Braising Greens

It’s greens season at Guilford Gardens. Braising is a foolproof technique for cooking most types of greens. Read on for braising instructions.
I am continuously amazed by how drastically greens cook down. Don’t worry about cooking to many greens because leftovers are easy to deal with (soup, frittata, quiche, casserole, pasta, tart, etc.).

Swiss chard growing under row covers in late April.

To braise greens: cover about 1/4–1/2 of the greens with broth or water. If you are working with large leaves (chard, kale), take the time to trim out the tough stalks. It would be very time consuming to trim out mustard green stalks, so just cook them a little longer (30–45 minutes) so the stalk will be tender. Cooking times vary depending on the age of the greens and personal preference. However, the longer the greens cook, the more potent the pot liquor. Make sure you reserve the braising juices for use in vegetable broth or for watering plants. Meanwhile, sauté some onion or garlic in butter or olive oil. Once the greens are tender, toss them with the cooked onion and red pepper flakes. Dress them with balsamic or apple cider vinegar. This is just the beginning—make this recipe your own!

Day 1: Braised greens with sautéed green onion, served with toasted baguette and brie.

Day 2: Chopped braised greens tossed with orzo, chickpeas, prosciutto, and capers. You can find the recipe here.

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All About Amaranth

If you’ve been to Guilford Gardens in the summertime, you have no doubt noticed the large, red stalks dotting the farm. This, my friend, is amaranth. By summer’s end most stalks were 6 feet tall. Amaranth adds gorgeous, low-maintenance color to the garden and it’s edible to boot. Look for it this summer; maybe Kamala will start tucking some amaranth greens in our CSA baskets.

August 10, 2009

Just as quinoa was a staple of the Incan diet, amaranth was that of the Aztecs. The grain can be cooked, ground, or popped. According to Gary Paul Nabhan, the Aztecs mixed amaranth grain with wild honey and sacrificial human blood. They shaped the sticky mix into statues of the gods, calling them candies of happiness, or alegrias. People still enjoy alegrias, sans blood.

Cooked amaranth grain has a slightly gelatinous quality and can be used to thicken soups. You could also use it as a breakfast cereal (see recipe below) or pilaf. Amaranth contains more of the essential amino acids than almost any other plant food, is quite high in calcium, and is second only to quinoa in iron.

The grain is also milled into flour. In Coming Home to Eat, Nabhan describes his efforts to find amaranth (as well as mesquite) tortillas: “I recalled the root meaning of amaranth, ‘the flower that does not fade,’ and only wished it had meant, ‘the flour that did not fade away from use.’” Amaranth flour is gluten free and can usually be found in health food stores.

But that’s not all! The greens are also edible. They can be eaten raw or cooked. Wouldn’t the red leaves add a nice diversion to your typical lettuce salad? You cook them just as you would any other green (see recipe below).

June 2009

July 2009

September 2009

Cooked Amaranth
from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison
1 1/2 c water
1/2 c amaranth
salt

Since amaranth is a tiny grain, it cooks quickly. Combine water, amaranth, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 25 minutes or until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Top with whatever you like: honey, brown sugar, dried fruit, fresh fruit, nuts, milk, yum!

Amaranth Greens with Brandied Orange Sauce
from Wild Foods Field Guide and Cookbook by Billy Joe Tatum
3 cups cooked amaranth greens
3 oz. frozen orange-juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 c water
1/4 c brown sugar, packed
1/4 c fruit-flavored brandy, preferably apricot or peach
1 t fresh ginger, grated or chopped (1/2 t if dried)
freshly cooked hot rice or egg noodles to serve 8

1. Combine greens, orange-juice concentrate, and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium.
2. Add brown sugar, brandy, and ginger root.
3. Simmer 10 minutes. Serve hot over rice or egg noodles.
Serves 8.

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Chili Talk

Just as we call dried grapes “raisins” and dried plums “prunes,” peppers’ names are sometimes dependent on their state. For example, chipotle peppers are smoked, red jalapeño peppers. The poblano, when dried, is an ancho chili. But as far as I can tell, a dried habanero is simply called a “dried habanero.” Hmmm, this is really cramping my need for consistency! Are there any other fruits or vegetables that have different names when they are dried, or otherwise changed?

Peppers are still hangin’ on here in central Oklahoma. Perhaps you picked up a lot from Guilford Gardens, have a bumper crop in your garden, or took advantage of a deal at the farmers’ market. What are you going to do with them? You can roast and freeze them. You can dry them. Or you could make pepper jam or relish, hot treat that is a great condiment for cheese and crackers. Mmmmm!

Maria is making pepper jelly in Kam’s Kookery

Sweet and spicy, pepper jam will warm your belly all winter long!

Easy Jalapeño Jam
Adapted from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
12 oz. jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded, and deveined
2 cups cider vinegar, divided
6 cups granulated sugar
2 pouches (6 oz. total) liquid pectin

1. Prepare canner, jars, and lids.
2. In a blender or food processor fitted with a metal blade, puree peppers and 1 cup of vinegar until smooth.
3. In a large, deep stainless steel saucepan, combine pepper puree, remaining 1 cup vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil, stirring constantly for 10 minutes. Stir in pectin. Boil hard, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Remove from heat and quickly skim off foam.
4. Quickly pour hot jelly into jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.
5. Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool, and store.

