From Adventures in Cooking
Balsamic Reduction
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Kale Crostini
5 large leaves of kale torn into pieces with the thick center veins removed and discarded
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
8 slices French bread
8 ounces goat's cheese can be feta, chèvre...any kind of goat or sheep's cheese
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
freshly ground black pepper
Simmer ingredients for the Balsamic Reduction in a small saucepan over low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until it coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature to thicken.
Sauté the kale with the olive oil and balsamic in a medium-sized frying pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat until the kale cooks down, shrinks, and becomes wrinkly, about 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Brush both side of each slide of bread with a tablespoon of the butter and toast them on a grill or griddle until lightly golden. Remove from heat and set aside.
Sprinkle or spread 1 ounce of cheese onto each toast, sprinkle each with a pinch of black pepper, and place a few pieces of kale over the cheese. Drizzle the balsamic reduction over the crostinis and serve immediately.
Recipe: Carrot Top Pesto
from Our Crew Member Allie!
Per Allie: “This can work for any greens really. I also like to switch around the nuts also to play with flavors (and what my pantry has)”
1lb carrot tops (about 2 very full cups mashed down - sometimes the stems can be really woody, if this is the case, cut them higher up so its more leafy - it can mess with your food processor and creates a not so great texture)
1/2 - 1 cup of oil ( I like to use a mix of olive oil and avocado oil - for me full olive oil is too strong)
2 -3 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/2 cup almonds (walnuts would also be good)
salt (to taste but probably 1 - 2 tsp depending on if your nuts are salted or not)
Add garlic, almonds, and greens to food processor. Turn on and drizzle in oil. After it starts to get pasty. Stop, mix and taste. Add salt and more oil as needed. Continue processing until it's smooth and everything is blended. Tastes delicious right out of the processor but even better after having a chance to mingle. Use for dressings, toss in pasta, spread on toast. Honestly it makes every dish a little happier!
Recipe: Sichuan Smashed Cucumber Salad
Recipe & Pic from The Woks Of Life
This is my FAVORITE cucumber recipe (and it is oh so cathartic to give those cukes a smashing haha). I love it paired with a California Roll Rice Bowl: Sushi Rice, Imitation Crab tossed with Sriracha Mayo and sliced Green Onions, sliced Avocado, and a sprinkle of panko for extra crunch.
~Rae
1-2 seedless cucumbers
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
3 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2-4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1-2 teaspoons chili oil (optional)
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
a small handful of chopped cilantro
Note: if you prefer to omit the chili oil, heat up a tablespoon of oil in a pan and drizzle it over the cucumber. Seems weird, but in Chinese cooking, uncooked vs. cooked oil have different flavors and are treated as such!
Wash the cucumbers and pat them dry with a clean towel. Make the salad dressing by combining the salt, sugar, sesame oil, light soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Stir until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Set aside.
On a cutting board, lay a large knife flat against the cucumber, and smash it lightly with your other hand. The cucumber should crack open and smash into four sections. Repeat along its full length. Once the whole cucumber is completely open (usually into 4 long sectional pieces), cut it at a 45-degree angle into bite-sized pieces.
In a large bowl, mix the cut cucumber with the prepared dressing, garlic and chili oil (or cooked plain oil), and toss it well. Serve, garnished with sesame seeds and cilantro.
Recipe: Kale Quinoa Bites
from 101 Cookbooks
This recipe is very versatile- try adding in chopped broccoli, green onions, your favorite spice mix, etc!
unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa, at room temperature
4 large eggs, beaten
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup very finely chopped kale
1/2 cup shelled fava beans
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
Preheat oven to 375F, with a rack in the top third.
Butter mini-muffin tins generously, and line with a strip of parchment paper in each indent, this makes popping the bites out of the pan after either baking or freezing simple.
Combine the quinoa, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the onion, feta, garlic, kale, and edamame. Stir in most of the breadcrumbs, and let sit for a few minutes so the breadcrumbs can absorb some of the moisture. Fill the prepared muffin tins with the quinoa mixture, pressing the mixture down, and then sprinkling with the remaining breadcrumbs. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until baked through and deeply golden crusted.
Remove the quinoa bites from the pans after a few minutes. Enjoy either hot, or at room temperature
Recipe: Chard Saag
From Genius Kitchen
The Saag that you see on the menu in Indian restaurants is typically made with spinach, but chard is an excellent substitute! If you enjoy your saag a bit more on the rich and decadent side, adding a splash of cream does just the trick.
