we’ve got and I’ll throw out a couple ideas how to use it.

    This mix almost always has mizuna, tatsoi, kale and red or green mustard.

    Sometimes the mustard can pack some heat, much like arugula, but almost any salad dressing you apply or any small amount of heating the greens or cooking tames the heat quite a bit. There is always a little hum of heat, so I understand it might not be for everyone. But, if you like arugula, I would bet you will like this mix.

    My favorite thing to do with this mix is to put a generous handful of greens in a serving bowl.

    Then I put what ever hot dish we are having on top. The residual heat wilts the greens just a bit.

    Then you dig your fork through all the yummy layers and get a little of everything in each bite.

    The other thing I love love love is to really quickly wilt this mix with any alliums I have on hand with some oil and butter and mix some hard cheese and a squeeze of lemon and put that on top of whatever our main dish is.

    It looks like this;

    Cook some garlic or onions in oil and butter.

    Add your Spicy Salad mix.

    When it’s wilted top with a squeeze of lemon.

    You can stop there and you have a nice side dish. I like to top my main dish with this like so. You get a little of everything in each bite.

    I can’t think what this wouldn’t be delicious with. I hope you try it.

    Have a great week. See you at pickup.

    Mo