You could bypass the water bath canning process by sharing some and keeping the rest in your refrigerator. It should keep for at least a month.

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Tips for Storing Produce

Slimy greens. Moldy tomatoes. Sprouting potatoes. I know how it is: the schedule gets hectic or I was overzealous at the market. It’s a very sad day when I have to throw out food that has gone bad. But did you know that you can prolong the veggie lifespan by using proper storage methods?

For example, salad greens keep much longer when stored in a salad spinner. It lets them breathe and stay dry. It’s probably one of my best kitchen gadget purchases. If you don’t have a salad spinner, slip a paper towel in with the greens to absorb moisture and make sure the container or bag is vented. This chart has thorough recommendations for produce storage, including fruits or vegetables that are particularly sensitive to ethylene—a gas emitted most notably by apples that hastens ripening in other produce.

Some fruits and vegetables are more flavorful and juicier when they are at room temperature. I’m thinking especially of tomatoes and peaches. What do you think? I keep this chart [pdf] handy in my kitchen as a quick reference for determining produce storage.

Even more information is here and here.

Do you have any tips for storing produce?

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CMV and Other Ailments

Cucumber mosaic virus, fusarium wilt, and spider mites (oh my!) have afflicted our crops this summer. We do our best to ward off pests by growing strong plants in nutrient-rich soil. We’ve enlisted help from an entomologist, but sometimes it just comes down to having the time to scrutinize the plants and soil for the little buggers. The entomologist said we have several species of predatory insects, so that’s a boon!

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Midsummer Onion Harvest

Guilford Garden CSA members got onions last week. I’m repeatedly amazed by caramelized onions—how they change from snappy and potent to savory and drool-inducing. I especially appreciate raw onions on chili or in tuna salad. Caramelized onions take an ordinary burger to the next level and are essential in classifying any pizza as “gourmet.” How do you caramelize your onions? I’ve seen some recipes using sugar. I don’t find that necessary. Just a hot skillet with melted butter or bacon fat. The skillet needs to be really hot—it speeds up the process and prevents the onions from steaming instead of searing. What are you doing with your onions?

May 7

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Ode to the Earthworm

Worms are essential to fertile soil. Organic farming nurtures healthy earthworm populations.

The plough is one of the most ancient and most valuable of man’s inventions; but long before he existed the land was in fact regularly ploughed, and still continues to be ploughed by earth-worms. It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world, as have these lowly organized creatures.

Darwin, Charles. The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Actions of Worms: With Observations On Their Habits. New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1907.

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Best. Enchiladas. Ever.

Tomatoes and peppers will soon be in season and available at your local farmers market. Here are two of my favorite ways to use the first tomatoes and peppers of the season.

Roasted Tomato Sauce
10 lbs. tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
2 serrano chilies
1/2 white onion, sliced
1.5 cups chicken broth
Roast tomatoes by baking them at 400° until they start to collapse and caramelize. Mince garlic and serranos. Saute onions until slightly transparent. Add garlic and serranos and cook 1 minute more. Puree the roasted tomatoes. Add puree to sauteed mixture and continue to cook down until deep colored and thick, about 20 minutes.  Add chicken broth and reduce for 20 minutes more.  Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

Poblano Cream Sauce
2 poblano peppers
5 cloves garlic
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups sour cream
Roast the poblanos, either over an open flame or under a broiler, or fry them.  You’ll want the poblano to turn bright green if you’re frying them.  Under the broiler and over an open flame you’ll want browning and blackening.  Your goal is to get the skin to separate and to deepen the flavors without burning.  Peel and remove the stem and seeds.  Blend peppers and garlic together and add a little water if necessary. Strain. Heat saucepan over high heat and add enough oil to coat the pan. Add poblano mixture all at once. Stir constantly until the color deepens and the mixture starts to thicken. Add cream and stir constantly until sauce starts to thicken (about five minutes). Remove from heat and add sour cream.  Blend well.  Season with salt.

Roasted Tomato Cheese Enchiladas
10-12 white corn tortillas
1 lb. Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
Roasted Tomato Sauce
Place tortillas in the microwave between two sheets of damp paper towels for a minute or less or until soft enough to roll without breaking. Pour just tomato sauce into a casserole pan to coat the bottom. Place about 1/4 cup cheese in each tortilla and roll up. Roll as many as will fit in your pan. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese.  Bake at 350° until bubbly and golden brown on top.

Chicken Enchiladas with Poblano Sauce
2 lbs. chicken breast
10-12 white corn tortillas
1 lb. Monterey jack cheese, shredded
Poblano Cream Sauce
Poach chicken breast, cool and shred and coat in sauce. Continue as in the above recipe, substituting chicken for the cheese in the filling and poblano sauce for the tomato sauce.

My recipes appear every month in Oklahoma Living.
Photo courtesy of Chelsey Simpson, Managing Editor

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