Turnip Greens

I made a few changes to THIS recipe (veggie broth, different peppers) but the result was a batch of turnip greens that is easily in the top 10 things to come out of my kitchen-ever. Turnip greens don't usually get the sort of reaction from my family that these did. Finally, a recipe for greens that doesn't require a bunch of ham or bacon fat.

Herb Pie In Phyllo

This was quite a bit of work, but no one told me to go and make my own ricotta. I used the recipe HERE, but I used almost completely different herbs and cheeses. It went over really well. It was served as a picnic meal-OK we had the picnic on a blanket in the living room because the Spring-like weather wouldn't cooperate with our picnic whim. You can't very well have a picnic with 35 mph wind gusts. Anyway, it was devoured happily, and there was still plenty left for tomorrow's lunch. With any luck, we might even make it outside.

My filling ended up being:

Onion
Kale
Parsley
Mint
Peas
Preserved lemon
Thyme
Salt/Pepper
Ricotta
Pepato Cheese
Cheddar Cheese
Swiss Cheese
3 eggs rather than 2

I know it sounds like an utterly bizarre combination, but it turned out lovely. I think Danny was astounded when he tasted it.

I really like the way olive oil works with phyllo, and it seems marginally better for you than a bunch of clarified butter. This will certainly become a regular dish in rotation at our home.

For Ricotta:

2 quarts whole milk
2 cups buttermilk

Heat together over high heat, stirring and scraping the bottom to keep it from scalding. When heat reaches about 170, curds will start to form. Stop stirring and remove from heat. Remove clumps with a slotted spoon to a cheesecloth lined sieve. Drain well, do not press. Keep covered in the fridge until ready to use.

Carrot/Ginger/Yam/Squash Soup with Kale Chips

...and I served it with brown rice. Insert vegetarian joke here_______________.

The soup was a way to make a small batch using odds and ends around the kitchen. The kale chips were an interesting garnish.


For the soup:

4 carrots, diced
1 cup cooked acorn squash
1 yam, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons peeled, chopped ginger
1 large white baking potato
8 tablespoons butter
Salt Pepper
6 cups rich vegetable stock

Cook the vegetables in the butter until slightly softened. Add the stock and bring to a boil. reduce to a simmer, adjust salt and pepper and cook until all vegetables are quite soft. Strain, reserving liquid. Puree in small batches (carefully) letting steam escape from blender now and then (trust me on this one). Return to pot and thin as needed with stock. Serve topped with kale chips (recipe follows).

Kale Chips:

1 bunch kale, stripped from thick stems and torn into chip-sized pieces
Salt and pepper
1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Wash and dry the kale. In a bowl, combine kale and oil. using your hands, run the leaves until they are fairly coated and glossy. Lay carefully (not overlapping) on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake until crisp-about 10 minutes. Best served the day they are made.

Pea Pasta With Figs

I have a thing for using fruit as a savoury. I also have a thing for using what I have, which in this case was a large amount of pea shoots, leaves and tendrils. I might just keep plucking them as a green and forget the peas altogether-they are that good.

The figs are dried (dried out, actually having been long forgotten at the back of the fridge) and they worked well against the sweetness of the peas. With preserved lemon and a bit of saffron, the colour of this dish was really lovely. Perfect for a late spring dinner.

You Will Need:

1 lb. cooked pasta
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads soaked in a few tablespoons hot water for at least two hours.
4 cups peas, blanched and refreshed under cold water (this can be done ahead)
3-4 (or more) tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped(3 if small)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Salt to taste
2 teaspoons chopped preserved lemon (pith removed)
1/4 cup dried figs, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup pea leaves, tendrils and shoots

In a large frying pan, heat the oil and cook the onion, garlic, thyme, sugar and salt for a few minutes over medium heat until the thyme and garlic become fragrant. Reduce heat and add the lemon, figs and parsley. Cook until figs have softened. In the last few minutes, add the pea greens and blanched peas. Add more oil if needed to coat well and toss with cooked pasta.

Saag Paneer With Mustard Greens

No photo because let's face it, that is not a photogenic meal.

I had two generous bunches of mustard greens to cook and no idea what to do with them. Mr. Eat The Blog bought them at the farmer's market because they looked nice. I hadn't eaten them since I was a child and our housekeeper discovered them growing wild in the un-landscaped land behind our house. I should explain that-we had just moved to the suburbs of Chicago and our home was built on what had previously been farmland. We had many strange things on that land-little grey things that looked like crayfish living in the storm basin, a quince bush, and wild turnips (also with greens). Ella Mae (that was really her name, and a dear, dear woman she was) couldn't believe we were going to just let the greens grow and die and insisted on picking and serving them.

I don't remember them being awful, but it wasn't something I'd willingly eat unless I was trying to be polite. I feel the same way about collard greens and kale, so obviously I'm not a good judge of quality greens. I like spinach, and can tolerate beet greens, but that's about it.

I suspect if you're willing to use some bacon fat, or salt pork most of these greens can be made more interesting. Since I'm not willing, I tried to come up with something imaginative to do with my quantity of something I dislike. I did what any good cook would do (not really) I disguised it in Indian food! Heck, under cumin seeds, ginger and cabbage, you'd never know there was a good pound or two of mustard greens in it...or would you?

Danny knew. After a proud "That's my boy" moment I permitted him to pick out the pieces of paneer and eat the curried potatoes and chutney instead. I can always get the kid to eat chutney and yoghurt.

Mr. Eat The Blog loved it though. Really loved it, which is good as I have a large casserole filled with the stuff.

The saag recipe HERE is what I used exchanging the spinach for about a pound of trimmed mustard greens.

The paneer recipe is HERE and makes an excellent activity to impress a three year old. It is quick and simple to do.