A World of Greens Greens are often referred to as the number one food to eat to improve your diet and health. Leafy green vegetables are full of what s good for you vitamins, minerals, fiber, and calcium, to name a few. Much like the endless varieties of greens, there are so many ways to cook with them. We hope this cooking class and booklet will inspire ideas for using greens (interchangeably) and in lots of creative ways, and maybe you will be so intrigued that you will grow a new green in your garden next year too Here is a list of one Food Project staff s favorite greens growing in her garden this year: Kale Winterbor, Lacinato, Red Russian Collards Malabar Spinach Tyfon-Holland Greens Japanese Spinach Sharaku Swiss Chard Spinach Mustard greens Broccoli greens Beet greens Turnip greens In addition to the recipes listed here, some additional ideas to explore include: Stuffed Leaves best with collards, chard, and kale Pestos I ve tried versions that use chard, spinach, and collards Mix into Casseroles Add to sauces Mix into smoothies best with mild flavored greens, such as spinach, Malabar, and Lacinato Kale
Simple Sauteed Greens 1 tbsp olive oil 1 large bunch of greens (collards, kale, chard, spinach, etc) 2-3 large cloves garlic, minced ½ onion, diced Wash greens, remove stems if necessary and chop roughly. Heat olive oil in sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, and simmer lightly for 2-3 minutes. Add chopped greens, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Variations: Add ¼ cup broth with greens, turn heat to high, cover and cook for 5 minutes Add 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar or any fruit-flavored vinegar during final minute of sautéing. Add ¼ cup coconut milk with greens Add ¼ cup coconut milk with ½ teaspoon curry powder, mix and add greens Add lemon juice, parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes Note: Cooking time will vary depending on the type of green being cooked. Leaves such as collards and broccoli greens are tougher and need to be cooked longer whereas spinach and chard wilt immediately and need less time.
Collard Greens (Magic Johnson s Southern-Style 1 ) 4 servings Ingredients: 2 cups water ¼ cup diced onion 1 bay leaf ½ teaspoon allspice ½ teaspoon minced garlic (or garlic scapes) 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons Tamari ¼ teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon honey 4 cups chopped fresh collards 1 tablespoon olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste 1) In medium pot, combine water, onion, bay leaf, allspice, garlic or scapes, Worcestershire sauce, tamari, cumin and honey. 2) Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. 3) Add collard greens and return to a boil. 4) Reduce heat and simmer (covered) until greens are tender, about 30 minutes. 5) Remove pot from heat and cool. Remove bay leaf, add olive oil, salt and pepper. Serve hot. Nutrition Facts Per Serving: 54 calories 1 gram protein 3 grams total fat (0 Saturated fat) 6 grams carbs 0 grams cholesterol 184 mlg sodium 2 grams fiber 1 From Vegetarian Times, March 1999
Haitian Legume (Haitian Beef & Vegetable Stew) Ingredients: 1 pound round steaks, or beef stew meat and/or beef neck bones ¼ - ½ oil 3 carrots, sliced into 1-inch pieces ½ head cabbage, core removed and chopped into 2-inch pieces 1 chayote (green/white veggie that looks like a mini squash), pared and chopped 2 green peppers 3 scallions/green onion 1 eggplant, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks 1 bunch watercress, chopped (optional) 2 garlic cloves, minced 10-ounces fresh spinach, or 1 bunch greens 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped salt, to taste pepper, to taste garlic powder and onion powder, to taste or Adobo All Purpose Seasoning thyme, to taste 1 can tomato paste, diluted with 2 tablespoons water before adding 1 lemon (optional: coconut milk, raw onions, butter), Directions: For the Vegetables: 1. Prepare carrots, cabbage, eggplant, and chayote. Bring pot of water to a boil, and add eggplant, chayote, cabbage, and carrots, with 1 teaspoon salt. Cook for 15 minutes, and strain out carrots; set aside. 2. Check vegetables. Once they are almost tender, add spinach (or other greens) and ½ bunch of parsley. 3. When vegetables are ready, remove from heat and drain. 4. Mash all vegetables together except carrots. Add carrots after mashing. For the Meat: 5. Clean beef by rubbing with lemons and salt. Add spices and marinate beef, at least 10 minutes. 6. Fill pot with water, bring to boil. Add meat to boiling water and simmer for 5-10 minutes. This process allows the fat from the meat to separate and rise to the top of the water. 7. Meanwhile, make a paste by mixing diced green pepper, green onions/scallions, ½ bunch parsley, and garlic in a blender. Drain water from meat and rub paste onto meat. Let sit for at least 30 minutes. 8. Brown beef in oil over medium heat, turning once, for 15 minutes. 9. Add tomato paste mixture and Adobo seasoning. 10. Add the vegetable mixture to meat and stir. Simmer 10-20 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste. If you choose to add any of the optional coconut milk, butter, or raw onions, do so now. Serve Legume with rice or cornmeal, and black or red bean sauce.
