Rhubarb: pretty in pink

Like the butt of Rodney Dangerfield jokes, rhubarb doesn't get respect. That's a shame because it's versatile, nourishing and pretty pink. Plus it's so filled with water it's almost no-cal. I ignored it for decades but once I actually ate some, I started cooking it every which way and loving the lot. There really is nothing like it.

Let's start with the fact that it's actually a vegetable but it comes off like fruit in pies, crisps and cakes or stewed. It's native to Mongolia  It was probably the first staple of Chinese medicine because while the pink stems morph into delicacies, the leaves are poisonous. A little bite of them goes a long way as potent purgative. Actually the safe stems are thought to purge toxins from our body. The roots are also used as medicine. It was first brought to the US to be planted in freezing Maine which proved it's a cinch to grow.

It's rhubarb's long reddish pink stalks we see in markets once the ground thaws and sun comes out. Like asparagus which also has the energy to break through thawing ground, rhubarb is a tonic for our body. Loaded as it is with calcium and potassium, its praises pile up on the internet where it's now touted as a superfood.  You can feel virtuous eating it. So here are a few delicious and deliciously easy ways to try it.

Pork Chops with Rhubarb and Fennel

Rhubarb puts sweet tang in pan-fried pork and makes it pretty to boot. I used a pork loin chop for maximum effect. I'm guessing if you had a large pork tenderloin you could follow this recipe roasting it. This is one very yummy Spring dinner served perhaps with baked or roasted potatoes and a fennel salad. You could also do this with a thick slab of fresh salmon.
serves 4

Serves 4
4 x 4-6 oz 1” thick pork loin chops

2 tsp fennel seed
w tsp coriander seed
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp sea salt
4 tbsp butter
1 tbsp sunflower or corn oil
finely grated zest and juice 1 orange,

½  c marsala wine
1 lb rhubarb (about 3 lg stalks), trimmed and cut horizontally into 1 1/4” thick slices
2 tbsp honey or pure maple syrup

Cut excess fat of the long end of each pork chop.

Slit each at even intervals on one side.

Crush the fennel, coriander seeds, peppercorns and salt until smashed, but not ground to a powder. Rub into the pork slits.

 In a medium/large heavy gauge skillet or frying pan, melt 2 tbsp butter with oil over a medium heat. Put pork chops fat side down and brown 2-3 minutes.

Flip chops to the scored side and cook 2 minutes, then flip to the other side and do the same. Add the remaining butter and orange zest to the pan, baste the chops, and turn them over again.

Pour the marsala into the pan and let bubble for a few seconds. Add the orange juice and bring to a simmer. Arrange the rhubarb around the pork and drizzle it  with honey/maple syrup. On low heat, cook 5 minutes or until pork is no longer pink inside and rhubarb is soft but still holding its shape.

Using a slotted spatula, remove pork and rhubarb from the pan and arrange on warmed dinner plates. Increase the heat under the pan and simmer the sauce until thickened and slightly syrupy. Pour over the pork and serve.

Rhubarb Slaw

It's rare to find rhubarb served raw but don't be afraid to dig into this tasty and colorful Spring salad. 

Serves 4

Juice of 2 lemons

2 tsp orange juice
2 tsp granulated sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed so the tough outer stalks are removed
4 stalks of rhubarb
4 large radishes, washed

In a medium bowl, mix the lemon juice with the orange juice, sugar, salt and pepper to your taste. Trim the fennel down to its small innards minus the core. Reserve its fronds.

Using a mandolin, cheese slicer or julienne gadget, slice the rhubarb, radishes and fennel into the thinnest strips you can manage and cut these in pieces. Toss them in the seasoned lemon juice to pickle them slightly.

When ready to serve, add the fennel fronds as garnish.

Quick Rhubarb Chutney for grilled fish
This is the high speed version of versatile rhubarb chutney/confit/sauce.  It's also good on grilled chicken.

1 lb rhubarb, woody base trimmed off

¾ cup light brown sugar

½ cup red wine or raspberry vinegar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

½ cup balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp dried currants

1” piece fresh ginger root, peeled and minced

Dice rhubarb into small pieces. In a heavy non-aluminum pot, combine vinegars with sugar and boil on medium heat until the bubbles are thick and dark, 12-15 minutes. Lower heat, stir in ginger, rhubarb, currants and cinnamon. Cook 5 minutes. Pour into a glass jar or ceramic bowl and refrigerate at least 3 hours. Serve at room temperature.

