Veggies are weird.
August 3, 2010 4:06 AM Subscribe
FoodFilter: Help me learn if I like kale, swiss chard, and maybe even turnips.
I've never grown kale, chard, or turnips. It's too late to do so this year, but next is a definite possibility because all three grow rather well where I live. I'd possibly like to grow them next year for some more variety, since I will probably have the space for more plants ... but I've never eaten them knowingly, so I don't even know if I'd like them. I don't want to waste my time and backyard growing something I won't really enjoy.
I have access to all of these at the local co-op, along with many other non-standard-american-food items. What 'beginner' recipes could I try that would make me decide if I like them? I have a frying pan, oven, one of those flower steamer-things that goes in the pot -- and I'm not afraid to use them, contrary to what my ex wanted to believe. (Unrelated: I would kill someone for a good, affordable blender.)
No food has tried to kill me yet, so I don't think I'm allergic to anything. I try to avoid fats, refuse to eat anything with HFCS, and would rather make 'it' from scratch than buy it in a bottle/jar/can.
Also, what do they eat like? As an example, I discovered a parsnip reminds me of the consistency of a potato, while tasting like a cross between a carrot and an onion, and is pretty much required content for most soups I make these days.
On preview: I found this previous question regarding turnips and a few others of interest but my attention span makes goldfish laugh and it's hard for me to sort through.
I've never grown kale, chard, or turnips. It's too late to do so this year, but next is a definite possibility because all three grow rather well where I live. I'd possibly like to grow them next year for some more variety, since I will probably have the space for more plants ... but I've never eaten them knowingly, so I don't even know if I'd like them. I don't want to waste my time and backyard growing something I won't really enjoy.
I have access to all of these at the local co-op, along with many other non-standard-american-food items. What 'beginner' recipes could I try that would make me decide if I like them? I have a frying pan, oven, one of those flower steamer-things that goes in the pot -- and I'm not afraid to use them, contrary to what my ex wanted to believe. (Unrelated: I would kill someone for a good, affordable blender.)
No food has tried to kill me yet, so I don't think I'm allergic to anything. I try to avoid fats, refuse to eat anything with HFCS, and would rather make 'it' from scratch than buy it in a bottle/jar/can.
Also, what do they eat like? As an example, I discovered a parsnip reminds me of the consistency of a potato, while tasting like a cross between a carrot and an onion, and is pretty much required content for most soups I make these days.
On preview: I found this previous question regarding turnips and a few others of interest but my attention span makes goldfish laugh and it's hard for me to sort through.
Kale can be tossed with a little olive oil and salt and roasted until it's crispy. It's my new favorite way to eat kale.
posted by magicbus at 4:29 AM on August 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by magicbus at 4:29 AM on August 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
I forgot to add that greens picked after a frost will be much more bitter than those picked before. If this is the case, feel free to add a little sugar. Unless you like them bitter, which I do. And pre or post- frost, a splash of vinegar and/or tabasco is a really good addition as a condiment (at the table, not while cooking).
posted by cilantro at 4:38 AM on August 3, 2010
posted by cilantro at 4:38 AM on August 3, 2010
If you really want to eat them and relative healthiness isn't paramount make gratins of greens. Bechamel/cream + cheese and/or breadcrumbs bake until brown.
Personally I like em just braised pork or no - but as a gateway I challenge you not to like them gratinee
posted by JPD at 4:53 AM on August 3, 2010
Personally I like em just braised pork or no - but as a gateway I challenge you not to like them gratinee
posted by JPD at 4:53 AM on August 3, 2010
I don't have specific recipes, but I didn't like these things until my fiancé started cooking them for me, and now I do. It usually involves a sauté with massive quantities of garlic!
posted by matildaben at 4:54 AM on August 3, 2010
posted by matildaben at 4:54 AM on August 3, 2010
Best answer: The way I do chard is to start by cooking a few pieces of bacon and set aside. Pour off most of the grease. Toss in a couple cloves of thinly sliced garlic then drop in as much rough cut chard as the pan will hold. Salt. Set to medium-high heat and turn with tongs until wilted, adding more chard as the pan will take it. Plate. Crumble bacon on top.
For vegetarian, start with olive oil, no bacon (duh).
To cut up chard, I start at the leaf tip cutting across in wide strips, getting narrower the closer I get to the stalk end. Be sure to rinse well before cutting. I think Swiss (white) chard is sweeter than the red or rainbow varieties I see more often in the store.
posted by plinth at 5:15 AM on August 3, 2010
For vegetarian, start with olive oil, no bacon (duh).
To cut up chard, I start at the leaf tip cutting across in wide strips, getting narrower the closer I get to the stalk end. Be sure to rinse well before cutting. I think Swiss (white) chard is sweeter than the red or rainbow varieties I see more often in the store.
posted by plinth at 5:15 AM on August 3, 2010
I'd start with the chard -- it's got much less of a bitter flavor than the others, at least to me. I love love love it just steamed (wash, chop a bit, put in pot with a few cm of water, cook. Make sure not to let all the water boil away.) Maybe sprinkle a bit of lemon?
I don't know where you are, but I picked up a perfectly good blender at Target the other day for under $15. (This after spending 30 minutes searching the racks at the Salvation Army for one, since I figured they'd be expensive at the stores...)
posted by wyzewoman at 5:26 AM on August 3, 2010
I don't know where you are, but I picked up a perfectly good blender at Target the other day for under $15. (This after spending 30 minutes searching the racks at the Salvation Army for one, since I figured they'd be expensive at the stores...)
posted by wyzewoman at 5:26 AM on August 3, 2010
Best answer: Chard leaves are a little like spinach and the stems are good to cook and eat as well. Kale is tougher, if you want a little analog it's something like cabbage -- sturdier. It's nicer smelling than cabbage.
Both are great with pasta and beans: White beans, kale, pasta, and garlic, with or without sage. Chard is also good with pasta, anchovies, garlic, and raisins (it's a southern Italy thing -- really good once you get past the wtf of it).
There's a frittata called Trouchia (sp?) that's made with chard and caramelized onions -- you cook the chard and carmelize some onions, add egg beaten with a tablespoon or so of parmesan cheese and a pinch of nutmeg, top with cooked chard, and run it under the broiler (putting some cheese of some sort on top if you like. Swiss is good. Salad, white wine -- awesome.)