1bunch chard, cleaned, stems removed
8 tablespoons vegetable oil or 8 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
2 medium onions, minced
2 tablespoons vindaloo curry paste
1⁄2 cup water
2vgarlic cloves, minced
2 inches ginger, minced
Finely chop chard leaves and set aside.
Heat oil or ghee in heavy bottomed saute pan at med-high. When oil is hot, add onion (be careful, as the oil may splatter) and sauté until transparent. Add chopped chard and let wilt. Add vindaloo and reduce heat.
Simmer covered, stirring occasionally, for 10-20 minutes or until desired consistency is reached. If you find the mixture is getting dry, add water.
After simmering, raise heat and add garlic and ginger. Stir and heat for 5 minutes.
Serve with Naan bread and/or basamati rice.
(NOTE: If you want to add paneer or potatoes, etc, fold them into the mixture along with garlic and ginger).
Recipe: Ethiopian Collard Greens
From Immaculate Bites
This spicy and aromatic African recipe will change how you think about collards! For a full meal try pairing the greens with lentil stew
1 bunch Collard Greens (try mixing in your Komatsuna as well!), roughly chopped
3 or more tablespoons Niter Ethiopian Spiced Butter , ghee, or cooking oil
1 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 large white onion chopped
1 teaspoon smoke paprika
½ teaspoon cardamom spice
1 teaspoon coriander/Cumin
1-2 Fresh Chili pepper or ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or more
1 fresh lemon
In a large skillet, add oil, spiced butter, garlic, ginger, chili pepper, cumin, cardamom, paprika, sauté for about 30 seconds or more, be careful not to let the ingredients burn. Then add onions, mix with the spices. Sauté for about 3-5 min.
Throw in chopped collards, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, Continue cooking for another 7-10 minutes until flavors have blended and greens are cooked, according to preference. Adjust seasonings –Salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe: Fava & Sugar Snap Pea Carbonara
From Red Wagon Farm
There are a lot of recipes out there for Risotto with fava and snap peas, but this Carbonara recipe will give you the same rich flavors with much less stove time!
1/2 pound dried pasta
1 to 2 cups of fresh vegetables (a mix of sugar snap and shelled favas)
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano cheese
2 large eggs, beaten
pepper and salt as needed
Boil your pasta and while that is cooking saute the vegetables with some butter and the minced garlic in a pan big enough to hold all the vegetables and the pasta. you will be tossing all of it together and you need the heat of the pan to gently set the egg mixture.
When the pasta is cooked drain it, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. You need to add a little of the cooking water at the end to make the sauce creamy and pull the whole thing together, so reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water!. Turn the burner off, you don’t want to scramble the eggs. The residual heat will set the egg mixture. Add the pasta to the skillet and toss with the vegetables, and garlic and butter. Add half the cheese and, with metal tongs, toss until well coated, about 1 minute. Add the eggs and toss for 1 minute more.
Add the remaining cheese, salt and pepper to taste, and enough of the reserved cooking water to form a creamy sauce that clings to the noodles. Start with about 1/4 cup of the cooking water, don’t dump all of it in, you might not need it all.
Recipe: Garlicky Kale With Roasted Carrots & Tahini Sauce
from Dishing Up The Dirt
1 cup cooked rice (or other favorite grain like farro or quinoa)
2 TBS olive oil (dived)
handful of carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 bunch garlic scapes, minced (or 2-4 garlic cloves)
1 14.5 ounce can organic chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 large bunch kale, stems removed and torn into bite-size pieces
For The Tahini Sauce
1/4 cup organic tahini
2 TBS rice wine vinegar
2 tsp pure maple syrup
1/4 cup water
a few pinches of crushed red pepper flakes
Cook your rice and set aside
Combine all ingredients for tahini sauce together. Whisk until well combined and smooth.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine chopped carrots with olive oil. Place o a prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20-15 minutes (or until browned and fork tender) Flip carrots over halfway though cooking time.
In a large skillet heat 1 TBS olive oil. Add garlic scapes (or cloves) and sauté for 5 minutes. Add kale and cook for about 5 more minutes. Add 1-2 TBS of water if pan is too dry. Add chickpeas and cook until kale is tender and chickpeas are warmed through. About 5 minutes.