Rhubarb Compote with Raisins and Apricots

Among all the easy recipes of this post, this is tops. It's a ten minute no brainer with long lasting uses. You can just eat it as is for a breakfast fruit or put it on hot oatmeal or over thick yogurt. You could spoon it drained over BBQ chicken or pulled pork or serve it as a side dish. You can present it as a very healthy dessert topped with whipped cream and abetted with ginger cookies.  You could even spoon it on baked apples.
serves 4-5

5 thin stalks rhubarb or 3 fat ones
4-5 dried apricots
1/4 c white raisins
1 seedless clementine or mandarin, peeled and segmented
3 whole cloves 
1/2" piece fresh ginger, peeled, grated
1 tbsp good quality honey
pinch of ground nutmeg
Water

Clean the rhubarb and slice it into 1" pieces. 
Combine everything in a medium lidded pot with enough water to cover it all. Start over medium heat and when the pot is boiling, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook 10 minutes.

Rhubarb Tart
Another high speed recipe. You can also make a rhubarb crisp, rhubarb upside down cake or rhubarb bread pudding. I have all the recipes. 
serves 6-8 
 

2 lbs rhubarb (that’s about 7 large stalks)

1 c turbinado or raw sugar or ½ c granulated and ½ c light brown sugar

1 tsp orange juice

1 tbsp Grand Marnier or other orange liquer

1 baked tart shell

Clean the rhubarb. If the stalks are very thick, cut them in half lengthwise. Cut the stalks into 1” pieces. Put them in a non-aluminum pot with the sugar and orange juice. Cover the pot. Over medium heat cook 10 minutes or until rhubarb is soft. Uncover, turn heat up and stirring constantly boil into jamlike thickness.  Stir in the Grand Marnier.  Pour into the baked tart shell. Cool. Top with whipped cream and candied or fresh grated ginger.

Date Rhubarb Chutney for Cheese

And finally this is how I save and savor rhubarb for winter. I am known to go overboard stocking up and giving away at holiday time. This chutney is fabulous with hard cheeses and flabbergasting over spicy chicken thighs. It's also great with BBQ ribs and a rice/vegetable plate. You will need canning jars. I use the small 4 oz. ones.
 

2” fresh root ginger, grated

1¼ c red wine vinegar

2 lg Granny Smith apples, peeled and finely chopped

½ lb pitted dates, chopped

1 c dried cranberries or dark raisins

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp ground star anise or 2 whole star anise

1 1/2 c turbinado or muscovado or raw sugar

 2 lbs rhubarb (about 7 stalks), sliced into small chunks

1 lg or 2 med red onions, diced

Put the onions in a large pan with the ginger and vinegar. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 mins. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the rhubarb, plus 2 tsp salt to the pan and bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer, uncovered, for about 10 mins until the apples are tender.

Stir in the rhubarb and cook, uncovered, until the chutney is thick and jammy, about 15-20 mins. Leave the chutney to sit for about 10-15 mins, then spoon into warm, clean jars, and seal. Label the jars when cool. Keep for at least a month before eating.

May is party time for many

May Day, Mother's Day, Graduation Day, Memorial Day...May is the month of festivities. So here are some quick, seasonally appropriate, easy but glamorous ways to celebrate.  It's all finger food so you can get a crowd festive fast. Just remember the great secret of success is creating a sense of no-worries abundance. Food is love (it keeps people alive so feeding them means you care) so spread it on thick. You can use farm fresh food itself to fill out a spread.

Some of the simplest--and sometimes best--ways to go are:


1) buy French breakfast radishes, these are pink and white cylinder shaped and they should not be wider than 1/2" to be sweet. The French traditionally roll these is soft butter but nowadays they use soft goat cheese and I up the ante by using mascarpone, the rich Italian cream cheese. Once coated they are rolled in coarse salt. This makes for such a snappy bite everyone adores these. BTW: either you can put the three ingredients out together as pictured here or you can do all the rolling yourself first.

2) Buy Genoa or another peppery salami, Boursin cheese with garlic or your favorite goat cheese and some gherkin pickles.. Slice the salami very thin. Using a small metal spatula, coat it with a layer of cheese as though it is paste. Place a thin gherkin or half gherkin in the center. Roll the salami up and use the cheese to seal the ends. Arrange like daisy petals on a platter with more gherkins or olives or cherry tomatoes in the center.

