Wilted Greens with Runny Eggs

I am a sucker for soft cooked eggs on salads and sautéed greens...rich creamy yolk oozing into the green nooks and crannies. No need for dressing.

To me, this is an ideal breakfast. Warm and filling. Ready in about 20 minutes. Perfectly portioned to share for a light morning nosh. Or generous enough single single serving for a more ravenous appetite.

Any greens will work: kale, collard greens, mustard greens, spinach.  I opted for turnip greens. Nix the bacon to make the dish vegetarian. Or toss on some hot sauce for an extra punch. I love how easy this types of dishes adapt to many tastes!

the recipe is my own

serves 1-2

The Ingredients:
2 strips of bacon
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 bunch of greens, 4-5 oz
2 eggs
salt and pepper

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a 9 inch cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until crisp and most of the fat has rendered, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Coarsely chop and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the green onion and garlic to the bacon fat in the skillet. Sauté until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.  Add the greens and saute until they just begin to wilt, another 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Using the back of spoon, create two divots in the greens. Carefully break 1 egg into each divot, taking care to keep yolks intact. Bake until egg whites are set, 5-6 minutes for runny yolks, 8-10 minutes for hard set. Sprinkle with bacon and serve immediately, the eggs will continue to cook from the residual heat in the skillet.

Apple and Kohlrabi Salad with Roasted Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Vegetables are coming out of our ears!  I absolutely adore taking on the challenge of a full CSA share for two people, but even when most lunches consist of huge leafy salads, a full share can be a bit much to swallow.

This week we were treated to a wonderful treat though...4 pints of the juiciest, brightest red strawberries.  Last season had been so miserably dry that the farm's berries didn't stand a chance.  This year, with the ridiculous amounts of rain pouring through, the berries are bursting.  A good portion have already been frozen for later use.  What berries haven't already been devoured made it into this salad.  The mixed greens and kohlrabi were also courtesy of our CSA.

The inspiration for the vinaigrette came from a visit to a local oil shop where I sampled the most amazing 25 year aged balsamic vinegar.  It was so wonderfully sour, rich, earthly and sweet I could have eaten it with a spoon.  Alongside stood several other tuns full of rich balsamic and fruit blends.  I couldn't decide.  Start simple and with the basics.  High quality balsamic vinegar has ruined me...

And the combination of apple and kohlrabi has been bouncing around in my head for a while.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

The recipe is my own

serves 4

The Ingredients:
8-10 ripe strawberries
1 Tbsp diced shallot
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1 small Granny Smith apple
1 cup water
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 medium kohlrabi
4 cups mixed greens

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 400

Pick out the 4 smallest, ripest strawberries, and set aside.  Hull the remaining berries.  Place cut side down on a lightly greased pan.

 Roast to 10-12 minutes or until the berries are soft and juice is beginning to seep.

In a large glass, combine the shallot, oil, vinegar, salt and roasted strawberries.  Puree with an immersion blender until completely smooth.  Strain through a sieve to remove any pulp and seeds.  Set aside.

Combine the water and lemon juice and set aside.

Halve and core the apple.  Thinly slice into wedges and place in the lemon water.  Peel the kohlrabi and similarly slice into thin wedges.

Toss the mixed greens with half of the vinaigrette.

 Divide greens among four salad plates.  Arrange 1/4 of the apple and kohlrabi in a fan shape on each plate.  Using the reserved strawberries, cut four or five thin slices with a paring knife lengthwise through the berry, leaving slices attached just below the hull.  Gently fan out the slices.  Place the berry garnish on each plate.  Drizzle with remaining dressing

Punjabi Greens

The last few CSA boxes we've received have been blessed with gorgeous root vegetables, even in the midst of the drought the farm has been facing.  A few of the season's plants are beyond reviving...lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower....  The peas have given up.  The fennel has bolted.  It is a rough year for them.  Yet still they have managed to provided an astounding and tasty array of vegetables every week.  Never have I felt to connected to th4e food I prepare, nor so grateful for all of the hard work that goes into preparing it!

