What to do the day(s) before the next share arrives when you have a random assortment of things that need eating? I just reduced my bok choy (leaves), chard (leaves) and a bunch of parsley, basil and cilantro (not from the share) to an ice cube tray worth of intense green goodness. I used this idea from Food52.com but didn’t blanch the herbs and used garlic scapes instead of garlic cloves and of course my greens were different. I have yet to use these nuggets of green in fried rice, as the author suggests, or any other way. I’ll report once I do but imagine it will be good.
Pestos are another good idea for greens and herbs that need using.
I also tend to make slaws—I just made a fennel and Hakurei turnip and scallion one to go with fish tacos. I’ll share that recipe when we have fennel and turnips again.
And fritters/savory pancakes are also an excellent catch all for produce in most any combination.
Beet Notes
Simple Green Salad
Mustard Greens Frittata
Red Lentil Dhal with Mustard Greens
Kale and Mustard Green Salad with Peanut Dressing
Fancy Braised Greens
Broccoli and Chicken (or White Bean) Quesadillas
Beet Notes
The beets this time of year are so tender and sweet. I typically cook them all at once and with the heat this week I will certainly be boiling them rather than baking—won’t heat the house up as much and is quicker. Scrub them but don’t peel, put in a saucepan and cover generously with water. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, cover, and cook for 25-35 minutes, depending on size of beets. When you can easily pierce them with the tip of a knife remove from heat, drain, let cool and then peel. I typically then cut them into wedges or large dice and dress them lightly with red wine or sherry vinegar and a little salt. Then you’ll have them on hand to add to salads, sandwiches or eat just as is. The massive greens this week would work well in the Fancy Braised Greens, below, turning them into a lush dish that will enhance any meal.
Simple Green Salad
Especially in the spring when the lettuces are buttery soft and tender I eat large quantities of this kind of salad–a simple vinaigrette, maybe a sliced scallion and little crumbled cheese and mounds of fresh lettuces.
Serves 2-4 depending what else is being served and how much you love salad
8 cups Butterhead lettuce, washed, dried and torn into bite-sized pieces
1 scallion (from last week?), trimmed and very thinly sliced
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese or goat cheese, optional
Vinaigrette
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 small sprig fresh thyme, minced, optional
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 – 4 tablespoons good olive oil
Put the salad ingredients in a bowl. Shake the dressing ingredients in a tightly sealed jar. Dress the salad with most, if not all of dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately.
Mustard Greens Frittata
I often add all sorts of thing to my frittatas–cleaning out the crisper, using up leftover herbs, etc. This frittata is notable for its simplicity. You can omit the cheese too and it will be lighter and the greens even more distinct. Both ways are delicious and the fresh, slightly bitter and peppery note of the mustard greens is prominent–which I love.
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or chopped
1 large bunch mustard greens, washed, trimmed of any ratty stems and leaves cut in half lengthwise and then crosswise into thin strips
Salt
5-6 eggs (or more if you want to feed more or have a higher ratio of egg to greens)
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar or cheese of your choice–a bit of crumbled fresh goat cheese is delicious here too
Heat oil in a heavy sauté pan or well-seasoned cast iron pan or non-stick (if it’s heatproof and can go in the oven). Add the garlic and mustard greens and a few pinches of salt to pan and toss well and sauté for just 2-3 minutes until the greens are wilted.
Set your oven to broil.
Lightly whisk the eggs until they’re just broken up—no need to get them frothy or really well mixed. Add a few generous pinches of salt. Pour eggs over the vegetables and tilt the pan to evenly distribute the eggs. Top with cheese, if using. Cover and cook on medium heat for a few minutes. When the eggs begin to set around the edge take the pan off the heat and set under the broiler (uncovered) until the eggs are cooked and slightly puffed and golden.
Let sit for a few minutes before cutting and serving. It will come out of the pan much more easily that way. Enjoy warm or at room temperature
Red Lentil Dhal with Mustard Greens
This is a good, fairy quick, weeknight dish that also freezes well so make extra and save yourself some time/work. And it’s even better the next day so double the recipe if you’d like. And if you haven’t cooked with red lentils before now might be the time. They are quicker cooking than any other lentils and are delicately flavored. You can find them in most stores and often in the bulk bins.