3) Here is hummus with many veggies to dip into it with (you can substitute roasted baby potatoes for the shoes, hands and eyes.

4) a bowl of mixed olives, a bowl of spiced nuts, a plate of cheeses.

5) Wrap pitted dates and prunes with strips of good quality prosciutto.
6)

Here's fresh apricots halved and stuffed with mascarpone sprinkled with chopped nuts. So getting it all together doesn't have to be complex.

7)

Roasted chickpeas, a super healthy addition, can be made by draining two cans of chickpeas, Dry them carefully on towels. Coat 
them in 2-3 tbsp olive oil and 1/4 tsp salt. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and roast at 425º about 30 minutes (check at 25) until they are crispy. While they roast, in a medium bowl combine another 1 tsp salt with 1/2 tsp chili powder or ground aleppo pepper, a pinch of ground cinnamon, a pinch of smoked paprika if you have it, and 1/2 tsp ground cumin. You can add freshly ground black pepper if you like. Put the chickpeas straight from the oven in the bowl and stir to coat with the spices. Taste and adjust spces to your preference. Eat away! Hot or room temp. This is especially welcome if you have guests allergic to nuts.

8) Roasted baby potatoes with salmon dip
Buy a net bag of mixed baby potatoes and lay them out on a baking sheet in one layer. Sprinkle with olive oil and salt and roast at 450º 12-15 minutes until they are very crunchy on the outside. (The inside will be meltingly soft.) While they roast, combine in a food processor or blender: 8 oz sour cream, 1 tbsp horseradish, 2 peeled garlic cloves, juice of 1/2 lg lemon, pinch of salt, grind of fresh black pepper,1/4 cup chopped dill, 1/2 c whipped cream cheese with chives and either 1 lg can of boned salmon or 1 1/2 lbs freshly poached salmon. Blend into a smooth paste/dip. Put into a bowl and garnish with fresh dill. Put the potatoes (warm or cold) on a large rimmed serving platter with the bowl of dip in the center.

If you want to go one step further, here are suggestions keeping kids in mind:
Hot Cheese Pennies
This is an old fashioned '50s recipe that still brings delight and it's easy enough for kids to make with you. Maybe that's why it's having a comeback. You can start them the night before.
8 oz cheddar cheese
4 oz unsalted butter, cut into pieces
6 drops Tabasco sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1 c all-purpose unbleached flour

Combine the cheese and butter in a food processor into coarse then smooth pieces. Add the remaining ingredients, processing very quickly, just until the flour disappears. Remove and form the dough into a ball. Wrap in waxed paper and chill at least 1 hr.

Divide dough into 3 parts. Roll each between your hand into a 1 1/8" inch wide snake/cylinder. Wrap each one in cling or waxed paper and freeze 10 minutes. The point is these have to be very cold when they go into a very hot oven. Heat the oven to 400º.

When the oven is at 400º, butter a cookie sheet or two. Unwrap the cylinders and cut the dough into 1/8" thin slices (pennies). Place on the buttered baking sheets 1 1/2" apart as they will spread. Bake 10 minutes. They should puff but not brown. Serve hot in a basket lined with a napkin.

Shrimp Balls
This is one of those old fashioned recipes that prove you don't have to be trendy to be tasty. They will look original and thus clever and thus even more delicious. Plus everybody loves shrimp.

Makes about 40 
15 water chestnuts, drained from a can is fine
1 lb raw, shelled deveined shrimp 
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1 lg egg
2 tbsp sherryoptional: pinch of crushed red chili flakes 
Peanut oil for frying (if you have allergic guests use corn oil)
 
In a food processor, combine the water chestnuts, shrimp, cornstarch and salt into a chunky paste, on and off pulse about 15 seconds. Add egg and sherry. Process to a smooth mixture. Remove from the processor and roll 1" balls. You can set them on up waxed paper. Fill a high sided pot about 2 1/2" deep with oil. Heat the oil on high until it sizzles. Carefully put in as many shrimp balls as will fit without touching. Lower heat to medium/low and fry until brown all over, 2-3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spatula or spoon to drain on paper towels and sprinkle with sea salt. Serve plain or with hot mustard.


Greek Cauliflower Dip
And finally, for now, a low cal, healthy recipe for an under appreciated vegetable.