Chard cooks quickly and you can treat it like spinach. Kale cooks slower and benefits from a quick fry in oil with garlic, then add water, cover with lid, cook for ten to fifteen minutes. For either of the pasta dishes, cook like this and then add the cooked pasta.
Kale with potatoes is awesome -- you can mix it into mashed potatoes with some parmesan cheese and then run it under the broiler or not as you like.
Kale looks great in the garden and you really only need one or two plants -- it gets huge and you can take off a few leaves at a time. Chard you can use a little more of but again, you can snip off a few leaves at a time and you don't have to invest a ton of space.
Both are good, versatile, healthy, and easy to grow.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 5:51 AM on August 3, 2010
Both are great with pasta and beans: White beans, kale, pasta, and garlic, with or without sage. Chard is also good with pasta, anchovies, garlic, and raisins (it's a southern Italy thing -- really good once you get past the wtf of it).
There's a frittata called Trouchia (sp?) that's made with chard and caramelized onions -- you cook the chard and carmelize some onions, add egg beaten with a tablespoon or so of parmesan cheese and a pinch of nutmeg, top with cooked chard, and run it under the broiler (putting some cheese of some sort on top if you like. Swiss is good. Salad, white wine -- awesome.)
Chard cooks quickly and you can treat it like spinach. Kale cooks slower and benefits from a quick fry in oil with garlic, then add water, cover with lid, cook for ten to fifteen minutes. For either of the pasta dishes, cook like this and then add the cooked pasta.
Kale with potatoes is awesome -- you can mix it into mashed potatoes with some parmesan cheese and then run it under the broiler or not as you like.
Kale looks great in the garden and you really only need one or two plants -- it gets huge and you can take off a few leaves at a time. Chard you can use a little more of but again, you can snip off a few leaves at a time and you don't have to invest a ton of space.
Both are good, versatile, healthy, and easy to grow.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 5:51 AM on August 3, 2010
Be aware that chard stems take a little longer to cook than the leaves. Cut them out, start them with some salt pork (bacon can overpower the delicate greens), then pile the leaves and some water in. Serve with some pepper sauce, or failing that, some cider vinegar.
I've made this chard gratin and it impressed an avowed veggie-hater.
I love putting turnips in chicken soup. They're also great braised with their own greens. Again, some acid here helps brighten up the flavor.
Kale is from the devil. I've tried many many things and can't get it to not taste vile. So, no suggestions there.
posted by Gilbert at 6:07 AM on August 3, 2010
I've made this chard gratin and it impressed an avowed veggie-hater.
I love putting turnips in chicken soup. They're also great braised with their own greens. Again, some acid here helps brighten up the flavor.
Kale is from the devil. I've tried many many things and can't get it to not taste vile. So, no suggestions there.
posted by Gilbert at 6:07 AM on August 3, 2010
Best answer: Chard and kale hold up in soups way, way better than spinach.
posted by Medieval Maven at 6:08 AM on August 3, 2010
posted by Medieval Maven at 6:08 AM on August 3, 2010
A note on appliances and vegetables - blenders are great if you want to make green smoothies. If you've got almost anything else in mind (pesto, hummus, fine-chopped or grated anything) a food processor is what you're really after. Pureed soups can be done in either. One thing I didn't need nearly so much before I joined a CSA and started eating more greens, is a salad spinner - I'd seriously consider adding that to your wish list.
Seconding cilantro's suggestion of a touch of sugar (or honey, or jalapeno jelly, or anything sweet and interesting) to improve bitter greens. Great suggestions above - for a southerner, the first step in cooking greens is always "well, first you take the bacon..." so if you're not vegetarian, do try plinth's method. Technique-wise, I'll only add that if you don't wash them like crazy, there will be totally harmless but mildly annoying gritty bits in your dinner.
Turnips can be slipped into pretty much any soup - chop them up like you would any other root vegetable. They turned up in my CSA box in spring, though, which is not soup season for me, so we accumulated 3-4 weeks' worth and I had no clue what to do about it. I finally made a fantastic jar of turnip pickles, and that was great.
posted by aimedwander at 6:21 AM on August 3, 2010
Seconding cilantro's suggestion of a touch of sugar (or honey, or jalapeno jelly, or anything sweet and interesting) to improve bitter greens. Great suggestions above - for a southerner, the first step in cooking greens is always "well, first you take the bacon..." so if you're not vegetarian, do try plinth's method. Technique-wise, I'll only add that if you don't wash them like crazy, there will be totally harmless but mildly annoying gritty bits in your dinner.
Turnips can be slipped into pretty much any soup - chop them up like you would any other root vegetable. They turned up in my CSA box in spring, though, which is not soup season for me, so we accumulated 3-4 weeks' worth and I had no clue what to do about it. I finally made a fantastic jar of turnip pickles, and that was great.
posted by aimedwander at 6:21 AM on August 3, 2010
turnips are great raw if they are youngish, sliced up and put in a salad or in a crudite tray. also, at whatever age, turnips can be mashed like potatoes. my favorite dish is mashed turnip and cauliflower (or just turnips) with garlic and chives and sour cream/yogurt and a healthy splash of really good quality salt.
posted by lakersfan1222 at 6:37 AM on August 3, 2010
posted by lakersfan1222 at 6:37 AM on August 3, 2010
i guess you could say that elder turnips are bitter, hence the sour cream in the mash. i personally dislike the idea of adding sugar to anything. if you lean towards savory in general, the sugar isn't really going to do much for you.
posted by lakersfan1222 at 6:46 AM on August 3, 2010
posted by lakersfan1222 at 6:46 AM on August 3, 2010
Best answer: Try rutabaga as well. I'm not a fan of turnips, but I love rutabaga.
If you're growing kale, go for one of the more interesting (and more tasty) varieties like Lacinato/black Tuscan/cavolo nero or red Russian. They're miles away from the stuff that gets used for garnish.
Do you like beets? Swiss chard is basically a beet that doesn't form a root. I cannot eat it because it tastes dirt, which is exactly how beets taste to me. It grew really well for me and it was so pretty, but after I ruined a few dishes by putting it in them, I pulled it all out and put it on the compost heap.
posted by elsietheeel at 7:16 AM on August 3, 2010
If you're growing kale, go for one of the more interesting (and more tasty) varieties like Lacinato/black Tuscan/cavolo nero or red Russian. They're miles away from the stuff that gets used for garnish.