Simple Vegetable Broth Ingredients for 2 quarts (8 cups) vegetable broth 1 medium onion Water 1 carrot Seasonings (any combination of: 1-2 bay leaves, 1 celery stalk pinch of salt, ½ teaspoon whole peppercorns, 4 cups vegetable scrap variety 1-2 herbs such as dill, parsley, basil, thyme) Making the Broth 1. Place teaspoon of oil into large stock pot. Add onion, carrot, celery and 4 cups mixed vegetable scraps. Add seasoning. Allow them to start to soften and release their liquids for 2-3 minutes over the heat. 2. Cover it all with cold water then bring it to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes to an hour. This will be just enough time to produce rich flavors, though any longer and the stock will begin to lose its flavor. 3. Cool until the stock is lukewarm, then scoop out the scraps and pour the broth through a colander or strainer. Choosing the Right Vegetables Must-have Scraps to include: These are considered the core of a vegetable stock, and are must-haves onion, carrot, celery Additional scraps to add: garlic, parsley, leeks, chard, mushrooms, scallions, potato peelings, lettuce, eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, green beans, fennel, parsnips, pea pods, and bell peppers, winter squash skins, beet greens, carrot tops Sometimes Scraps to consider: These will give more specific flavors so you may want to consider how you will use the stock. Asparagus, parsnips, squash, fennel, corn cobs, pea pods, and cilantro. Scraps to avoid: These tend to get bitter or overpower the stock. Turnips, cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli, rutabagas, artichokes, cauliflower. Skip anything with mold or that is rotting. Quick Tips Saving Vegetables for Broth: Keep a large freezer bag in your fridge or freezer and add a variety of vegetable scraps each time you cook. Once full, make stock Storing the Cooked Broth: Store in fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months for best flavor. Freeze in ice cube trays for small, convenient use - two cubes equal about ¼ cup broth. Using the Broth: Use in soups, stir fry, sauces, and casseroles. Use in place of water to cook rice and other grains, for enhanced flavor.
Kale Chickpea Soup 1 large onion, finely chopped (about 2 cups) 2-4 garlic cloves, minced 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper ¼ cup olive oil 1 can chickpeas ¼ pound or more Spanish chorizo, diced (optional) 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth 1 pound potatoes, diced 2 bunches kale, or other greens salt and pepper, to taste 1. Heat oil in large pot and add onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently until onion and garlic are softened and start browning (about 5-7 minutes). 2. Add potatoes and broth; bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook until potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes. 3. Scoop out half of potatoes and set aside. Remove pot from heat, and roughly puree the mixture using an immersion blender. The use of potatoes to thicken the base of soups is very traditional. For a thinner broth-like soup, skip this step. 4. Add the potatoes that were set aside, add kale, chickpeas and chorizo (if using), and return the pot to stove. Simmer gently for 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Directions for Freezing Greens Why freeze greens? If you like frozen greens in the winter, just imagine how good it would taste if you had picked a bag from your garden and then quickly froze it at home It is also one of the simplest ways to put up a vegetable for the winter. On the coldest days of winter, these greens will remind you of the freshest garden meals you tasted in the summer. What is blanching and why is it necessary? All fruits and vegetables contain enzymes and bacteria that, over time, break down the destroy nutrients and change the color, flavor, and texture of food during frozen storage. Greens, like many vegetables, requires a brief heat treatment, called blanching, to destroy the enzymes before freezing. Blanching is essentially boiling or steaming the ingredient for a specific amount of time. The amount of time varies depending on the vegetable. Blanching Times: Collards All other greens 3 minutes 2 minutes Step 1 Pick or purchase greens This is the most important step You need greens that are fresh and crisp. We recommend blanching in batches, and since greens cook down, try to freeze at least 3 bunches during a blanching session Step 2 Wash the greens Step 3 Chop the greens into strips Step 4 Prep the pots Fill a large pot 2/3 full and bring to a boil over high heat. Fill a large boil with cold water. Step 5 Place greens into boiling water. As soon as greens are put into the water, begin counting the blanching time (see above chart). Cover and blanch on high heat for designated time. Step 6 Cool greens While greens are blanching, add ice into water bowl. As soon as blanching time ends, use a slotted spoon to remove greens from boiling water. Immediately place them into ice water. Stir greens to make sure water stays cold throughout and add ice if needed. This step ensures greens do not get overcooked. Keep greens in ice water for same amount of time as required for the blanching step from the chart above. Step 7 Bag greens and store Drain and dry the greens thoroughly using clean dish towels. Place into freezer bags and label with vegetable name and date. Remove as much air from the bag as possible. One technique is to zip the bag almost all of the way closed, then insert straw into bag to suck out the air and zip completely shut. Place in freezer. Use frozen greens in soups, casseroles, stir frys, and more
Crispy Kale and Collard Chips Ingredients 1 bunch kale and/or collards, washed and thoroughly dried 2 tablespoons olive oil Sea salt, for sprinkling Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the ribs from the kale and cut or tear into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Lay on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil and salt. Optional: Add seasoning, such as cayenne pepper, apple cider vinegar, seasoning salt, nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese. Bake until crisp, turning the leaves halfway through, about 10 minutes. Serve as finger food.