Here are some other ways cooks around the world harvest what's green at this time.
Italian Sauteed Greens with Olives
serves 4-6
2 tbsp good quality olive oil
5 garlic cloves, smashed and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (divide in half)
10 cups torn greens (e.g. kale, mustard, beet, chard, spinach, lettuce, turnip, dandelion)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to your taste
1/2 c pitted black olives, halved
juice of a large or two small lemons
In large skillet, heat oil over medium flame, then add garlic. Stir until it starts to brown. Add 1/2 red pepper flakes (1/4 tsp) and continue stirring about 1 min. This creates your flavor base.
A handful at a time, add the greens and toss until they are all warm and starting to wilt. Season with salt and pepper and cook until greens are uniformly wilted and soft, about 3-4 minutes.
Add olives and lemon juice, carefully blending everything. Remove from heat. Season with remaining red pepper flakes and if desired, more lemon juice. Serve immediately.
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Chinese style Salad
serves 4-6
1 pkg bean sprouts
2 stalks celery, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 bunch scallions, chopped into bite sized disks
1/2 medium red pepper cut into thin strips
1 cup cooked chopped broccoli rabe or broccolini
1 large pickling cucumber thinly sliced into disks
1/4 c dry roasted peanuts (you can omit if someone is allergic)
1/2 Chinese (Napa) cabbage, shredded
1 cup baby spinach leaves
1 carrot, shredded as if for slaw
1/4 lb snow peas or if it's too early, 1 c chopped pea shoots
1/4 lb firm tofu cut in chunks
1 cup crispy chow mein noodles
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds
In a large serving bowl, combine all ingredients except noodles, sunflower seeds and cilantro.
Prepare dressing by combining:
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp fresh ginger, shredded or minced
2 drops hot chili oil or 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakesGree
1/4 c Tamari or soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/4 c Asian sesame oil
1/4 c peanut oil (use sunflower if someone is peanut sensitive)
1 tsp Chinese mustard or 1 tsp dry mustard mixed with 1 tbsp vinegar
Season salad with dressing. Then garish with chow mein noodles, sunflower seeds and finally cilantro.
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Indian Radish, Daikon or Turnip Greens
serves 2-4
Greens of 4 daikon or 2 bunches red radishes or 2 bunches Tokyo (Hakurei) turnips
1 plum tomato, diced
1 sm onion, diced
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 green chilies, seeded and diced
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
salt to your taste
1 tbsp cooking oil (corn, safflower, sunflower, canola, mustard)
Clean and chop the greens, separating any thick stems and chopping them separately.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium and add cumin seeds. Once they start to color, 30-45 seconds, add the onions and cook until they are very soft and translucent, up to 10 minutes.
Add the tomato, blend and cook until all the juice evaporates so you have almost a paste in the pot.
Add turmeric, blend and cook 60 seconds. Add any chopped stems and blend into the paste. Cover and cook 2-3 minutes to soften. (If you have no stems move past this right away.)
Add the greens, stirring them into the paste. Cook uncovered up to 2 minutes or until they start to wilt. Remove from heat and season with salt and lemon juice. Serve hot.
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Russian Cabbage Soup
4-6 servings
2 tbsp butter
1 med onion, coarsely chopped
1 sm leek, thinly sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
5 c rich beef stock or vegetable broth
1 sm head (about 3/4 lb) white cabbage, shredded
1/2 c sauerkraut (not kimchee)
1 lg tomato, chopped (peeled is better than not but...)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
1 sm bunch fresh dill, chopped for garnish
1 cup sour cream for serving
In a soup or stock pot, melt butter. Add onion, leek and carrot and cook until they start to soften.
Add broth, bring to a boil and then add cabbage, sauerkraut and tomato. Cover and cook until cabbage is very tender, about 50 min. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Remove from heat.
Serve in individual bowls topped with fresh dill and a scoop of the sour cream.
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Lamb, Chickpea and Chard Stew
Palestinian Fogaiyya
Serves 4
1½ -3/4 lb boneless lamb stew meat, lean if you can get it
2 tsp ground allspice
1 lg yellow onion, finely chopped
3-4 tbsp olive oil, 1 reserved til the end
1 lg cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves
5 cardamom pods, cracked to release the seeds
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1 lg bay leaf
2 tsp salt, divided (1 tsp of coarse sea salt if you have
it)
3½ -4 cup water or vegetable broth or combination of the two
½ cup medium grain or paella rice or Fregola or Farro
1 14-0z can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 bunch chard, thick stems removed, washed, leaves chopped
Freshly ground black pepper to your taste
6 garlic cloves
½ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Lemon wedges for garnish
Coat the lamb with the allspice.
Cover the bottom of a heavy gauge lidded pot with 2-3 tbsp
of olive oil and warm over medium heat. Add onions and sauté 2 minutes to
soften. Add the lamb. Sauté until meat is brown, 5-7 minutes.
Add cinnamon, cardamom seeds, cloves, bay leaf, and nutmeg. Stir to blend.
Add the water/broth (use 4 cups if you plan to use farro),
bring to a boil, cover and lower heat. Simmer 90 minutes or until lamb is
tender.
Stir in 1 tsp salt, black pepper, chickpeas and the rice or
fregola or farro.
Raise heat to bring to a boil, then immediately lower to
simmer and cook until grain is soft. (Rice will take 10-12 minutes, fregola
12-15 and farro 15-20.) If you need more liquid, add water.
Remove bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Add chopped chard
leaves, stirring them in as you go.
Mash or mince the garlic cloves with 1 tsp coarse sea salt.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a small frying pan and brown the
salted garlic, 1-2 minutes. Add to the stew and blend.
Remove the stew from the heat. When ready to serve, stir in
the lemon juice.
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