Do you like beets? Swiss chard is basically a beet that doesn't form a root. I cannot eat it because it tastes dirt, which is exactly how beets taste to me. It grew really well for me and it was so pretty, but after I ruined a few dishes by putting it in them, I pulled it all out and put it on the compost heap.
posted by elsietheeel at 7:16 AM on August 3, 2010
Best answer: First off, it is NOT too late to grow either kale or chard this year, if you have the space in your garden. Chard will start producing small, edible leaves that you can put in salad within a few weeks. An interesting thing about chard is that chard "seeds" are actually pods with 3-5 seeds in them, so you have no choice but to thin them after they come up to make salad! Kale is a little slower, but it too will come up pretty quickly. A benefit to growing both is that it is hard to find young leaves at stores. Kale actually loves a frost (chard doesn't) and will taste a little sweeter after a good hard freeze than before.
As for cooking, I am a huge fan of the saute with a little olive oil, a good chunk of garlic, and a sprinkle of crushed red chilis. As for more creative recipes, check out the kale section of 101cookbooks.com, which is a fantastic source of all sorts of vegetarian blog goodness. I probably cook a Heidi or Heidi-inspired recipe 5 times a week. Enjoy!
Turnips tend to get sliced into sticks, combined with parsnips, carrots and beets, tossed with olive oil and herbs, and roasted. So good!
posted by rockindata at 7:25 AM on August 3, 2010
As for cooking, I am a huge fan of the saute with a little olive oil, a good chunk of garlic, and a sprinkle of crushed red chilis. As for more creative recipes, check out the kale section of 101cookbooks.com, which is a fantastic source of all sorts of vegetarian blog goodness. I probably cook a Heidi or Heidi-inspired recipe 5 times a week. Enjoy!
Turnips tend to get sliced into sticks, combined with parsnips, carrots and beets, tossed with olive oil and herbs, and roasted. So good!
posted by rockindata at 7:25 AM on August 3, 2010
Lots of good suggestions above, but I wanted to add that there are lots of different types of kale, and it took me awhile to figure out what I liked. I'm not a big fan of curly kale (the most common in stores around me) but I really like dinosaur kale, purple kale, & black kale. They all have different flavors and textures, so if you don't like the first thing you try, give another variety a shot.
To cook it, I like it roasted, as mentioned above, and sliced into soups. It holds up really well, even over several days as it's reheated. I also eat it raw, by "massaging" it with olive oil or avocado (any fat works) until its texture softens, then sprinkling on salt and lemon juice and using it in a salad. Yum!
posted by Bella Sebastian at 7:42 AM on August 3, 2010
To cook it, I like it roasted, as mentioned above, and sliced into soups. It holds up really well, even over several days as it's reheated. I also eat it raw, by "massaging" it with olive oil or avocado (any fat works) until its texture softens, then sprinkling on salt and lemon juice and using it in a salad. Yum!
posted by Bella Sebastian at 7:42 AM on August 3, 2010
We have some greens here in Brazil that are kale-esque (not really sure the exact classification). You can take a bunch of leaves, stack them, roll them and then slice them thinly. Saute in a little olive oil and minced garlic. Don't let it get mushy. Yum! Good on its own or on top of feijoada (which is a bean stew).
But my favorite is in soup. Sausage, white beans and kale. Yum yum.
posted by wallaby at 7:54 AM on August 3, 2010
But my favorite is in soup. Sausage, white beans and kale. Yum yum.
posted by wallaby at 7:54 AM on August 3, 2010
Best answer: We eat tons of dark greens - chard grows like a bandit in our region and a short row of it keeps us in giant harvests of it every other day all summer long. It's very flexible:
- baby leaves are mild and sweet, great in salads
- saute a little sliced garlic, some red pepper flakes, and a bit of lemon zest in a little olive oil. Add washed, not-too-well-dried chard leaves and wilt them in the water clinging to them. A great no-brainer side that goes with everything.
- Roll a stack of leaves into a cigar, cut into ribbons, and stir them into soup (Asian noodle soups, vegetable soups, chicken soup, anything) just before serving
- Toss with pasta or gnocchi, garlicky olive oil, and toasted breadcrumbs
- use wilted and squeezed chard as a major element in veggie lasagna
- cream it like spinach, put into ramekins, top with breadcrumbs and parm, and broil
- in omelets/frittatas
Oh man, yum.
posted by peachfuzz at 7:56 AM on August 3, 2010
- baby leaves are mild and sweet, great in salads
- saute a little sliced garlic, some red pepper flakes, and a bit of lemon zest in a little olive oil. Add washed, not-too-well-dried chard leaves and wilt them in the water clinging to them. A great no-brainer side that goes with everything.
- Roll a stack of leaves into a cigar, cut into ribbons, and stir them into soup (Asian noodle soups, vegetable soups, chicken soup, anything) just before serving
- Toss with pasta or gnocchi, garlicky olive oil, and toasted breadcrumbs
- use wilted and squeezed chard as a major element in veggie lasagna
- cream it like spinach, put into ramekins, top with breadcrumbs and parm, and broil
- in omelets/frittatas
Oh man, yum.
posted by peachfuzz at 7:56 AM on August 3, 2010
Kale and chard -- healthy, sure, but mainly for me a wonderful vehicle sauteed for good olive oil and tons of garlic.
posted by aught at 8:02 AM on August 3, 2010
posted by aught at 8:02 AM on August 3, 2010
Seconding that it is totally not too late to grow greens this year!
I love, love, love our chard (rainbow) and kale (tuscan) and mustard greens (red giant.) I grow them in containers, they're pretty, they're fairly low-maintenance, and they've become a very welcome giant boost of veggies in our diet.
(I must admit that I don't really like turnips that much. Also, i think that turnips are less versatile because the flavor is so very distinctive.)
I usually use the chard stems and leaves separately, because the chard stems have a great texture, but take longer to cook than the greens, and they will keep very happily in the fridge in a plastic bag for months.
The thing to remember about the greens is that you need to chop them into bite-size pieces before you cook them, because cutting them after they've been cooked with a knife is sorta unpleasantly difficult. You don't need to mince them, and they will shrink (A LOT), just rough-chop them.