But the root veggies...beets, turnips, radishes!  They are small, sweet and such an amazing treat.  When we opened our box we were treated to an added bonus.   We were given the plant root and all  So many tasty greens!  These would not go to waste.

Rather than sauteeing them up with garlic as I am usually wont to do, I turned to an Indian cookbook to see what other recipes may avail themselves to these dark leafy greens.  I'd had wonderful luck with Paleek paneer and hoped for similar inspiration.

The recipe I fell upon was Sarson Da Saag...Punjabi Mustard Greens.  No mustard greens were to be had, but the jist of the recipe is the same.

adapted from the Everything Indian Cookbook by Monica Bhide

serves 4

The Ingredients:
1 lb assorted greens (mustard, collard, turnip, beet)
1/4 lb fresh spinach
1 small turnip, diced
3 cups water or vegetable stock
2 Tbsp ghee or oil
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste *
2 Tbsp cornmeal
salt to taste
butter for serving

*if you cannot find ginger-garlic paste, mince together equal parts fresh ginger and fresh garlic

The Process:
Combine the greens, spinach and turnip in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat.  Add about 2 cups of water or stock and bring to a boil.  Cook until the turnips are tender, about 12 minutes.  Remove from heat and drain any liquid.  Allow the vegetables to cool slightly.

Using a food processor or bleder, puree the vegetables into a thick paste.  Set aside.

Heat the ghee or oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the ginger-garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the pureed vegetables and saute for 2-3 minutes.  Sprinkle in the cornmeal and stir well to combine.  Add salt to taste.

Add the remaining water or stock to the skillet and reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 25-30 minutes, adding more water or stock as needed to prevent the dish from dryin gout.

Serve hot, garnished with butter.

The Review:
The dish is traditional served up alongside a large plate of makki di roti.  I can certainly see why!  The creamy greens just scream to be scooped up by an accompanying  flatbread.

This is comfort food at its best.  The preparation brings out all of the best of these leafy greens, without weighing down with too much cream or butter.  I adore creamed spinach and other hearty Southern dishes, but on some sweltering days the extra dairy is just too much.  This dish was so incredibly filling, but light at the same time.

The original recipe called for frozen greens...thawed and drained.  I only had fresh on hand.  Either way this dish is a treat.

I do believe I have found my new favorite go-to recipe when I have extra greens on hand.

Spaghetti with Rainbow Chard

For a quick and light weekend lunch, pasta is always near at hand in our household (I really should consider making some pasta from scratch one of these days.)  Thankfully tomato sauce isn't the only option available to the hungry eater.  This veggie and garlic topping was was inspired by the beautiful bunch of rainbow chard that came in the CSA box 

the recipe is my own 

serves 3-4


The Ingredients:
8 oz uncooked whole wheat spaghetti
2 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 green onions, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1 Tbsp fresh basil, minced
1 bunch of rainbow chard, stems and leaves separated
salt and pepper to taste
splash of red wine
Parmesan cheese (optional)

The Process:
Cook the pasta al dente, according to package directions.  Drain and set aside

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the garlic and onions.  Saute until the garlic is fragrant and tender, about 2-3 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, parsley, and  basil and cook until the tomatoes begin to break down.  Stir in the chard stems, simmering until tender.  Add a splash of wine and season with salt and pepper.   Add the chopped chard leaves and stir until wilted.

Toss with pasta.  Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve hot.

The Review:
This may not become a fast favorite for spaghetti...or greens for that matter.  But this prepartion was a refreshing change of pace for both.  How freeing not to have to rely on red sauce for pasta.  And plain greens sauteed with garlic...so dull after a while.  The humbrum and routine can really bring a person down.

