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Braised Greens and Radishes

By Amee Meghani on May 20, 2013 in DFW Local Box, Recipes, Side Dishes, Spring, Vegan

I’m no biology expert or anything, but I hear they don’t all make it to the egg.

Local Box Radishes!

Radishes are unruly little creatures! Maybe they they could use a little grooming assistance with a flat iron and some frizz-ease, but that’s no reason to turn down a radish. Radishes have always been the bench warmers of the root vegetable team, but now it’s time to play them. No better court than a skillet full of mustard or collard greens.

Braising is a fancy technical term which infers both Sauteeing and Steaming. So basically you brown something at a very high heat and then you add liquid and cover and allow the resulting steam to further cook. So I guess it’s like laying out in the sun with tanning oil, and then going into a sauna. :)

How to remove tough stems from Collard or Mustard Greens (or any greens!)

Stems removed

Nice Stems

Stir Quickly to Coat all of the greens in olive oil and then Cover immediately

Braised Collard Greens with Radishes

Put some lemon or orange zest on it!

Braised Greens with Radishes

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 small sweet onion, sliced in rings

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 bunch collard greens or mustard greens

1 cup coarsely chopped cabbage (loosely packed) (optional)

1 scant cup radishes

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon lemon zest

salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. Trim the tough stems from the collard greens by folding each leaf lengthwise and then removing the stem in one simple angled cut. Stack all of the cut leaves together and cut into approximately one inch squares.

2. Remove the tops and the tails from the radishes.

3. Heat olive oil in a deep and wide skillet or saucepan on medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic slices and cook for 3 minutes. Stir frequently to keep them from burning. Add radishes and cook for 3 more minutes. Then add chopped greens, chopped cabbage, sherry, and 1/4 cup water. Stir quickly until greens are coated well and then cover immediately.

4. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until greens are wilted and very dark, stirring once or twice if needed. Uncover and season with salt, pepper, and lemon zest.

*Alternate option: You can serve a poached egg on top of the braised greens which make a nice presentation…

(Maybe the radishes make it to the egg after all!)

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10 Things To Do With Garlic Scapes

By Margo on April 29, 2013 in 10 Cool Things to Do With..., Greenling DFW, Recipes, Spring

garlic scapes

“Garlic WHAT?” Get excited for one of spring’s most anticipated farm-fresh delights– garlic scapes! Scapes are the wild shoots that spring from the tops of garlic plants. Their color is springtime green, and the shoots can be thick or thin, curved or corkscrewed, and vary in height. They also come with leaves, which are more similar to leeks or green onion, and are also edible! Garlic scapes have a mild garlic fragrance and a mellow garlic flavor. The scapes are meant to be cut from growing garlic in order to help the garlic grow. So it’s a win-win for the farmer and us, the cooks!

Here at Greenling DFW, our garlic scapes come to us from Paul of Mexas Farm. Paul helps Greenling stay green and sustainable by taking some of our compost! We’re happy to keep the circle going by serving up Paul’s delicious garlic scapes this season. Stumped for how to cook these beauties?

10 Things To Do With Garlic Scapes

pickled

1. Pickle ‘em
Because who doesn’t love pickles? These pretty pickled Garlic Scapes are so simple, even pickling/canning novices can enjoy.

2. Make Pesto
Pesto is a delicious spread to keep handy- wonderful for any number of pastas, as a spread on sandwiches, a base for salad dressings and sauces, or simply eaten with a nice chunk of bread. You can throw in other herbs or green leafy things too.

baconwrapped

3. Wrap ‘em in Bacon
For meat eaters, there’s really nothing better than something wrapped in bacon. Show off the flavor of spring while keeping your carnivorous friends happy.

4. Roast
Like with garlic itself, roasting the scapes brings out their sweetness, making for a lovely side dish. Simply toss the washed scapes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast at 450 for 5-7 minutes, until browned nicely. If you’d like to use the leaves too, roast them for 5 minutes first.

5. Use Raw
Like the spring onion greens we’ve also seen this season, they’re terrific raw! Thinly chop the shoots and add to a tuna or chicken salad, stir into hot rice or scatter over a salad, the way you might scatter sliced scallions or an herb.

6. Stir-Fry
Garlic scapes are excellent for stir-fry dishes as they don’t compete with stronger flavored ingredients, but rather complement them with a sweet succulent character. Try this recipe for vegetarian Stir-Fry with Garlic Scapes, Carrots, and Shiitake Mushrooms. You can also use those leaves, just stir-fry longer.

garlicscapevinegar

7. Gift Infused Vinegar
For fresh vegetable salads, only the best dressing will do- and what’s better than a salad dressing you made yourself? Make your own Garlic Scape Vinegar and gift to friends and family throughout the summer. Simply add olive oil + a squeeze of lemon for a beautiful salad dressing!