I always think about sauteing the greens, but often default to a quick braising because it doesn't require as much attention: Get them started in the pan with olive oil or bacon fat or [OMG] duck fat, and some garlic if you like. Add some stock (doesn't need to cover the greens) and some salt. Cover, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of vinegar at the end. They take 20-30 minutes depending on the size of the leaves and the variety. Taste to check for doneness, the texture goes from stiff to a sort of floppy buttery softness when they're done. Kale doesn't get quite as soft. Devour as a side dish, on sandwiches, in pasta, in quiche or frittata, add to another sauce, whatever.
I do a sort of adaptation of sarson ka saag, too. I don't bother with the gram flour and I use butter instead of ghee. Sometimes I add roasted chickpeas.
If we have too few greens for a side dish, but they need using, we'll just chop them and braise them right in tomato sauce as it simmers. We do this with chard stems sometimes, too.
The chard stems have an earthier flavor than the leaves. I chop them, braise them in stock, and add them to risotto or quinoa with a rich semisoft cheese like brie and another ingredient that will provide some acidity and sweetness, like roasted red peppers or sundried tomatoes or olives or preserved lemon.
posted by desuetude at 8:11 AM on August 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
I love, love, love our chard (rainbow) and kale (tuscan) and mustard greens (red giant.) I grow them in containers, they're pretty, they're fairly low-maintenance, and they've become a very welcome giant boost of veggies in our diet.
(I must admit that I don't really like turnips that much. Also, i think that turnips are less versatile because the flavor is so very distinctive.)
I usually use the chard stems and leaves separately, because the chard stems have a great texture, but take longer to cook than the greens, and they will keep very happily in the fridge in a plastic bag for months.
The thing to remember about the greens is that you need to chop them into bite-size pieces before you cook them, because cutting them after they've been cooked with a knife is sorta unpleasantly difficult. You don't need to mince them, and they will shrink (A LOT), just rough-chop them.
I always think about sauteing the greens, but often default to a quick braising because it doesn't require as much attention: Get them started in the pan with olive oil or bacon fat or [OMG] duck fat, and some garlic if you like. Add some stock (doesn't need to cover the greens) and some salt. Cover, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of vinegar at the end. They take 20-30 minutes depending on the size of the leaves and the variety. Taste to check for doneness, the texture goes from stiff to a sort of floppy buttery softness when they're done. Kale doesn't get quite as soft. Devour as a side dish, on sandwiches, in pasta, in quiche or frittata, add to another sauce, whatever.
I do a sort of adaptation of sarson ka saag, too. I don't bother with the gram flour and I use butter instead of ghee. Sometimes I add roasted chickpeas.
If we have too few greens for a side dish, but they need using, we'll just chop them and braise them right in tomato sauce as it simmers. We do this with chard stems sometimes, too.
The chard stems have an earthier flavor than the leaves. I chop them, braise them in stock, and add them to risotto or quinoa with a rich semisoft cheese like brie and another ingredient that will provide some acidity and sweetness, like roasted red peppers or sundried tomatoes or olives or preserved lemon.
posted by desuetude at 8:11 AM on August 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
Gratin! Well, everything tastes good in gratin, but slices of turnips, potatoes and ribboned kale or chard, layered in a pan, and cover each layer in a little dairy or vegan cream sauce. Then bake it for 30 minutes. MMMMMmmmmm.
Also, for a very simple preparation, slice up chard or kale (or even collards, while we're talking about heavy greens) and sautee in a pan with not very much oil (very little). Stir it frequently. A few minutes in drizzle quite a lot of balsamic vinegar on it and lots of salt. So very good. To make it more complicated you can start with diced onions, caramelize those in the oil, then add the greens. But the balsamic and salt are critical.
posted by R343L at 8:32 AM on August 3, 2010
Also, for a very simple preparation, slice up chard or kale (or even collards, while we're talking about heavy greens) and sautee in a pan with not very much oil (very little). Stir it frequently. A few minutes in drizzle quite a lot of balsamic vinegar on it and lots of salt. So very good. To make it more complicated you can start with diced onions, caramelize those in the oil, then add the greens. But the balsamic and salt are critical.
posted by R343L at 8:32 AM on August 3, 2010
Well, about simple and tasty as you can get with kale:
- pull leaves off stems and put in pot
- cover pot and cook on medium for 12-15 minutes
- turn off heat and stir in olive oil and garlic salt
- plate and eat - yum!...
Too much cooking can cause greens to misbehave, which in turn gives the bad rep they have in some circles. Never had a problem letting them steam on their own. Mild, pleasant flavor, plus the nutritional value of greens is amazing.
posted by 5Q7 at 8:50 AM on August 3, 2010
- pull leaves off stems and put in pot
- cover pot and cook on medium for 12-15 minutes
- turn off heat and stir in olive oil and garlic salt
- plate and eat - yum!...
Too much cooking can cause greens to misbehave, which in turn gives the bad rep they have in some circles. Never had a problem letting them steam on their own. Mild, pleasant flavor, plus the nutritional value of greens is amazing.
posted by 5Q7 at 8:50 AM on August 3, 2010
The recipe mentioned above--greens sauteed with O-Oil and lots of garlic and red pepper flakes, makes a terrific pasta sauce and, with parmesan and, say, penne, pretty much a complete meal. Just toss the cooked penne into the pan with the sauteed greens. Mix and serve. A favorite in this household. Some fresh-grated nutmeg is nice on top.
posted by fivesavagepalms at 8:58 AM on August 3, 2010
posted by fivesavagepalms at 8:58 AM on August 3, 2010
Best answer: I've steamed big leaves of kale and used them to make little mini-wraps with stir-fry inside.
Nthing mashed turnips. I steam them and mash with butter, salt, and pepper--but you could go light on the butter, since you said you avoid fats. They do play nice with dairy, though.
I also like turnips in a pan of roasted root vegetables (along with carrots, beets, potatoes...)
posted by the_blizz at 9:33 AM on August 3, 2010
Nthing mashed turnips. I steam them and mash with butter, salt, and pepper--but you could go light on the butter, since you said you avoid fats. They do play nice with dairy, though.
I also like turnips in a pan of roasted root vegetables (along with carrots, beets, potatoes...)
posted by the_blizz at 9:33 AM on August 3, 2010
Nthing chard gratin. I sometimes put it into a tart crust as well.
I also like doing chard fritters. This recipe doesn't really specify quantities well, but mine end up much more green than those in the picture; more like chard just barely held together by batter. They're great with a bit of sour cream.