The vibrancy of the chard stems truly is a pick-me-up here...and the colors did not diminish in cooking. Beautiful deep greens; glowing pinks. yellows and oranges.  All kissed with the bright red from the tomatoes.  Next time around I'd likely use a squeeze of lemon juice instead of that splash of wine.  A touch more garlic and ground pepper may be in order as well.

The leaves of this particular batch of chard were on the larger side.  As a result the greens were a bit tougher and more bitter than I would have liked.  But I nit pick.  Spinach, kale, or greens of the mustard, turnip or collard variety would probably work equally as well.

Arugula and Garlic Scape Pesto

Enough with the arugula, please!  Every week for the past month we've been blessed with an incredibly large bag of the peppery greens.  But there's only some much of it I can handle!  Our farm has promised this to be the last bunch (for a while, if not for the season).  The ridiculously hot and dry weather that part of the state has been dealing with resulted in the arugula all coming ready far before expected.

This batch, this possible last bundle, was full of large mature leaves even more fragrant then baby greens we'd been treated to earlier.  Taking the farm's suggestion, I turned this last bunch into a pesto. 

recipe courtesy of Driftless Organics

yields about 2 cups

The Ingredients:
1 cup garlic scapes  cut into 1" pieces
 2 cups chopped arugula, lightly packed
1/2 cup almonds, toasted
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

The Process:
Combine everything but the oil in a food processor and pulse into a coarse paste. Add oil in a thin stream while the processor is going. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week or freeze.

The Review:
Now that you have that bright green concoction, how do you use it?  First I tried a spoonful and was wowed by how the usually subtle flavor of the scapes came forward.

Next we tired is tossed with pasta.  A little bit of pesto went a very long way.  The flavor was bright and grassy...rounded out with the rich, but not overwhelming garlic.


How else?  Straight up with fresh veggies.  Not bad...but the strong flavor of the pesto was a bit much for the delicate red pepper and snap peas.  WAY too peppery served with raw radish, but worth the try.

Spread on buttered bread and broiled?  Amazing.

Mixed with a bit of cream cheese and scooped up with celery...a much better alternative with raw veggies than served straight up.

So many ways...so many things to try.

I'm a little disappointed I didn't start making pesto with the arugula earlier!

Minnesotan Midsummer Minestrone

Right around 2 or 3pm everyday my mind begins to wander.  My eyes drift out over the beautiful vista of the Stone arch bridge and the Mississippi River.  The occasional eagle soars overhead.  Segway tours, joggers and bikers meander on the paths below.  And I day dream...

About what to make for dinner.

It never fails really.  Shortly after lunch, my stomach begins to gurgle again as my mind turns to food.  Recently the thoughts circle around how to use up the last bit of vegetables before our next CSA box arrives (time to start blanching, bagging and freezing some of those veggies).  Stir frys and salads are quick, easy and reliable.

But this evening I had soup on the brain...

the recipe is my own

serves 8-10


The Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 stalks of celery, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
2-3 medium carrots, diced
4-5 garlic scapes, cut in to 1 inch lengths
1 bunch salad turnips and greens, turnips diced, greens chopped
2 Tbsp fresh sage, cut chiffonade
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1 - 14 oz can stewed tomatoes
4 cups vegetable, chicken or beef stock
2 cups water
1 - 14 oz can black or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper to taste

The Process:
In a large soup kettle, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the celery, onions and carrots.  Saute until the onion and celery are tender, about 5-7 minutes.  Stir in the garlic scapes, herbs, and turnips (reserve the greens for later) and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, broth and water.  Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the turnips and carrots are tender.   Add the beans, simmering for 10 minutes until  the beans are heated through.  Add the reserved turnip greens.  Stir until wilted.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

The Review:
What a wonderful, deep flavor.  The onion, celery and stewed tomatoes provided a base that was refreshingly familiar.  The sage was nearly indiscernible among the other veggie flavors.  The turnips added a wonderful oomph and were cooked to near perfection...tender with just a touch of bite left.  The garlic scapes cooked down and little more than I would have liked during a 20 minutes simmer, but lent an amazing hint of garlic.  I adore minestrone.  Mostly because any veggie combination would work.  Want pasta? okay.  Don't like beans? Leave them out.  Well this may not be the best soup for a sweltering summer day (but really what soup is when the heat index break 100), but it really does hit the spot.