In a large bowl combine cooked rice, kale, chickpeas and carrots. Add tahini dressing and toss well. Enjoy!
Recipe: Warm Lentils With Wilted Chard, Roasted Beets, & Goat Cheese
from Feasting At Home
3–4 beets ( enough for 2 people)
2 cups cooked lentils
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ a red onion- diced
3 garlic cloves- rough chopped
4 cups (packed) swiss chard or rainbow chard- chopped ( or sub baby spinach)
salt and pepper to taste
1–2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
¼ cup goat cheese crumbles
Preheat oven to 425 F. Scrub and trim beets and cut into ½ inch slices or wedges. Place on a foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and roast until tender, about 25- 30 minutes.
If cooking lentils, place ¾ cup dried lentils in a small pot and cover with 3 inches of water and a pinch salt. Bring to a boil, cover and turn heat down to a simmer, cook about 25-30 minutes or until tender but still hold their shape. Drain.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium high heat. Add diced onion and saute 3-4 minutes. Turn heat down to medium, add garlic and cook 2 more minutes, until golden and fragrant.
Lower heat to medium low. Add chard and gently wilt, just slightly, about 2-3 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add 2 cups cooked lentils to the skillet, gently folding them in and warming. Season again with salt and pepper.
Add beets and splash with 1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar. Let vinegar cook down for just a couple minutes so it’s not so acidic. Sprinkle with goat cheese. Taste again, if it tastes bland it most likely needs salt. Serve immediately.
Recipe: Crispy Tofu Bowls With Sesame Bok Choy
from Naturally Ella
Sub in your Pac Choi for the Bok Choy in the recipe!
rice + tofu
1 cup short grain brown rice
1 recipe for crispy tofu
bok choy
2 small heads of bok choy
1 tablespoon neutral oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
½ teaspoon sesame seeds
Chili Oil or Crushed Red Pepper
Combine the rice with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and let cook until the rice is tender, about 40 minutes.
While the rice is cooking, make the tofu and the bok choy.
Make the crispy tofu. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dry the tofu and it into ¾ – 1-inch cubes. Place the tofu in a large bowl. Toss the bowl with the oil to coat. Sprinkle in the arrowroot, salt, pepper, and seasoning of choice. Quickly toss the tofu to coat again. Arrange the tofu on the baking sheet. Slide the tofu into the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
For the bok choy, heat a pan (that can be covered with a lid) over medium-high heat. Slice the bok choy in quarters, length-wise. Rinse well to remove any dirt caught in the stems, just be careful not to fully separate the stems.
Add the oil followed by the bok choy. Cook just until a nice sear develops on the stems and the greens are starting to brown. Turn heat to low, add about 3 tablespoons of water, cover, and let steam for a couple of minutes. The greens will begin to wilt and the stems will soften slightly. Once there, remove the lid and add the soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, and sesame seeds. Spoon to coat the bok choy and cook for a minute or two more.
When ready, assemble the bowls with the rice, crispy tofu, bok choy, and a small drizzle of the sauce left in the pan. Serve with soy sauce, extra sesame seeds, and chili paste if desired.
Recipe: Chard Polenta
From The Book Of Greens
Add a poached egg on top to make a meal, or serve with braised meats or mushrooms!
5 cups chicken stock
1 cup polenta
1 bunch chard
2 tbs unsalted butter
2 tbs olive oil
2 oz grated Fontina (or Parmesan)
Combine 2 cups of the chicken stock with the polenta in a pot over medium heat and stir until the polenta starts to simmer. Turn down the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the polenta grains are cooked and tender and the polenta has a very thick consistency, 30-45 min.
While the polenta is cooking, fill a large bowl with ice water. Bring a large pot filled with salted water to a simmer, add the greens, and cook until tender, 2-3 min Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer the greens to the ice water to chill quickly. Darin, then using your hands, wring out the greens until mostly dry. Chill the greens in the refrigerator.
When the polenta is almost done, combine the greens with the remaining 1 cup of cold stock in a blender and puree until smooth. Decrease the heat under the polenta to low and add the butter, olive oil, and Fontina or Parmesan. Stir to combine. Add the pureed greens, season with salt, and gently warm over low heat.
Recipe: Eggs In A Nest
From writer Barbara Kingsolver's book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle"
(This recipe makes dinner for a family of four, but can easily be cut in half.)