When I get overwhelmed by the garden's chard haul, I blanch and freeze it in flat ziploc bags then break off chunks to add to soups, dal curries, pasta sauces, frittatas, shepherd's pie,...
I still haven't made peace with kale or turnips though.
posted by bethnull at 10:00 AM on August 3, 2010
I also like doing chard fritters. This recipe doesn't really specify quantities well, but mine end up much more green than those in the picture; more like chard just barely held together by batter. They're great with a bit of sour cream.
When I get overwhelmed by the garden's chard haul, I blanch and freeze it in flat ziploc bags then break off chunks to add to soups, dal curries, pasta sauces, frittatas, shepherd's pie,...
I still haven't made peace with kale or turnips though.
posted by bethnull at 10:00 AM on August 3, 2010
Best answer: This has turned my household into kale-lovers.
posted by cestmoi15 at 10:05 AM on August 3, 2010
posted by cestmoi15 at 10:05 AM on August 3, 2010
There is almost nothing better than freshly picked, golf-ball-sized Japanese turnips either steamed or tossed in olive oil, salt, and pepper and roasted. They're soooooooo sweet and tender and juicy. They're not fibrous like the larger, purple-topped turnips, and they don't have that slightly cabbagey bite of bigger turnips (which I also happen to like).
Plant this variety and I can almost guarantee you that you will become a turnip lover.
posted by mudpuppie at 10:05 AM on August 3, 2010
Plant this variety and I can almost guarantee you that you will become a turnip lover.
posted by mudpuppie at 10:05 AM on August 3, 2010
I've adapted this from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. I personally prefer turnips, but it works great with a wide variety of root vegetables...
Braised and Glazed Radishes, Turnips, or Other Root Vegetable
From Mark Bittman, "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian," p 354-5
Makes 4 servings, 30 minutes
A basic and wonderful way to prepare all kinds of root vegetables. Feel free to jazz this up wiht a few springs of fresh thyme, or a teaspoon of curry powder or other spice mix or simply cloves of garlic. Vegan is you use oil instead of butter.
Other vegetables you can use: anything hard and fibrous, really--carrots, jicama, parsnips, celeric, carrots, waxy potatoes (but not vegetables that easily become mushy, like starchy potatoes or sweet potatoes).
2T butter or extra virgin olive oil
1# radishes, trimmed, or daikon radish, turnips, or rutabaga, peeled and cut into chunks
.5C or more vegetable stock, white wine, or water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)
Chopped parsley leaves for garnish
1. Combine the butter, radishes, and stock in a saucepan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover and adjust the heat so the mixture simmers; cook until the radishes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes, checking once or twice and adding additional liquid as needed.
2. Uncover and raise the heat to boil off almost all of the liquid, so that the vegetable becomes glazed in the combination of butter and pan juices; this will take 5 to 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, add a little lemon juice if you like, garnish, and serve.
Variation with Miso Sauce
Great with daikon: In Step 1, add a tablespoon of soy sauce to the mix. In Step 2, as the mixture become glazed, whick together 2 tablespoons any miso (white is the mildest) and an equal amount of stock or water; turn the heat under the radishes to a minimum, add the miso mixture and stir, and heat very gently for a minute or so before serving. (Omit the lemon juice and parsley.)
My notes: I included a few glugs of Shaoxing and a dash or two of fish sauce, but I don't remember if it was in Step 1 or 2. Watch the seasoning with this; while this one didn't get too bad, some other miso recipes I've had got a little too salty (although, probably on my own error, as I scoop a dollop of miso into whatever I'm cooking, rather than measure it out, and add things like Shaoxing and fish sauce).
posted by slogger at 10:19 AM on August 3, 2010
Braised and Glazed Radishes, Turnips, or Other Root Vegetable
From Mark Bittman, "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian," p 354-5
Makes 4 servings, 30 minutes
A basic and wonderful way to prepare all kinds of root vegetables. Feel free to jazz this up wiht a few springs of fresh thyme, or a teaspoon of curry powder or other spice mix or simply cloves of garlic. Vegan is you use oil instead of butter.
Other vegetables you can use: anything hard and fibrous, really--carrots, jicama, parsnips, celeric, carrots, waxy potatoes (but not vegetables that easily become mushy, like starchy potatoes or sweet potatoes).
2T butter or extra virgin olive oil
1# radishes, trimmed, or daikon radish, turnips, or rutabaga, peeled and cut into chunks
.5C or more vegetable stock, white wine, or water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)
Chopped parsley leaves for garnish
1. Combine the butter, radishes, and stock in a saucepan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover and adjust the heat so the mixture simmers; cook until the radishes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes, checking once or twice and adding additional liquid as needed.
2. Uncover and raise the heat to boil off almost all of the liquid, so that the vegetable becomes glazed in the combination of butter and pan juices; this will take 5 to 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, add a little lemon juice if you like, garnish, and serve.
Variation with Miso Sauce
Great with daikon: In Step 1, add a tablespoon of soy sauce to the mix. In Step 2, as the mixture become glazed, whick together 2 tablespoons any miso (white is the mildest) and an equal amount of stock or water; turn the heat under the radishes to a minimum, add the miso mixture and stir, and heat very gently for a minute or so before serving. (Omit the lemon juice and parsley.)
My notes: I included a few glugs of Shaoxing and a dash or two of fish sauce, but I don't remember if it was in Step 1 or 2. Watch the seasoning with this; while this one didn't get too bad, some other miso recipes I've had got a little too salty (although, probably on my own error, as I scoop a dollop of miso into whatever I'm cooking, rather than measure it out, and add things like Shaoxing and fish sauce).
posted by slogger at 10:19 AM on August 3, 2010
I like chard served with peanut sauce, like Pra Ram Pak but with chard in place of the spinach. Cook until soft and spoon on the sauce. I haven't tried this with the bacon method, but it works great with the olive oil method.
Tokyo turnips are my favorite kind of turnip. You can make a great roasted winter vegetable dish with any combination of turnip, rutabaga, celery root, potato, sunchoke, carrot, fennel, onion, etc. Top it with mustard sauce and a bit of paprika.