Collard Green Rolls

Such beautiful large collard green leaves were provided with our weekly veggies.  It seemed a shame to treat them to the traditional methods of sauteing or creaming.  I while back I came across the ingenious idea of using kale leaves in the same vein as cabbage leaves to craft filling rolls.  Why not use collard greens the same way?  This is a vegetarian version using lentils in lieu of beef, but with the familiar and well loved Italian seasonings.

The recipe is my own

server 6-8

The Ingredients:
1 cup lentils
1 cup brown rice
3 1/2 cups water or vegetable stock, divided
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 bulb green garlic, minced
4-5 potato onions. thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1- 14 oz can stewed tomatoes
1 - 4 oz can tomato paste
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
8 large collard green leaves
1- 24 oz jar tomato sauce

The Process:
In a medium saucepan over medium high heat bring 1 3/4 cups of stock to a gentle boil.  Add the rice, reduce to a simmer and cover.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, 35-40 minutes. Meanwhile in a second saucepan, add the lentils and remaining stock.  Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer.  Cook for 20-25 minutes until the lentils are soft and most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Preheat the oven to 350

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic, onions and celery and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, paste and seasonings, stirring to combine.  Simmer for about 5 minutes.  Add the cooked rice and lentils.  Set aside.

Trim away the woody potion of the collard green stems.  Carefully run a knife parallel to the leaf along the raised edge of the stem on the back side, trimming away as much of the vein as possible, without split the leaf.  Stem for 3-4 minutes until soft, or layer between damp paper towels and microwave for 2 minutes, flipping once.

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Working with one roll at a time, position one leaf on a flat surface with the trimmed side up and the stem end facing you.  Scoop a 1/2 - 3/4 cup of the lentil/rice filling on the bottom third of the leaf.

 Carefully fold in both sides of the leaf and roll the bundle up and away from you, completely encasing the filling.

 Lay the roll in the baking dish seam side down and continue with the remaining leaves.

Ladle tomato sauce over the rolls and bake, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes.  Serve hot.

The Review:
I seem to gravitate towards the labor intensive dishes at times, don't I?  Perhaps I don't notice as much because I use the rice cooking time as the perfect excuse to attempt to keep the clutter from overwhelming the kitchen.  Okay...it is a bit of a feeble attempt.  But our kitchen has remained in some semblance of order for a little while now...

So time labor intensify, but highly worth the effort.  Really, these take no longer than traditional cabbage rolls.  Rice must still be cooked...only I suppose most cabbage rolls are prepared with uncooked hamburger.  I made the mistake of cooking up the meat before stuffing once...not as easy to prepare.

Perhaps that's what's so lovely about this vegetarian version.  The lentils cook down to a point where they almost act as a binder to the rest of the ingredients.  And with out the raw meat filling, they are free to spend less time in the oven.

The collard greens were a wonderful change of pace from cabbage.  Growing up I had often thought cabbage rolls too sour...at least the way mom and grandma made them.  Perhaps the acidity from the tomatoes coupled with the cabbage reminded me too much of sauerkraut...which to this day I have not developed much of a taste for.  There is no such pickled or fermented flavored with the collard greens.  And they are much, much more sturdy.  I never had the same ease of rolling up such bundles with cabbage.  Either I never cooked the cabbage enough before hand for the leaves to roll easily, or I over cook them to the point that the leave fell apart at the slightest touch.  And good luck finding 8 perfectly sized cabbage leaves on a head of cabbage.  The collard greens were so much more forgiving, and quite a bit more filling in the end.

I'd love to try other variations of collard green or kale rolls in the future.  Gluten-free burritos?  Curry stuffed leaves?  SO many ideas...