Apparently I have been on a cruciferous vegetable kick lately (see my last post on roasted romanesco and green cauli).
It is hard to resist the produce sales at Whole Foods, and so here I am with a head of cauliflower at the ready. This recipe, like my previous post, also involves roasting, but by slicing the cauliflower into thick ‘steaks,’ it feels like an entirely new specimen. Continue reading
Let’s step away from the convenient pre-washed, packaged spinach for a minute. It’s greens season, and there are bunches and bushels of young spring greens awaiting you at your local farmer’s market.
I’ve been reading through Jo Robinson’s Eating on the Wild Side, and she makes an interesting point about modern greens:
“Over the course of ten thousand years of agriculture, our farming ancestors managed to remove the bitterness from most of our greens. Unwittingly, though, when they removed the bitterness, they were also stripping away a host of highly beneficial phytonutrients that happen to have a bitter, astringent, or sour taste. Our mild-to-a-fault iceberg lettuce, for example, has one-fortieth as many bionutrients as bitter dandelion greens. Calcium is bitter as well, so the calcium content of our modern greens is also relatively low.”
Robinson also notes that to tone down bitter flavors, fat can help. One might, for example, add some avocado to a salad with bitter lettuce greens. Another option: *~bacon~*
Bacon + mustard greens nudged with creamy yellow corn grits. Bitter-creamy-toothy-savory goodness. A real spring comfort.
Bacon gets sizzled in a pan (cast-iron or dutch oven preferable). A little onion for a little more bite.
In batches, throw torn mustard greens into the pan. They cook down quite a bit, so d0n’t be afraid to add the entire bunch. Cover with a lid to let the stems braise in their own liquid.
While the bacon braised greens get going, cook the grits. It’s a 1 to 4 grits to liquid ratio. I used water. Boil the water, add the grits, stir. Done in roughly 5 minutes. Finish with freshly grated sharp cheddar and a little pat of butter.
Mustard greens with bacon and onion, nudged and nestled with fluffy yellow grits.
You’re welcome.
makes about 3-4 servings
4 slices bacon, diced (I used Brooklyn Cured bacon)
1 bunch mustard greens (from Migliorelli Farms), torn into smallish pieces
1 small onion, chopped
splash of red wine vinegar
pinch of salt
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring every so often to brown the bacon. Add the onion and cook for another few minutes. *I needed to add a dash of canola oil here because my bacon was very lean.
Add the mustard greens to the pan in batches and saute until just wilted. Turn the heat to low, cover the pan, and let it simmer for about 4-5 minutes, or until the greens have braised in their own liquid and the stems are slightly softened.
Uncover, add a splash of vinegar (helps reduce the bitterness of the mustard greens) and a pinch or two of salt. Serve nestled next to or on top of some creamy cheddar grits.
makes about 4 servings
4 cups water
1 cup yellow corn grits (I used Arrowhead Mills Organic Yellow Corn Grits)
pinch salt
2-3 ounces grated cheddar
1 tablespoon butter
School is in full swing, and I am having writers block like woah.
It is so hard to concentrate when I get paid to stare at these salty gems 3 mornings a week:
…but I must remember to eat my veggies so that my brain can start working properly again…
This is a funky time of year at the farmer’s market in New York City. Apples, pears, potatoes, and winter squash abound, but the tomatoes, peaches and plums, and corn are still pulling through for their final hurrah.
I just learned about the “nuke and shake method” for husking corn, and now before I blink my eyes three times, all of the corn will be gone! Drat.
This is a simple egg bake that you could do with any seasonal ingredients–vegetables, herbs, cheeses, and meat. I adapted the recipe from Sara Forte’s The Sprouted Kitchen Cookbook. Sara’s recipe includes sweet potatoes and goat cheese; I happened to have a variety of small colorful potatoes on hand and a ball of mozzarella hanging out in the fridge, so into the frittata they went.
Fresh corn got thrown into the mix as well, because corn + eggs = awesome.
Sure, I love a good quiche. How could you not love anything baked up in a flaky, buttery crust? But remember, we need brain fuel here, so potatoes for a “crust” will do. A few dashes of hot sauce always help fire up those neurons, too.
adopted from Sprouted Kitchen, also seen on Cookie and Kate
serves 4-6, depending how you slice and serve
6-8 eggs (I used 6 extra large eggs)
1/2 cup milk
pinches of salt and pepper
2 small sweet potatoes, or about 2 cups of colorful new potatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups baby spinach
1-2 ears of corn, husked and sliced off the cob
3 oz. cheese, mozzarella ball or goat cheese
herbs, hot sauce, salt n’ pepper for topping
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Roasted broccoli. Sliced cherry tomatoes with a pinch of flaky Maldon sea salt and a drizzle of balsamic. Creamy avocado and sprinkle of black beans. Melty cheese sandwiched between two corn tortillas all grilled up in my cast-iron skillet. 15 minutes. Ready, set, go.
Roasted Broccoli
1 head broccoli, chopped
Olive oil drizzle
Salt and pepper
1. Heat oven to 475 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and place your cut up broccoli on the pan with a touch of olive oil, salt, and pepper. 15 minutes. Go.
Corn Tortilla Quesadilla
oil (I used olive oil)
2 corn tortillas, or enough for however many quesadillas you want to make
Cheeeeese! (I used mozzarella and Pecorino)
sprinkle of black beans
sliced cherry tomato
avocado
salt
1. Heat your cast iron skillet (or any skillet that you fancy). Add a touch of oil. Place one tortilla on the pan. Sprinkle your cheese mix and a few beans, 4 baby tomato halves, and 3 small avocado slices. Place the other tortilla on top. Cook, flip, you get it. Melty goodness. It’s hard to just have one.
Don’t forget to eat those fried cheesy bits leftover in the pan. To-die-for.
Figsinmybelly 