I make my own peanut and mustard sauces. Both keep well in the fridge. If anyone wants recipes, MeMail or email me.
posted by expialidocious at 10:20 AM on August 3, 2010
Tokyo turnips are my favorite kind of turnip. You can make a great roasted winter vegetable dish with any combination of turnip, rutabaga, celery root, potato, sunchoke, carrot, fennel, onion, etc. Top it with mustard sauce and a bit of paprika.
I make my own peanut and mustard sauces. Both keep well in the fridge. If anyone wants recipes, MeMail or email me.
posted by expialidocious at 10:20 AM on August 3, 2010
Also: this is my all-time favorite chard recipe.
Milanese-style Chard
from Recipes from a Kitchen Garden
Makes 4-6 servings
1 bunch of Swiss chard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
6 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
Pinch of nutmeg
1/4 cup chopped prosciutto or ham
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper
Optional: 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
Trim chard, discarding tough stems, and coarsely chop. In a large, deep skillet, head olive oil, add garlic and green onions, and saute 2-3 minutes until softened and frangrant. Add chard, parsley, basil, nutmeg, and prosciutto or ham; mix well. Cover and cook 3-5 minutes over medium heat until tender and wilted. Mix in Parmesan cheese and add salt and pepper. Garnish with nuts if desired.
posted by slogger at 10:25 AM on August 3, 2010 [2 favorites]
Milanese-style Chard
from Recipes from a Kitchen Garden
Makes 4-6 servings
1 bunch of Swiss chard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
6 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
Pinch of nutmeg
1/4 cup chopped prosciutto or ham
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper
Optional: 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
Trim chard, discarding tough stems, and coarsely chop. In a large, deep skillet, head olive oil, add garlic and green onions, and saute 2-3 minutes until softened and frangrant. Add chard, parsley, basil, nutmeg, and prosciutto or ham; mix well. Cover and cook 3-5 minutes over medium heat until tender and wilted. Mix in Parmesan cheese and add salt and pepper. Garnish with nuts if desired.
posted by slogger at 10:25 AM on August 3, 2010 [2 favorites]
You know frozen spinach, how it's sort of stringier than fresh greens and retains any and all moisture? And you start with a ton fresh, where it overflows your pan, and then it cooks down to almost nothing? Most of the greens you mention cook down even more so, and become a lot like that but with a deeper flavor.
A lot of soul food dishes have you cook greens until there is zero fight or much fresh color left in them, and involve tons of salt. Cooked long enough their flavor becomes muddied and dull unless you add something like, yes, pork products and/or beans for complexity. Personally that's not my thing, so if you try a recipe like that and don't like it, give it another good with a lighter, crisper hand and fresher flavors than just "a fuckton of salt and steam."
In particular, I think said greens are delish with nutty flavors from actual nuts or from cheese. Also, they're really good in soups with decent stock, white beans or black-eyed peas, lots of nutty Parmesan (put an old rind in while it cooks down), and maybe some fat-grained white rice or nutty brown or wild rice (add the greens right before you finish cooking the soup, just to heat them long enough to wilt down). And yes to the ham flavored pot dishes like Hoppin' John. Kale or other assertive greens are also really good in frittata or sauteed, as mentioned, with lots of garlic and eaten almost like a warm salad (think caponata di verdure) with semi-cooked cauliflower and good olive oil. Yum! Here are some specific recipes:
Wilted Greens
From Deirdre Davis
Serves 4.
1 large head escarole, 1 pound spinach, 1 large bunch Swiss chard (or for variation a mix of greens using mustard, turnip, beet, dandelion, kale, collard, or chicory)
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or flavored olive oil such as hot pepper, garlic, or herb
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly ground nutmeg
Wash the greens and remove the stems, if they are tough. Shake out excess water and tear into large pieces. Leave some water clinging to the leaves.
Heat the oil in a large, deep pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the greens and toss them in the oil. Cover and cook until the greens start to wilt, 1 to 3 minutes, depending on the type of greens.
Uncover, toss the greens, cover again and continue to cook until completely wilted, 3 to 5 minutes for spinach, 5 minutes for chard and 5 to 7 minutes for escarole. When the greens are done, uncover, season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg and serve.
Variations:
-Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the greens just before serving.
-Wilt the greens with golden raisins and top the dish with toasted pine nuts.
-Saute some chopped green apple in the oil. Add the garlic and continue with the recipe. (I highly recommend this; it's what I did)
-Add minced anchovy with the garlic and scatter chopped greens and capers over the finished dish.
Frittata of Green Apple, Cheese, and Greens
Adapted from The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper by Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift
Excellent hot or at room temperature. Reheats well.
Use a skillet with an ovenproof handle, and be careful if setting it out: the handle will be hot.
Whether you call them frittatas or oven omelets, baking eggs with a saute or filling is much easier than fussing with a traditional omelet. Instead of the gymnastics involved in cooking and rolling a perfect folded omelet out of a pan, you put everything together, put it in the oven, and set a timer.
With its cheesy greens and garlic, this oven omelet comes off more like a pizza than an omelet. The shards of tart green apple are totally unexpected and a great accent. This is portable food--good for potlucks, boat rides, and office lunches.
Serves 3 to 4.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Oven Time: 45 minutes
1 bunch (5 stalks) greens such as Swiss chard, kale, or even lettuce greens
Good-tasting extra-virgin olive oil
1 or 2 medium onions, cut into 1-inch dice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup water
1 crisp, tart apple (Granny Smith recommended), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
5 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, Asiago, or Fontinella cheese
1 cup shredded Muenster or Monterey Jack cheese, or a related cheese blend
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Chop the greens into 1-inch pieces. Film a 9 or 10-inch skillet (with an ovenproof handle) with oil, and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onions, chard stems, and a little salt and pepper. Saute until the vegetables are golden brown.
Stir in the garlic and greens and allow greens to wilt. Add the water, and stir over medium-high heat until the leaves look like cooked spinach and the liquid has evaporated. Then stir in the apple and remove the skillet from the heat.
In a bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and 2/3 cup of each of the cheeses. Pour the mixture over the cooked greens. Sprinkle with the remaining cheeses, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out with only a few bits of creamy egg and cheese clinging to it.
Let the omelet stand for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting it into wedges.
posted by ifjuly at 11:11 AM on August 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
A lot of soul food dishes have you cook greens until there is zero fight or much fresh color left in them, and involve tons of salt. Cooked long enough their flavor becomes muddied and dull unless you add something like, yes, pork products and/or beans for complexity. Personally that's not my thing, so if you try a recipe like that and don't like it, give it another good with a lighter, crisper hand and fresher flavors than just "a fuckton of salt and steam."