Two cups uncooked brown rice— Cook rice with four cups water in a covered pot while other ingredients are being prepared.
Olive oil – a few tbsp; 1 medium onion, chopped; garlic to taste—-- Saute onions and garlic in olive oil in a wide skillet until lightly golden.
Carrots, chopped; ½ cup dried tomatoes—- Add and saute for a few more minutes, adding just enough water to rehydrate the tomatoes.
One really large bunch of chard, coarsely chopped — Mix with other vegetables and cover pan for a few minutes. Uncover, stir well, then use the back of a spoon to make depressions in the cooked leaves, circling the pan like numbers on a clock.
Eight eggs — Break an egg into each depression, being careful to keep yolks whole. Cover pan again and allow eggs to poach for three to five minutes. Remove from heat and serve over rice.
Recipe: Anything Goes Green Sauce
A Farm Favorite
Think of this pesto-like sauce as a way to use up carrot tops, fennel fronds, radish greens, hearty greens, extra garlic, and other things lurking in your crisper. Your palate is the only limit!
1 cup packed greens and/or herbs
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, or sunflower seeds
1 large clove of garlic
2 tbs lemon juice
Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until the oil is emulsified and the sauce looks uniform.
Toss with pasta or roasted veggies, mix into mayo for sandwiches, stir a dollop into scrambled eggs, add a couple tsp to salad dressings, or incorporate into hummus to sneak some greens into the picky eaters in your family. Make in large batches and freeze!
Recipe: Any Greens Instant Pot Saag
This is a go-to recipe for us and several of our long-time members when there are a lot of greens that need to be used up at once! You can incorporate your turnip greens, radish greens, komatsuna, curly kale, and just about any other leafy green veggie!
2 tablespoons ghee
2 onions, diced
4 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced ginger
Spices
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne, adjust to taste
½ teaspoon turmeric
2 pounds greens (spinach, mustard, turnip and radish greens, collards, kale, etc)
Pinch of kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
Ghee or butter, for serving
Press the “saute” button on the Instant Pot and add the ghee. Once it melts, add the onion, garlic, ginger and spices to the pot and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
Add the spinach, stirring until it wilts and there’s enough room to add the mustard greens.
Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 15 minutes at high pressure. Naturally release pressure. Remove the lid and use an immersion blender to puree the contents of the pot (or pour the contents into a blender and then add the blended mixture back into the pot).
Stir in the dried fenugreek leaves. Serve with ghee.
Recipe: Collard Greens Mineira
From Serious Eats
Serve these delicious greens as a side or spoon them over cheesy grits with a fried egg to create a full meal!
1 bunch collard greens
3 slices center-cut bacon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Wash collard greens. Carefully strip or cut leaves from stems and discard stems. Stack leaves one on top of the next. Roll leaves from stem end to tip into a cigar shape. Cut cigar crosswise into strips 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick (as you would to chiffonade herbs, but thicker).
Cut bacon crosswise into 1/4-inch batons. Place a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and cook bacon until crisp, stirring occasionally. Add collard greens to pan and cook, stirring constantly until just wilted and bright green, about 1 minute. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Recipe: Pink & White Fried Rice With Sauteed Greens
A Farm Favorite from Rae
Rae's go-to recipe for turning extra greens into a tasty weeknight meal.
1 cup cooked and cooled sushi rice or Jasmine rice (rice that is leftover in the fridge from another meal is perfect!)
1 cup cooked and cooled pink or brown rice
2 cups chopped greens (spinach, chard, pac choi, turnip greens, radish greens, just about anything goes!)
1 large egg
1/2 tbs of grated fresh ginger
1/2 tbs of grated or finely chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped white or yellow storage onion or scallions (if you use storage onions the flavor will be a bit sweeter)
2 tsp neutral tasting oil
1 tsp sesame oil
soy sauce to taste
Add the neutral tasting oil to a skillet or wok and turn the heat to medium. Add chopped onion and saute until soft. Add in greens, garlic, and ginger, and cook, stirring frequently, until the greens are well wilted. Move the veggies to one side of the pan and add the sesame oil to the vacant side. Break the egg into the hot sesame oil and lightly scramble it right in the pan. When the egg is cooked, mix it in with the veggies. Briefly turn the heat to high and sprinkle in the cooled rice. Stir to combine and cook until the rice is hot and getting crispy. Lightly douse the fried rice with soy sauce, stir, and taste, to check for your preferred salt level. Add in more soy sauce to taste.