2 lg heads cauliflower, cut into florets ( if you want to use the colorful ones go for it)
6 lg garlic cloves, peeled
3 c chicken broth
3-4 oz fresh feta cheese
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
pinch ground cinnamon
3 pitted kalamata olives
salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
 
Combine the cauliflower, garlic and chicken broth in a deep enough pot with a lid. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook about 50 minutes until cauliflower is very soft. Drain.
 
Put the cauliflower, garlic, feta, spices and olives into a food processor. Blend into a smooth dip. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with minced fresh flat leaf parsley and serve with triangles of pita bread.



If you need more ideas, look back at recent posts and you will find fresh pea "hummus", smoked salmon deviled eggs, Greek minted meatballs that can be served room temperature and other simple tasty treats.



 

More Spring Chicken

Spring chicken was such a popular post, I'm adding to it. Just be sure you have a nontoxic bird in hand. Given all the mislabeling, lack of regulations and inspections and global processing, your local farmer is the safest bet.

Spanish Saffron Almond Chicken

not my photo

This is fairly typical Catalan homecooking, a quick, tasty dish flavored with garlic, saffron and toasted almonds. Plus yesterday's bread chopped up to thicken the sauce. (I just made this and it was delicious but my photos were terrible.)
serves 4

4 tbsp olive oil
1/2 c slivered almonds
2 c crustless bread in cubes or raw marcona almonds
4 lg garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
2 c chicken broth
2/3 c dry Sherry
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp saffron threads
4 chicken quarters, leg and thigh
1 onion, minced
chopped flat leaf parsley for garnish

In a large heavy lidded skillet or pan, heat 3 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the slivered almonds and sauté until golden, 2-3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel. 

Add the bread cubes or raw almonds and garlic cloves to the pan. Stirring, sauté until golden brown and crisp, 4-5 min. With a slotted spoon transfer the bread/almonds to a blender or food processor. Add half the slivered almonds if you are using bread. Add chicken broth, sherry, lots of freshly ground black pepper, saffron and a salt to your taste. Process into a smooth sauce.

 Season the chicken with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the pan/skillet. Over medium high heat, brown the chicken on both sides, 12-15 min. Lower heat if necessary to prevent burning. Add the onions to the pan and try to get them on the bottom so they brown. Cook 5-6 minutes more to brown them. Pour in the sauce, smothering the chicken. Over medium heat, bring to a simmer so you see tiny bubbles. Cover the pot, reduce heat to low and cook 20 min until chicken is cooked thoroughly. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste.

To serve: plate the chicken, top with the slivered almonds, chopped parsley and a spoonful of the sauce.


Circassian Chicken

not my photo

This chicken walnut dish from the Caucuses has variations but I'm partial to chopping up the chicken to make a nicer more portable presentation perfect for potlucks, picnics and parties.  if you want to mold this like "paté" just put the chicken in the food processor with the pita and walnuts. Serve warm or room temperature.

One 4 lb chicken, quartered

1 onion, halved

4 allspice berries or 1 tsp ground allspice

4 whole cloves

4 black peppercorns

3 bay leaves

1 tsp coriander seeds

Water

Salt to your taste

1 pita bread, torn into pieces

1/2 c milk or half-and-half

2 cups walnuts (6-7 ounces)

2 garlic cloves, smashed

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro leaves

1 tsp ground Turkish red pepper, such as Aleppo or Urfa or ½ tsp chili powder

   

Put the chicken in a large soup pot. Add the onion, allspice, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves and coriander seeds. Add enough water to cover the chicken and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer until the chicken is tender, 30-40 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and when it is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and pull the meat off the bones in shreds. Put the shredded chicken in a large bowl.

   

Strain the fragrant chicken broth and transfer 3 cups to a small saucepan. Boil until it’s reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Season with salt to your taste.

In a small bowl, sink the pita in the milk and mash it down until it is completely soaked. Transfer the pita to a food processor. Add the walnuts and garlic and process to a thick paste. While the machine is on, slowly pour in a thin stream about 1 cup of the reduced chicken broth until a sauce as thick as Greek yogurt forms; add more broth if necessary. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.

Fold half the walnut sauce into the bowl with the chicken. Add the cilantro and half the ground red pepper. Mound the chicken on a plate, sprinkle the remaining Turkish red pepper all over and spread half the remaining sauce on top.  Garnish with a few whole walnuts and pass the extra walnut sauce at the table.

It isn’t authentically Circassian but you could but the chicken on a bed of arugula for a dazzling presentation.