In particular, I think said greens are delish with nutty flavors from actual nuts or from cheese. Also, they're really good in soups with decent stock, white beans or black-eyed peas, lots of nutty Parmesan (put an old rind in while it cooks down), and maybe some fat-grained white rice or nutty brown or wild rice (add the greens right before you finish cooking the soup, just to heat them long enough to wilt down). And yes to the ham flavored pot dishes like Hoppin' John. Kale or other assertive greens are also really good in frittata or sauteed, as mentioned, with lots of garlic and eaten almost like a warm salad (think caponata di verdure) with semi-cooked cauliflower and good olive oil. Yum! Here are some specific recipes:
Wilted Greens
From Deirdre Davis
Serves 4.
1 large head escarole, 1 pound spinach, 1 large bunch Swiss chard (or for variation a mix of greens using mustard, turnip, beet, dandelion, kale, collard, or chicory)
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or flavored olive oil such as hot pepper, garlic, or herb
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly ground nutmeg
Wash the greens and remove the stems, if they are tough. Shake out excess water and tear into large pieces. Leave some water clinging to the leaves.
Heat the oil in a large, deep pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the greens and toss them in the oil. Cover and cook until the greens start to wilt, 1 to 3 minutes, depending on the type of greens.
Uncover, toss the greens, cover again and continue to cook until completely wilted, 3 to 5 minutes for spinach, 5 minutes for chard and 5 to 7 minutes for escarole. When the greens are done, uncover, season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg and serve.
Variations:
-Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the greens just before serving.
-Wilt the greens with golden raisins and top the dish with toasted pine nuts.
-Saute some chopped green apple in the oil. Add the garlic and continue with the recipe. (I highly recommend this; it's what I did)
-Add minced anchovy with the garlic and scatter chopped greens and capers over the finished dish.
Frittata of Green Apple, Cheese, and Greens
Adapted from The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper by Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift
Excellent hot or at room temperature. Reheats well.
Use a skillet with an ovenproof handle, and be careful if setting it out: the handle will be hot.
Whether you call them frittatas or oven omelets, baking eggs with a saute or filling is much easier than fussing with a traditional omelet. Instead of the gymnastics involved in cooking and rolling a perfect folded omelet out of a pan, you put everything together, put it in the oven, and set a timer.
With its cheesy greens and garlic, this oven omelet comes off more like a pizza than an omelet. The shards of tart green apple are totally unexpected and a great accent. This is portable food--good for potlucks, boat rides, and office lunches.
Serves 3 to 4.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Oven Time: 45 minutes
1 bunch (5 stalks) greens such as Swiss chard, kale, or even lettuce greens
Good-tasting extra-virgin olive oil
1 or 2 medium onions, cut into 1-inch dice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup water
1 crisp, tart apple (Granny Smith recommended), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
5 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, Asiago, or Fontinella cheese
1 cup shredded Muenster or Monterey Jack cheese, or a related cheese blend
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Chop the greens into 1-inch pieces. Film a 9 or 10-inch skillet (with an ovenproof handle) with oil, and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onions, chard stems, and a little salt and pepper. Saute until the vegetables are golden brown.
Stir in the garlic and greens and allow greens to wilt. Add the water, and stir over medium-high heat until the leaves look like cooked spinach and the liquid has evaporated. Then stir in the apple and remove the skillet from the heat.
In a bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and 2/3 cup of each of the cheeses. Pour the mixture over the cooked greens. Sprinkle with the remaining cheeses, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out with only a few bits of creamy egg and cheese clinging to it.
Let the omelet stand for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting it into wedges.
posted by ifjuly at 11:11 AM on August 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Y'all makin me very very hungry right now.
Here I thought I was covering all the bases in the post and I forgot to mention that I'm very much a carnivore. With the amount of game meat typically kept in my freezer, I'd better be.
Sooo many good ideas -- and some of them are different enough that I can go 'well I didn't like this idea, I'll try THIS instead'.
posted by Heretical at 12:05 PM on August 3, 2010
Here I thought I was covering all the bases in the post and I forgot to mention that I'm very much a carnivore. With the amount of game meat typically kept in my freezer, I'd better be.
Sooo many good ideas -- and some of them are different enough that I can go 'well I didn't like this idea, I'll try THIS instead'.
posted by Heretical at 12:05 PM on August 3, 2010
Here is my super-simple Eat Your Greens recipe:
posted by crickets at 12:13 PM on August 3, 2010
- Tear up some greens.
- Cook a steak.
- 3-5 minutes before the steak is finished (depending on the green — spinach = less, kale = more) dump in a load of greens with some salt.
- Make sure the greens are chilling out in the steak's juices.
- Done.
posted by crickets at 12:13 PM on August 3, 2010
Response by poster: Also re: late-season gardening ... the growing season in my local area is somewhat short. By the end of August, most things will be as ready as they're going to get. The way the gardens are laid out this year there's not much room left for anything, and no good place to put them for companion planting. Next year there will be plenty more room (I'm moving my tomatoes) and I can get my greens on.
(Spinach didn't grow well here this year AT ALL, which makes me a very sad gardener.)
posted by Heretical at 12:24 PM on August 3, 2010
(Spinach didn't grow well here this year AT ALL, which makes me a very sad gardener.)
posted by Heretical at 12:24 PM on August 3, 2010
the growing season in my local area is somewhat short. By the end of August, most things will be as ready as they're going to get.
Where are you? Greens are cool-weather crops, you actually can't grow them easily them in the summer (except for chard) because they bolt so readily in the heat.
posted by desuetude at 1:16 PM on August 3, 2010
Where are you? Greens are cool-weather crops, you actually can't grow them easily them in the summer (except for chard) because they bolt so readily in the heat.
posted by desuetude at 1:16 PM on August 3, 2010
I was so totally sure that this was going to go:
Here is my super-simple Eat Your Greens recipe:
1. Tear up some greens.
2. Cook a steak.
3. Throw the greens out.
4. Done.
One thing that's helpful about greens to me is cooking them ahead of time, on a Sunday, and then they're around for the week because when I use them I almost always add them to something once they've been cooked (pasta, eggs, etc.) so having them cooked in advance is one less thing to contend with and it makes me a lot more likely to eat them during the week when I don't maybe feel like de-ribbing a bunch of kale or washing and cooking a bunch of chard.
