Gourmet in the Garden

Hello Beautiful!  Who knew you could make such a glorious looking salad with greens harvested mostly from your back yard? Our friend Oliver does! This 7-year-old gourmet garden guru taught our Kid's Cooking class the other day and taught us all a thing or two... or three! 

Just look at that poise! 

Not just delicious, but exceptionally nutritious too, this wild edible salad delights the eyes and taste-buds, and leaves you feeling healthy and fresh!

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Oliver guided us confidently through the salad preparation, teaching appropriate knife skills   (watch those fingers!), and how to safely identify the plants we used.

This vibrant dish included wood sorrel, pink and white clover, dandelion flower, wild onion, violet leaf, lettuce, chickweed, multi-flora rose, and ground ivy! We dressed it with a little salt, pepper, elderberry syrup, and organic sunflower oil. Yum! 

 

Our Kids Cooking classes are an incredible opportunity for kids and adults alike to learn new kitchen skills, taste new foods, and gain confidence. You might be surprised by how much even very young children can absorb just through observation. One of our regulars surprised us the other day by demonstrating how to properly cut a leaf from its spine without even being prompted! It appears that we have an army of new kitchen gurus on the rise! 

A little helper watches attentively in class 

Our little gourmet garden guru helping our two interns use the salad spinner 

Not everyone is accustomed to eating salad, especially ones with such unusual ingredients, but with Oliver's enthusiasm and charm, we got samples out to our pantry patrons, and many were surprised by how much they enjoyed it!

This young man was wary at first, but was surprised and delighted when he finally decided to taste Oliver's wares. Even after several minutes had passed, he was still marveling at the wonderful taste he held in his mouth!

Sound like fun?

Join us Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:15-5:00 pm to take part in our next culinary adventure!

See you there!  

Growing Salad Greens Indoors

Growing Salad Greens Indoors

You can grow your own fresh salad greens indoors all winter long, including spinach, chard, leaf lettuces and mesclun green mixes!    

Start with containers at least 4 inches deep.  Fill container with a potting mix to at least 3 inches.  Plant seeds 3 inches apart.  Plant spinach and chard seeds ½ an inch below the soil.  For lettuce seeds, place seeds on top of soil, and sprinkle lightly with soil, until just covered. 

Place your container in a warm area (like on top of the fridge).  Cover with plastic or mist often with water until the seeds sprout.  Then remove plastic.

Next, place container in a sunny, south-facing window, or under a florescent light.  If using florescent lights, be sure to keep the lights 6 inches above growing greens at all times.  Any further is too far, and closer could burn the leaves or make them too warm (salad greens like cooler temps).  Keep lights on for 12 hours a day.

Fertilize weekly or bi-weekly with a weak solution.  Good organic fertilizers to use indoors include liquid seaweed and compost tea.

Your greens will be ready to harvest in about 30 days.  Snip the base of the largest, outer leaves, and be sure to leave at least 4 inner leaves to continue to grow.

We will be demonstrating how to grow salad greens indoors this week on Tuesday from 12-2pm, and Thursday from 2-5:30pm.  Drop on by!

Pocket Full of Greens

Our annual Pie for Dinner workshop focusses on savory pies and related pie-like dishes such as tarts, quiches, fritatas, shepherd's pie and empanadas. One of my favorites in this category is a recipe from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.

Empanadas with Greens and Olives is a delicious way to pack a whole lot of nutrient-dense greens into a grab-and-go pocket that fits in the palm of your hand. The pastry is a simple pie dough, with paprika mixed in with flour. For added depth of flavor, try smoked paprika. Enjoy!

--Kayte

Brassica juncea! Wait, what?

It's that time of year again when the greens are thriving in the gardens. To be specific, mustard greens or Brassica juncea, if you are getting technical. These types of greens are prevalent among Indian, Chinese, and Japanese dishes and known for their distinct thin leaves. They are incredibly easy to grow, making them ideal if you are new to gardening.

Here are some common questions about mustard greens. 

1. How do you identify mustard greens? 

There are many varieties of wild mustard greens, however all of them are edible. 

The western varieties include frilled-oval leaves & mustard spinach (similar to the green leaves of spinach) 

There are over 50 Asian and Chinese mustard green varieties. The most readily available variety is Mizuna, which have bright green fern-like leaves.