This recipe makes a fairly thin dhal and it does thicken a bit as it cools. Feel free to reduce the amount of stock by a bit or increase the amount of lentils a little if you want a thicker dhal.
1 ½ tablespoons coconut, peanut or olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds (optional)
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds (optional)
1 cup red lentils
3 cups vegetable stock (this makes a fairly thin dhal–see headnote)
1 can coconut milk (full fat preferably)
1 bunch mustard greens or beet greens, well washed and roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste
Greek yogurt mixed with minced garlic and a bit of salt (optional but delicious)
Rice for serving (optional)
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 7-8 minutes until softened but not brown. Add the spices and stir well and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the lentils, broth and coconut milk. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes until everything is tender. Add the mustard greens and cook for another 5 minutes or so until tender but still bright. Adjust seasoning –if your broth was well seasoned it may not need much more. Finish with the lemon juice and top with a good dollop of Greek yogurt mixed with some minced garlic and sea salt.
Kale and Mustard Green Salad with Peanut Dressing
–inspired by Food52.com
This is a hearty salad. It keeps pretty well thanks to the sturdier greens.
Serves 4, generously
1/2 bunch kale, well washed and any tough stems trimmed and then cut as thinly as you can
1/2 bunch mustard greens
1-2 medium carrots, grated on the large holes of a box grater (optional—but pretty and a nice sweet addition)
¾ cup fresh mint, chopped
3/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
Peanut/Sesame Dressing:
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoons tahini (optional—I like the combination very much though)
2-3 tablespoons hot water
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice, plus more to taste
2 cloves new garlic, minced
1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Salt
¼ -1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes (or more if you want a bit more heat) or 1/2 a jalapeño minced
Toss the chopped greens, mint and the peanuts together in a large bowl.
Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Loosen with a little more hot water if too thick but be sure not to make it too runny or the salad will be watery.
Pour two-thirds of the dressing over the salad and toss well, making sure you’re really covering the kale well. You might want to use your hands–messy but fun and effective. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Fancy Braised Greens
-loosely inspired by Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters
You can mix and match most any kind of leafy green here but it will be particularly good for the beet greens and kale this week. If you have any kind of wine open, use the suggested amount. If you don’t use broth or water mixed with 2 teaspoons of vinegar. This dish is even better the next day. You can also mix these greens with pasta or cook them down a bit more with borlotti or white beans.
The sweetness of the browned onions and the tang of the capers and wine is what sets these greens apart.
Serves 4-6
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 bunches greens (beet greens, kale, mustard), washed and cut into 1-inch ribbons
2 teaspoons fresh or died thyme
1 cup dry wine (see headnote) or water or vegetable broth–if you don’t have wine add 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar to the broth/water
1/2 cup broth or water
1 1/2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped up a bit, especially if they’re big
Salt and pepper (go easy on the salt as the capers will add salt too)
Heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy pot. Add the onions and thyme and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, over medium to medium-high heat until browned. Add the wine or broth/vinegar and stir well and scrape up any bits of caramelized onion. Simmer for a few minutes covered. Add the greens and the additional broth/water and cook covered for about 7 minutes. Add the capers and simmer another minute or two. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Finish with the remaining olive oil.
Broccoli and Chicken Quesadillas
This is hardly a recipe but it’s such a tasty combination and template for a quick dinner. Skip the meat if you don’t have it or use other leftover meats or use white beans instead. In the ones in the photos I used broccoli stems as I had used the florets for something else.
Serves 3-4
8 corn tortillas
About 2 – 2 1/2 cups cooked broccoli, stems and florets, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
About 1 cup grated sharp cheddar or cheese of your choice (or slightly more)
About 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped up well (or white beans)
Hot sauce of choice (optional)
Olive oil
Mix the broccoli with the garlic and a little salt. Spread a thin layer of cheese on one tortilla, top with broccoli, chicken (or beans) and hot sauce, if using, and top with another tortilla. Panfry over medium high heat in a bit of olive oil on both sides until the cheese is melted the tortillas are browning in spots and everything is heated through. Cut into wedges and serve hot with more hot sauce if you’d like.