So cook given a preferred method with bacon, onion, hot pepper flakes, garlic, olive oil--any of those, chop them into human sized edible pieces, and throw them into the fridge where they'll taunt you until you use them.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 2:31 PM on August 3, 2010
Here is my super-simple Eat Your Greens recipe:
1. Tear up some greens.
2. Cook a steak.
3. Throw the greens out.
4. Done.
One thing that's helpful about greens to me is cooking them ahead of time, on a Sunday, and then they're around for the week because when I use them I almost always add them to something once they've been cooked (pasta, eggs, etc.) so having them cooked in advance is one less thing to contend with and it makes me a lot more likely to eat them during the week when I don't maybe feel like de-ribbing a bunch of kale or washing and cooking a bunch of chard.
So cook given a preferred method with bacon, onion, hot pepper flakes, garlic, olive oil--any of those, chop them into human sized edible pieces, and throw them into the fridge where they'll taunt you until you use them.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 2:31 PM on August 3, 2010
Best answer: My favorite way to do kale: trim the leafy parts off the central stalk, chop coarsely, saute in olive oil with garlic as many have said above...but also with a goodly shake of red pepper flakes. Toward the end of cooking, add some diced tomatoes (preferably with green chile, like Ro-Tel) and let it stew for a bit. If you let the juice cook off, you've got a lovely filling for omelets or a pasta sauce, but I usually eat it as is. Quiche, fried rice, and soups are also good ways to boost use of dark leafies.
Turnips, however, are almost always destined for the roasting pan, chopped up with some butternut squash, carrots, parsnips, and a couple of heads of garlic. Alternately, use cubed turnip in soup instead of potatoes to reduce the carb count.
I actually love raw turnip - it's like a peppery version of kohlrabi or a cross between jicama and radish - but I'm told this is weird.
posted by catlet at 2:32 PM on August 3, 2010
Turnips, however, are almost always destined for the roasting pan, chopped up with some butternut squash, carrots, parsnips, and a couple of heads of garlic. Alternately, use cubed turnip in soup instead of potatoes to reduce the carb count.
I actually love raw turnip - it's like a peppery version of kohlrabi or a cross between jicama and radish - but I'm told this is weird.
posted by catlet at 2:32 PM on August 3, 2010
(Spinach didn't grow well here this year AT ALL, which makes me a very sad gardener.)
Just FYI, spinach likes things chilly so you might try again.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 2:33 PM on August 3, 2010
Just FYI, spinach likes things chilly so you might try again.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 2:33 PM on August 3, 2010
Game in the freezer? Dude, what I said about Bacon? Yeah, that's good, but rendered duck fat is sublime.
posted by plinth at 3:39 PM on August 3, 2010
posted by plinth at 3:39 PM on August 3, 2010
I like kale sauteed with some garlic, white beans and parmesan.
also good is an African kale, pinapple and peanut stew. It sounds weird but it works.
posted by Joad at 7:02 PM on August 3, 2010
also good is an African kale, pinapple and peanut stew. It sounds weird but it works.
posted by Joad at 7:02 PM on August 3, 2010
Best answer: The Way I Began Eating Kale Several Times a Week:
-Cut leafy parts away from central stalk in big random bits.
-Steam leafy bits for 10 minutes (I use a flower steamer-thing that you mention).
-Toss out the water, put kale back in pot (or whatever, you could put it in a bowl at this point).
-Drizzle in a little olive oil, salt, and lemon juice. To taste. (For me this means a stupid amount of lemon juice and a smaller amount of olive oil. For one portion it's about 1/2 a lemon, sometimes more like 3/4.)
-Eat. Mmmmmmm. Kale. (This is also good with an egg or two on top.)
posted by grapesaresour at 9:54 PM on August 3, 2010
-Cut leafy parts away from central stalk in big random bits.
-Steam leafy bits for 10 minutes (I use a flower steamer-thing that you mention).
-Toss out the water, put kale back in pot (or whatever, you could put it in a bowl at this point).
-Drizzle in a little olive oil, salt, and lemon juice. To taste. (For me this means a stupid amount of lemon juice and a smaller amount of olive oil. For one portion it's about 1/2 a lemon, sometimes more like 3/4.)
-Eat. Mmmmmmm. Kale. (This is also good with an egg or two on top.)
posted by grapesaresour at 9:54 PM on August 3, 2010
Response by poster: A Terrible Llama: Many other folk have had the same problem. Same with cucumber -- for no discernible bug- or weather-related reason, most people's cucumber plants are doing really crappy this year. Luck of the draw, I guess. At least my tomatoes have literally choked the life out of every weed growing near them!
plinth: I actually don't really like duck or most fowl other than chicken, which really sucks because I have a friend who loves to go duck and pheasant hunting. I'm perfectly content to gorge on elk and deer, though, and there's always bacon at the grocery store. Mmm ... bacon ...
grapesaresour: Fried? Scrambled? Poached (ew)? Oooh, hard-boiled?! (way to reuse the water...)
posted by Heretical at 1:13 AM on August 4, 2010
plinth: I actually don't really like duck or most fowl other than chicken, which really sucks because I have a friend who loves to go duck and pheasant hunting. I'm perfectly content to gorge on elk and deer, though, and there's always bacon at the grocery store. Mmm ... bacon ...
grapesaresour: Fried? Scrambled? Poached (ew)? Oooh, hard-boiled?! (way to reuse the water...)
posted by Heretical at 1:13 AM on August 4, 2010
Heretical: So far I can verify fried, and medium-boiled (aka the lazy woman's poached egg). But I think scrambled or hard-boiled sounds pretty good too.
posted by grapesaresour at 2:01 PM on August 4, 2010
posted by grapesaresour at 2:01 PM on August 4, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
For a really good vegetarian/vegan version, caramelise an onion in olive oil instead of using bacon. Just thinly slice the onion and cook over very low heat for an hour or so, stirring every fifteen minutes, until it's dark and sweet and rich. Add a clove of smashed garlic for the last five minutes before you add in greens and proceed as above.
This works for turnip greens, kale, swiss chard, and for that matter, leafy green cabbages.
posted by cilantro at 4:23 AM on August 3, 2010 [2 favorites]