Category: Recipes

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Recipes

Horta Vrasta: Boiled Leafy Green Salad


recipe via About.com; photo via Greek-salad-recipes.com


This salad can be made with spinach, beet greens, as well as greens others might consider weeds, such as dandelion greens and nettles or any dark leafy green, such as mustard greens or broccoli rabe (raab, rapini). In rural Greece, horta, is the local green of choice.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds of spinach
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
extra virgin olive oil
2 lemons

Method
1. Wash the greens carefully, discarding thick stems and damaged leaves.

2. In a large pot, bring 1-2 inches of salted water to a boil, and add the greens. Boil for 4-15 minutes until softened and dark green, tasting to check for doneness (time depends on the greens used). Remove with tongs, squeezing out the water and drain in a colander.

3. Serve greens warm or at room temperature. Place on individual salad plates, add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice to taste.

Yield: serves 4

Categories
Recipes

Roasted Rosemary Beets

recipe via Vegetarian Journal

Ingredients
6 large beets
1 Tablespoon canola or olive oil
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, minced finely
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Wash, cut and cube beets. (You can bake them whole, but this increases the baking time to 1 hour.)

3. Combine beets, oil, and rosemary, blending well. Place in a baking dish in the oven & roast
uncovered for 45 minutes or until done.

Optional: serve with Horseradish Sauce by blending the below ingredients until well-mixed.
1 cup silken tofu
Juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 to 3 teaspoons horseradish
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 Tablespoon canola oil

Yield: 6

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Recipes

Celeriac Soup

This is one of the easiest recipes to make. It might not be the prettiest, but the flavor of the celeriac makes up for it. For a heartier meal, add a cup of wild rice to the soup bowl before serving.

Ingredients
2 big carrots, chopped into small bits
1 leek, thinly sliced
3 peeled celeriac, cubed
4 cups stock

Method
1. Sauté carrots and leek in large pot or dutche oven (stupidly, I started this in a fry, but then transferred to dutch oven)

2. Add celeriac + 4 cups of stock and cook about 15 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and loosely puree w/hand blender

4. Add 1 ts sesame oil and 1 TB Bragg’s Amino Acids (or soy sauce)

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Recipes

Massaged Kale Salad


recipe and image via All Things Littleput



Ingredients
1 bunch Kale
just a smidge Olive oil
1 TB Apple Cider Vinegar
lots of Fresh Raspberries
1/4 cup Red Onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup Flax or sunflower seeds
1 cup diced Jicama or apple
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Optional: crumbled gorgonzola cheese, 1/3 cup

Method
1. Remove the stems from the kale, wash well and cut into bite-sized pieces. Place in a large bowl and add just enough olive oil to lightly coat the leaves.

2. Massage the olive oil into the leaves (you can add the salt now too) until the kale feels soft and turns a dark green.

3. Mix in all the ingredients except the raspberries and stir. Sprinkle LIBERALLY with raspberries and add pepper to taste.

4. Let it sit for approx 15 minutes before serving.

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Recipes

Cool Beet & Cucumber Soup

A friend made this soup for me. It sounds a little involved, but not having been the chef, it definitely tasted worth the effort! Perfect for a hot summer day.

Ingredients
1 small beet bunch, with greens
water to cover
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
3 cups buttermilk
1 cup yogurt, kefir or sour cream
2-3 lemons juiced
1/4 cup pickle juice
lots of cracked pepper
1/2 long english cucumber 1/4″ dice
1 bunch scallions minced
1/4 cup minced fresh dill

Method
1. Cut greens from the beetroot and wash both well to remove any dirt.

2. Peel beets, quarter and thinly slice. Place in a pot and cover with cold water by 1-inch. Bring to a boil, add salt, partially cover and reduce heat.

3. Simmer until the beets are just tender.

4. While the beets are simmering, finely shred the beet greens with their stems. Once the beets are tender, stir the greens and sugar into the pot. Cover and turn off the heat. Let stand 10 minutes.

5. Uncover and cool to room temperature, then chill thoroughly before proceeding. [This step can be prepared up to 2 days in advance, or frozen for 1 month.]