Recipe: Kale Egg In A Hole
From Naturally Ella
1 tablespoon olive oil or ghee
1 small shallot, minced
4 cups lightly packed chopped kale (about 4 large kale leaves)
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 large slices of bread
2 eggs
1 ounce cheese that melts well: fontina, Gruyère, or Taleggio, shredded
Chili flakes, for finishing
Heat your oven to 400˚F. Heat a skillet over medium-low heat and add the olive oil or ghee. Once the oil is hot, add the minced shallot and cook until fragrant and softened, about 6 minutes.
To the shallot, add in the kale and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the kale has softened and is beginning to wilt. You can take some liberty here depending on your preference. Cook for less time if you like your kale to have some texture or cook for longer if you like your kale softer.
While the kale is cooking, use a biscuit cutter or a glass to cut a hole in the middle of the bread slices. Place the bread on a sheet tray lined with parchment and pop into the oven. Toast until just starting to crisp, flipping once halfway through baking. Remove from the oven and carefully crack an egg into each hole.
Spoon the kale mixture around the rest of the toast, then top with the shredded cheese of your choice. Return the pan to the oven and cook until the cheese has melted and the egg white has set, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and serve with an extra sprinkle of salt and/or chili flakes if desired.
Recipe: Simple Sauteed Hakurei Turnips & Komatsuna
From Nutmeg Nanny
Use this recipe as a side or turn it into a meal by serving it with your favorite grain or scrambled eggs!
1 bunch Hakurei turnips, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices (reserve the greens!)
1 bunch komatsuna, stems cut off
1/2 onion – diced
olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
In a large sauté pan, over medium heat, heat a few drizzles of olive oil. Once hot, cook onion until it starts to soften. Add turnips and cook until slightly brown and soft. Approximately 5-7 minutes. Once turnips reach desired tenderness throw in komatsuna (and turnip greens) and sauté for about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, or a dash of soy sauce.
Recipe: Redeeming Green Soup With Lemon & Cayenne
From Cookie & Kate
This weather has us craving SOUP. This recipe is very forgiving and you can sub in just about any leafy green!
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
2 large yellow onions, chopped
1 teaspoon salt, divided
2 tablespoons plus 3 cups water, divided
¼ cup arborio rice, rinsed (I used brown arborio rice)
1 large bunch chard
14 cups gently packed spinach or baby cooking greens
4 cups vegetable broth
Big pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste (I used over ¼ teaspoon)
1 tablespoon lemon juice, or more to taste
Serve with (optional): cooked brown basmati rice and cooked chickpeas
First prepare the greens by removing the ribs from the chard and coarsely chopping or tearing the leaves. Trim any tough stems from the spinach/baby greens and roughly chop the leaves.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low, add 2 tablespoons water and cover the skillet. Cook until the onions are greatly reduced and have a deep caramel color, 25 to 30 minutes.
Cook the arborio rice: While the onions are cooking, combine the remaining 3 cups water and ¾ teaspoon salt in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Add rice and bring the water to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. When the rice has cooked for 15 minutes, stir in the chard greens. Return to a simmer; cover and cook for 10 minutes.
When the onions are caramelized, stir a little of the simmering liquid into them. Then add the onion mixture to the rice along with the spinach, vegetable broth and cayenne. Return to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring once, until the spinach is tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes more.
Puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender until perfectly smooth, or in a regular blender in batches. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Taste and add more lemon juice, sea salt or cayenne pepper, if desired. Garnish each bowl of soup with a drizzle of olive oil.
Serve in bowls over cooked rice and chickpeas for a more complete meal.
Recipe: Sauteed Collards & Spinach
From Heart Of Wellness
4 cups fresh washed collard greens (trim off the thick stems)
4 cups fresh washed spinach
1 tsp sunflower oil
6-8 cloves slices garlic
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 fresh lemon or lime
1/4 cup olive or flax oil
In a large pot or pan, heat the sunflower oil over medium heat for about 7 min.
Add sliced garlic and saute for 5 min stirring frequently. Add the fresh collard greens, spinach and water; saute, stirring frequently, until wilted – about 10-15 min depending on desired tenderness. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper, and olive (or flax) oil.
Squeeze the lemon/lime over the top of the greens and mix well.