2. Are they really that good for us? 

Compounds within Mustard Greens include antioxidants (Vitamin C, E, & A), anti-inflammatory properties (Vitamin K), and with regular consumption, support Cardiovascular health (aids in lowering cholesterol). If you are interested in learning more, click here! 

3. How do you prepare mustard greens? Have any cooking tips or simple recipes? 

First step, wash/soak those greens! An easy washing recipe to use is combining water, vinegar, baking powder, and lemon juice and allow the greens to soak for 10-15 minutes. To eliminate any dirt or residue that may be on the greens. 

Next step, cooking. 

To maintain the healthy compounds of Mustard Greens, the best cooking technique is to sauté (using 5 Tablespoons of either chicken or vegetable broth and sautéing for 5 minutes or so). 

Note:

- Young Mustard Greens have less of a bitter taste, making them ideal for salads

- To store, place greens in a plastic bag and keep in the refrigerator. Be sure to remove as much air as possible! 

Click on the recipe below for a simple dish that was prepared at MHC for patrons to sample. 

Balsamic-Glazed Chickpeas and Mustard Greens 

Pesto Recipes

Pesto is a delicious and versatile way to pack in tons of greens in one meal. You can make it with all kinds of greens and fresh herbs, you can use pine nuts, sunflower seeds, walnuts or no nuts. You can go vegan, and omit the cheese. Make a big batch during the summer, and freeze it for a lovely hit of green in the dead of winter.  Here are some recipes, but feel free to experiment

Basil Pesto

2 cups fresh basil leaves (no stems), packed

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds)

½ cup grated parmesan or romano cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

This can be made quickly with a blender or food processor, and it can also be made into a chunky pesto by hand with a lot of chopping.  Combine basil, nuts and garlic in the blender.  Add the olive oil until blended and then add the romano cheese in small pieces.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Serving: Add this pesto to cooked pasta, cooked potatoes, spread it on a sandwich, or use it on pizza. 

Freezing: If you want to freeze the pesto you make, omit the cheese (it doesn't freeze well). Line an ice cube tray with plastic wrap, and fill each pocket with the pesto. Freeze and then remove from the ice tray and store in a freezer bag. When you want to use, defrost and add in grated Parmesan or Romano.

Kale Pesto

1 cup fresh kale leaves, chopped

2 garlic cloves

2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

¼ cup sunflower seeds

¾ cup olive oil

salt

freshly ground pepper

Combine kale, garlic, cheese and sunflower seeds in a blender or food processor, and blend. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil. Season to taste with salt an pepper, process to desired texture. Enjoy over pasta, on toast, in scrambled eggs…etc.

Arugula Pesto

2 cups of packed arugula leaves, stems removed

1/2 cup of shelled walnuts

1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

6 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1/2 garlic clove peeled and minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

Brown 6 garlic cloves with their peels on in a skillet over medium high heat until the garlic is lightly browned in places, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan, cool, and remove the skins.

Toast the nuts in a pan over medium heat until lightly brown, or heat in a microwave on high heat for a minute or two until you get that roasted flavor. In our microwave it takes 2 minutes.

 Food processor method (the fast way): Combine the arugula, salt, walnuts, roasted and raw garlic into a food processor. Pulse while drizzling the olive oil into the processor. Remove the mixture from the processor and put it into a bowl. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.

Mortar and pestle method: Combine the nuts, salt and garlic in a mortar. With the pestle, grind until smooth. Add the cheese and olive oil, grind again until smooth. Finely chop the arugula and add it to the mortar. Grind up with the other ingredients until smooth.

Because the pesto is so dependent on the individual ingredients, and the strength of the ingredients depends on the season or variety, test it and add more of the ingredients to taste.

Serve with pasta, over freshly roasted potatoes, or as a sauce for pizza.

Yield: Makes 1 heaping cup.

Dandelion Pesto

Yield: 3-1/2 cups

2 cups tightly packed dandelion leaves, well-rinsed and dried (harvest the small, young leaves, before the plant flowers)

1 dozen large basil leaves

2 garlic cloves

1 cup lightly toasted hazelnuts (skins removed), or toasted almonds, pine nuts, or walnuts

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (optional)

Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 In the bowl of a food processor or blender, pulse together dandelion leaves, basil, garlic, and nuts. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the motor running, add olive oil and process until a smooth paste forms. Pulse in cheese if you like. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Empanadas with Greens and Olives

Galette Dough with 2 teaspoons sweet paprika mixed into the flour.