6. In a large bowl, combine the beets, greens and cooking water with buttermilk, yogurt, lemon and pickle juice.

7. Season with salt, cracked pepper, sugar or more lemon to taste.

8. Chill the soup at least one hour.

9. Add cucumbers, scallions, and dill and taste one more time to adjust the seasoning.

10. Serve in chilled bowls.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Categories
Recipes

Beet Rosti with Rosemary


recipe via Mark Bittman; image via A Season to Taste 

I cannot tell a lie. I love Mark Bittman so. Even when he fails me, I still love him. I’ve made this beet rosti recipe THREE times and had a friend make it for me. Not once has it ever been table pretty, but it’s so delicious and ingredient light that I will continue to make it again and again.
Intended presentation aside, it still works wonderfully served up in a bowl. If you make this recipe into the beautiful pancake that Mr. Bittman intends, will you send pics?
[I had the fortunate opportunity to chat with Bittman last January. You bet I grilled him on this recipe. He said the key is a dime-store non-stick pan, something I have not yet put to the test.]

Keep the heat moderate — cooking too quickly will burn the sugary outside of the pancake while leaving the inside raw. And don’t forget to wear an apron when you’re grating the beets.

Ingredients
2 pounds beets (3 very large or 4 to 6 medium)
2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons butter
Minced parsley or a few rosemary leaves for garnish

Method
1. Trim beets, and peel them as you would potatoes; grate them in food processor or by hand. Begin preheating 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat.

2. Toss grated beets in bowl with rosemary, salt and pepper. Add about half the flour; toss well, add rest of flour, and toss again.

3. Put butter in skillet; heat until it begins to turn nut-brown. Scrape beet mixture into skillet, and press with spatula to form a round. With medium to medium-high heat — the pancake should gently sizzle — cook, shaking pan occasionally, until bottom of cake is nicely crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Slide cake onto a plate, top with another plate, invert the two plates, and return cake to pan. Keep cooking, adjusting heat if necessary, until other side is browned, another 10 minutes or so. Garnish, cut into wedges, and serve hot or at room temperature.

Yield 4 servings

Categories
Recipes

Escarole Soup with Rice


recipe via Mark Bittman, image via Evan Sung for New York Times

Ingredients
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely minced, plus 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped onions
4 cups coarsely chopped escarole (approx 1 head)
6 cups chicken, vegetable stock, or water
1/4 cup short-grain white rice, like arborio
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions
1. Put 2 tablespoons oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat. When oil is hot, add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add onions and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 more minutes. Add escarole and cook, tossing gently, until it begins to wilt, about another 3 minutes.

2. Add stock and rice to the pan, bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and cook about 20 minutes or until rice is tender.
3. Meanwhile, put remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a small skillet. When oil is hot, add sliced garlic and cook over medium-low heat until it turns golden brown and begins to crisp. Remove garlic with a slotted spoon and set aside.

4. When rice is cooked through, season soup with salt and pepper, top with a grating of Parmesan and garnish with garlic slivers.

Yield: 4 servings

Categories
Recipes

Sweet ‘N Sour Rhubarb & Spinach Salad


recipe via The Rhubarb Compendium

Sunnyside CSA member, Heather E. raves about this recipe.

Lightly cooked slices of rhubarb are spooned atop spinach leaves and veiled with a warm sweet-and-sour dressing.

Ingredients
4 stalks rhubarb, cut diagonally into thin slices
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste
16-20 spinach leaves
6 tbsp. vegetable oil

Procedure
1. Place the rhubarb in a wide saucepan. Sprinkle on the sugar and add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, for 2 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and pour through a large sieve into a bowl. Return the liquid to the pan. Stir in vinegar, salt and pepper, and place over high heat.

3. Cook, uncovered, until the mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup.

4. Meanwhile, divide the spinach among 4 salad plates. Arrange the rhubarb over the spinach.

5. When the liquid is reduced, remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the oil.

6. Pour over the salads and serve at once.

Categories
Recipes

Stir-Fried Bok Choy with Ginger and Garlic


recipe via Robin Miller

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
8 cups chopped fresh bok choy
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
Salt and ground black pepper

Directions
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

2. Add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute.

3. Add bok choy and soy sauce cook 3 to 5 minutes, until greens are wilted and stalks are crisp-tender.

4. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.

Yield: 4 servings

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Recipes

Romaine Wedges with Tangy Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

recipe and image via Bon Appetit

This quick recipe proves that you can replicate the favorite blue cheese wedge appetizer without consuming watery and tasteless iceberg lettuce.

Ingredients
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons anchovy paste
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 cup crumbled Maytag blue cheese (about 4 ounces)
2 small hearts of romaine, halved lengthwise
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Preparation
1. Combine first 4 ingredients in medium bowl to blend.

2. Whisk in cheese, leaving some whole pieces.

3. Season with salt and generous amount of cracked pepper.

4. Place romaine wedges on plates.

5. Drizzle 1/4 cup dressing over center of each.

6. Top with onion

Yield: 4 servings