Omani Chicken Qabooli (pilaf)

not my photo so it may look different

This is a dazzlingly fragrant dish rich with cardamom, saffron and raisins soaked in rose water. 

serves 4 

3 cups rice
1 whole medium chicken (medium)
½ cup raisins (washed and soaked)
½ cup cooked chickpeas
1 Cinnamon stick

4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
3 cloves

5 whole black pepper corns

pinch of saffron dissolved in 1 tbsp rose water
¼ cup ghee
Salt to taste

Wash, then soak the rice in salted water.
Clean the chicken and cut into pieces.
Boil chicken in 8 cups of water with the spices and salt, removing foam as it appears. Cook until chicken is tender. Remove chicken, strain broth and return to the heat. Add enough water to have eight cups again and bring to boil. Add the rice and cook it halfway, about 8 minutes. Drain.
In a large skillet coated with the ghee, sauté chickpeas and raisin over medium heat until soft and slightly brown. Remove and keep aside. Place the chicken pieces in the same cooking pot to brown. If it sticks, add a bit more ghee or oil. Add boiled rice. Sprinkle with saffron rose water. Stir in chickpeas and raisins.
Simmer 15 minutes.

Indian Butter Chicken

not my photo

This is a Westerner's favorite form of Indian food. It's served of course with steaming basmati rice and a fruit chutney. You can add steamed greens or saag paneer to round out the meal.

serves 6

1 1/2 cups full-fat Greek yogurt

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 1/2 tbsp ground turmeric

2 tbsp garam masala

2 tbsp ground cumin

3 lbs chicken thighs, on the bone

1/4 lb unsalted butter

4 tsp neutral oil, like vegetable or canola oil

2 medium-size yellow onions, peeled and diced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

4" fresh ginger, peeled and grated or finely diced

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 cinnamon stick

2 medium-size tomatoes, diced

2 red chilies, like Anaheim, or 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced

Kosher salt to taste

2/3 cup chicken stock

1 1/2 cups cream

1 1/2 tsp tomato paste

3 tbsp ground almonds, or finely chopped almonds

1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, stems removed.

Whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, turmeric, garam masala and cumin in a large bowl. Put the chicken in, and coat with the marinade. Cover, and refrigerate10-24 hrs.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter in the oil until it starts to foam. Add the onions, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent. Add garlic, ginger and cumin seeds, and cook until  onions start to brown. Add cinnamon stick, tomatoes, chilies and salt, and cook until the chiles are soft, about 10 minutes.

Add the chicken and marinade to the pan, and cook 5 minutes. Add  chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes more or less. Stir in the cream and tomato paste, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Add the almonds. Cook 5 more minutes, then remove from the heat. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Moroccan chicken salad with green olives
This is not the ordinary chicken salad of deli sandwiches. It's a tagine variation (meat and fruits together) that's a wonderful warm weather luncheon dish served with crusty bread and sliced tomatoes.

serves 4
1 lb chicken breast meat, poached, skinned, boned and cut into 1" cubes
1 tbsp freshly aqueeze lemon juice
4 scallions, cleaned and diced
12 lg green olives, pitted is helpful
12 dried prunes, pitted
1/4 c toasted almonds
6 dried apricots, halved
1 sm carrot, peeled and grated
1/2 tsp cumin seed, toasted is best
2 tbsp white raisins plumped in 1 tsp rosewater 

Soak the chicken in the lemon juice 30 min. Drain
Combine everything in a serving bowl and mix it up. 

Dressing
4 oz lemon yogurt
pinch of ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp lemon zest
pinch sea salt

Whisk all ingredients together and blend into the chicken salad.
Garnish with chopped fresh cilanto leaves.

Afghani Chicken in Yogurt

This is a qorma lawand, a fragrant Afghan curry thickened by nuts, made creamy by yogurt that's naturally sweetened by carrots (native to Afghanistan) and raisins.

serves 4-6

1/2 cup almonds

4 garlic cloves

2" fresh ginger root, peeled and sliced

1/2 c water or chicken broth if you prefer

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (breast meat won't be as tasty or tender)

1/4 ghee or unsalted butter

2 tsp ground turmeric

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground nutmeg

2 yellow onions thinly sliced

1 Serrano pepper, seeded and minced (2 if you like hot food)

2 med carrots, peeled and sliced in thin disks

1/3 cup dark raisins

1 heaping cup plain thick yogurt

salt and black pepper to your taste

1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro leaves

In a food processor purée the nuts, garlic, ginger and water.