10 cups mixed greens (spinach, chard, kale, beet greens)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 bay leaves

¼ cup chopped parsley

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ cup pitted olives such as Kalamata-coarsely chopped

½ cup grated provolone (or more)

1 beaten egg

salt and freshly milled pepper

Make the dough, adding the paprika to the flour. Divide it into 12 pieces and roll each into a 3-4 inch circle

Set on a sheet pan and refrigerate. Preheat the oven to 375F. Wash the greens but don’t dry them. Heat the oil in a wide skillet over fairly high heat. Sautee the onion with the garlic, bay leaves parsley and pepper flakes until the onion begins to color a little, about 4 minutes. Add the greens and cook until they’re tender, 8 to 12 minutes, turning them with the tongs as they cook. If there is a lot of moisture when they’re done, press it out with the back of a spoon. Finely chop the greens, then mix them with the olives and half of the egg. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place 1 ½ Tablespoons filling on the lower half of each dough circle, then fold the pastry over and seal the edges with a fork (you can make sure the seal holds by brushing water or egg on the edge before folding over . Brush with the remaining egg. Bake for 20 minutes or until nicely browned. Serve warm or at room temp.

Pork and Vegetables

Most vegetables go well with pork. Ones that are traditionally associated with pork include:

Cabbage
Sauerkraut
Mushrooms
Acorn and other winter squash
Green beans
Peas
Broccoli
Corn
Potatoes
Pumpkin
Greens
Sweet potatoes

Dried beans and other legumes go well with pork, too, specially split peas and white beans.

Lentil-Escarole Soup with Sausage

(from a recipe at rodalenews.com)

3/4 lb Italian pork sausage, cut into bite-size chunks

1 c chopped leeks (or onions)

1 c lentils

1 t basil

Salt

2 c water (or chicken broth or stock)

2 c chopped escarole (or kale)

1 T lemon juice

Pepper

Brown the sausage in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the leeks (or onions) and cook for 3 minutes. Add the lentils, basil, and water. Cover and simmer until the lentils are almost tender, about 30 minutes. Add some water if it seems to be cooking dry. Add the escarole (or kale) and cook for 10 minutes. Just before serving, add the lemon juice and season to taste with pepper and more salt.

Collard Greens with Smoked Meat

(from Paula Deen at foodnetwork.com)

1/2 pound smoked meat (ham hocks, smoked turkey wings, or smoked neck bones)

2 t salt

1/2 t black pepper

1/2 t garlic powder

1 T hot red pepper sauce

1 large bunch collard greens (or a box of frozen greens)

1 T butter

In a large pot, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add the smoked meat and seasonings. Reduce heat to medium and cook for an hour. Wash the greens thoroughly. Remove the stems that run down the center by holding the leaf in your left hand and stripping the leaf down with your right hand. The tender young leaves in the heart of the collards don’t need to be stripped. Stack 6 to 8 leaves on top of one another, roll up, and slice into half inch to 1 inch thick slices. Place greens in pot with meat and add butter. Cook for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally. When done, taste and adjust seasoning.

Chard Soup With Cumin and Lime

Adapted from Deborah Madison’s Vegetable Literacy

For 4-6

8 cups packed trimmed chard leaves (about 1 pound or 20 leaves)

2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 onion, sliced

1 small potato, scrubbed and sliced

1 carrot, scrubbed and sliced

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 ½ teaspoons salt

½ cup sour cream or yogurt

Freshly ground pepper

Grated zest and juice of one lime

Rinse the chard, chop it coarsely and set aside in a colander to drain.

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, potato and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, to soften. Stir in the tomato paste, smashing it into the vegetables, and then add the cumin., coriander and chard leaves. Sprinkle 1 ½ teaspoons salt over the top, cover the pan and allow the leaves to cook down substantially before adding 5 cups water. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer, cover partially, and simmer until the potato has softened. Puree with a stick blender until smooth (you can do this right in the pot). Add the sour cream and blend again. Return the soup to gentle heat. Taste for salt, season with pepper, and stir in the lime zest and juice. Ladle into bowls and serve.