Put this into a large bowl.

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, stir into the marinade.

Marinate at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Melt the ghee in a large heavy gauge lidded casserole over medium heat. Add the spices and sauté about 30 seconds until they are fragrant but not brown. Stir in the onions and chili pepper. Sauté until the onions are soft and starting to brown, maybe 7 minutes.

Stir the chicken into the pot with all its marinade. Simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.

Stir in the carrots and raisins and yogurt, blending everything. Add 1/2 c water or chicken broth to make gravy. Bring to a boil,then reduce heat to low simmer, cover the pot and simmer 40 minutes, adding water or broth if the dish seems to be drying out. Most important: keep heat low to avoid curdling the yogurt.

Serve with the chopped cilantro on top as garnish. Serve with rice, roasted potatoes or naan and perhaps a simple spinach salad.

 

Spring greening

Mother Nature has handed us a green new deal: lots of nutrition loaded greens rising to the occasion of warmth. With stamina to survive a chill and the energy to push through cold, thawing earth, these plants are the perfect tonic. And they're numerous: dandelion greens, pea shoots, shell peas themselves, new spinach, arugula, mustard greens, carrot greens, asparagus, fiddlehead ferns (in a few spots), nettles and parsley. So here are a few timely ways to eat and be well: (Also see the eatin' o the green post for St Patrick's Day and the spearhead asparagus post three weeks ago for more recipes.)

Spring greens with lamb and rice 

This is a quintessential now concoction of newly sprouted greens flavored with bits of ground Spring lamb and fortified with rice. The kiss of fresh lemon juice makes this "health food" bright and tasty to boot. Plus it's relatively fast food--made in 30 minutes. You can use any of the greens mentioned above as well as chard and miner's lettuce, mostly thought of as an annoying lawn weed. The result makes for a light supper.
 serves 4 or more
1 lb mixed spring greens (mustard, spinach, arugula, dandelion, etc) stems off
salt
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 med onion, diced
1/2 lb ground lamb
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon (a pinch)
1 tbsp tomato paste
Freshly ground black pepper (be heavy handed)
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp dill seed
1/4 c long grain rice
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Wash the greens and while still wet put the in a heavy gauge lidded pot with 1/2 c lightly salted water. Cover. Over medium high heat, cook until the greens wilt--about 5 min. Remove from the liquid and save the liquid. Let the greens cool down.  Squeeze as much water as you can out of them and chop.

greens and lamb before rice

In the same pot or a lidded skillet, heat over medium enough oil (1-2 tbsp) to cover the bottom. Add the onion and sauté until soft, 2-3 minutes. Add the lamb, breaking it up and keep cooking until the lamb is lightly browned, another 2-3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, lots of ground black pepper, dill seed, allspice, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Cook stirring another 2-3 minutes. Stir in the chopped greens and rice. Add 1 1/4 cups of the greens cooking liquid. Cover the pot and reduce hat to low. Simmer until the liquid is gone and the rice is cooked, 15-20 minutes. Check occasionally to be sure there is enough liquid in the pot and add more cooking liquid or water by the tablespoon if necessary. Blend in lemon juice. Check and adjust salt and pepper and serve hot.

 Carrot top pesto with pecans and lemon zest
This is me using up the gloriously fresh ferny greens on a bunch of carrots. It took under 5 minutes to make and made me feel virtuous  creating nutritious food from what most people would trash. I used this on pasta and put a dollop on a baked potato. With the pasta, just for the fun of it, I would serve a carrot salad. I've previously posted two of them: my French mother's simple grated carrot and parsley salad and the more flavorful and colorful Korean carrot salad.

1 bunch carrot greens, rinsed off and shaken as dry as possible
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
6-8 toasted pecans
handful of fresh cilantro leaves
2 thin strips of lemon peel, cut in thirds
1 tsp dill seed
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt to your taste
2 heaping tbsp grated Parmesan, asiago or Manchego cheese
1/2 c good quality olive oil

Remove stems from the carrot greens.
Put everything but the olive oil in a food processor and blend into a paste. Gradually add the oil to loosen it into a sauce. That's it! Store in an airtight container in the fridge if not using right away.
 

Scandinavian chicken in parsley sauce
This is an old recipe that never goes out of style for Spring chicken. Maybe because it also features spring onions, aka scallions. It takes about 5 minutes to prepare and cooks by itself for an hour. If you have a truly organic Spring chicken, this is very nutritious and low cal. Plus kids will like it.
serves 6

8 chicken thighs, skin off
1/4 c olive oil
3 lg garlic cloves, peeled and halved
20 lg parsley sprigs
5 scallions
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste

Arrange the thighs in a single layer in a deep wide skillet. Pour the oil over them and turn them so they are totally coated. Scatter the garlic around. Lay the scallions and parsley on top of the chicken, trying to smother it. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover the skillet and simmer over low heat 1 hour.  

Put the chicken on a serving platter. Put everything else in the skillet into a food processor or blender. Puree into a green sauce. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken and serve. Great with baked potatoes that go with the sauce and don't add too many calories.
 

Fresh pea "hummus"

You can make smashed peas that kids love, risi e pisi the Italian Spring favorite (rice and peas) or go for this reliably tasty and super easy "hummus" perfect for crostini plain or topped with smoked salmon, as a bed for chunks of ham or grilled swordfish, in a pita pocket with slices of poached chicken breast or leftover salmon and fresh pea shoots, or as a dip. More ideas at the recipe's end.

2 cups shelled peas (more or less 1 lb shelled peas)

2 bunches fresh green onions, roots off and stalks trimmed (do not remove all the stalk)

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tbsp olive oil 

1/3 c chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves, another 2 tbsp for garnishing

Freshly ground black pepper to your taste

Sea Salt to your taste

4 oz creamy soft unflavored goat cheese

1/2 cup cooked cannellini beans, drained

pinch of nutmeg

Chop the scallions coarsely.

In a medium/large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium flame. Add scallions and garlic and sauté 1 minute or until scallions start to soften. Be careful not to burn garlic. Lower heat if necessary. Add the shelled peas and shake the pan. If it's too dry and they want to stick add another tbsp olive oil. Add 1/2 cup water and cook over medium heat 3-4 minutes until peas start to soften. Add the parsley and cook another minute.  The peas should be soft but not soggy or losing color. Drain off any excess water and pour the contents of the pan into a food processor. (if you have an immersion blender you can keep the peas in the pot, okay). Add the mint, salt, pepper, goat cheese and beans. Quickly puree into a thick paste. If it's too thick, add a tbsp or two of olive oil. Sprinkle on a pinch of nutmeg.

That's it.  You can serve this with or on sliced cucumbers--a very cooling dish. You can spread more creamy goat cheese on a slice of baguette and top it with a smear of the pea hummus and a sprinkling of chopped mint leaves. You can use this to fill radicchio leaves--the lower half or smear it on a lavash, top with mascarpone and salmon roe, then roll up the lavash into a large cigar. Now cut it into serving size pieces. In a pinch you can just stick a spoon in and enjoy all the freshness of spring.

Spinach Pie (without the filo)

I created this about 20 years ago when I was invited to a flour free Seder. I had made hundreds of real Greek spanakopita in my catering years and always wanted to know if it could be made without all that butter and fussy pastry.  Well here it is! Everybody loves this.

Serves 8

10-12 oz fresh spinach leaves (2 bunches), stemmed, washed and dried

½ lb feta cheese

2 bunches scallions (12-14)

1 bunch dill, stems off

¼-1/2 tsp salt

¼ tsp freshly ground or cracked black pepper

6 extra large or 7 large eggs

1 tsp olive oil

¼ tsp flour or fine bread crumbs

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350º.

In a food processor, chop a mixture of spinach, feta, scallions and dill into fine pieces. You will probably have to do this in batches.  Combine all batches in a large mixing bowl. Add salt (less if the feta is already salty) and pepper. Add eggs, carefully blending. Everything should appear to be wet.

Coat a 10” pie plate or other baking dish with olive oil. Sprinkle flour around the bottom to absorb any juices.  Pour in the spinach mixture and spread evenly, leveling the top. This should be even with the top of the pan. If there is extra, pack it into a small (3½”) Pyrex bowl coated with olive oil. Sprinkle the top with nutmeg.

Bake in the center of the oven at 350º 30-35 minutes, until the top is firm. (The mini will cook in 16-20 minutes.) Cool slightly before serving. You can also serve this at room temperature. Either way, cut in wedges. (Invert the mini and serve as an individual timbale, if you’d like.)