8. Make Spring Soup
Take advantage of everything green to make a beautiful spring soup: Garlic Scape, Spinach, and Pea Soup. ! Serve it hot if you wish, or cold as a starter on a hot summer day.

9. Make Mayonnaise
After you make your own mayonnaise, you’ll never want to buy store-bought again. Fresh garlic scapes give this mayo a delicious boost for potato salads, sandwiches, and more!

flowers

10. Wait for the bulbs to bloom!
Paul of Mexas Farm says if you aren’t a huge fan of garlic, simply use as a springtime bouquet! The little bulbs will bloom in about a week, turning into pretty purple fuzzballs. Perfect for outdoor barbeques or garden parties

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Amee’s Broccoli Cheddar Beer Soup

By Amee Meghani on April 20, 2013 in Greenling DFW, Recipes, Soups, Spring

You weren’t going to throw these away, were you?

Grated Broccoli stalks are great for soup OR an Asian slaw salad

“Whatcha gonna do with all those stalks, all those stalks inside that box?”

You’re lucky you can’t hear me sing Black Eyed Peas. You’re welcome. Hi, I’m Amee (of rabbit food rocks), and I’m a new Greenling blogger! I’ll be helping you find ways to make delicious vegetarian dishes with all that Local Box fruit and veg.

So if you don’t know what to do with these lovely lady…stumps, I’ve got you covered with two beautiful words: beer and cheese.

You have to be in the right mood for any kind of broccoli-cheese soup, but what I don’t like is when I order a cup of soup and they bring me what resembles queso. Here’s a recipe for a lighter version, but you’ll see that I open the door to be indulgent too. Enjoy!

This is the only way to sneak beer into work.

Broccoli, Cheddar, and Beer Soup

Ingredients:

1-1/2 Tablespoons oil (canola)

1/2 an onion, diced

1-1/2 cups finely chopped broccoli stalks* (this is a rough estimate – do not go OCD on me)

3/4 cup beer, preferable a pale ale (I used a black lager, but follow Simon Says, ok?)

2 Tablespoons flour

2 Tablespoons butter (insert mmm here)

1-1/2 cups lowfat milk (1% or 2%)

1/2 cups whole milk (whole milk would be good; half-n-half would be cray cray.)

1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese, packed (I used rich and creamy local cheddar from Veldhuizen that I added to my Greenling order this week)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onions and chopped broccoli stalks and saute until onions appear translucent. Add beer and allow it to cook down for about 5 minutes or until there is minimal liquid. It should look swampy, not soupy. Cook the beer WAY down, where you shouldn’t have much liquid, but it shouldn’t be dry either. Then empty contents into a small bowl.

2. Melt butter in the same pot and then whisk in flour until it looks homogeneous (yeah – big word for me too).

3. Lower heat to medium. Whisk in 1/2 cup whole milk plus 1 cup only of the lowfat milk. Cook for 5 minutes, until it has thickened into a sauce. It should remind you of a very naughty Alfredo sauce almost. Lower heat to low and whisk in grated cheese. Now it should look queso-y.

4. Allow cheese to melt completely, add broccoli-onion mixture, and season with ~ 1 teaspoon salt and some ground pepper.

5. Remove from heat. Cool slightly, and then using a blender or immersion blender, blend. Add the remaining 1/2 cup milk. Blend. Return mixture to pot. Heat on medium-low and add pepper. Taste. Spike it with a tiny dash of a peppery tabasco maybe?

6. Serve** or pack for lunch. Make obnoxious mmmm sounds in your cubicle.

*Don’t even think about taking 3 minutes out of your day to peel the outer layer of the broccoli stalks. It’s all going to be cooked and blended into a soup. You’ll live. Use that time for something more valuable – like updating your Facebook profile picture.

**When you are done, you won’t see nomadic bits of broccoli florets in your bowl because we only used stalks, but if that bothers you either (a) add the florets in step 1 or (b) close your eyes.

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Make Your Own Cheddar Bunny “Carrots”!

By Asia on March 30, 2013 in Spring

A beloved rabbit is coming to town this month but he doesn’t have to come bearing unhealthy foods! We love this festive idea from Citrus and think it would look adorable in any Easter basket. Simply fill a pastry bag with Cheddar Bunnies and tie the top with green ribbon. Easy!

To make these you will need:

Annie’s Organic Cheddar Bunnies
Disposable Frosting Bags -you can buy these at most craft stores
Green Ribbon – for your carrot “foliage”

Just pour the crackers into the frosting bags and tie them off with the ribbon. You may need to crush a few of the bunny crackers near the carrot tip to make them fit all of the way down to the point of the carrot. If you have any other Easter ideas/traditions you would like to share, ‘lettuce’ know on Facebook or Twitter!

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Quick Risotto

By Christy on May 29, 2012 in Main Dishes, Recipes, Side Dishes, Spring

I used the broth from my broccoli chicken soup plus a technique I first read about on the blog Ideas in Food to make a delicious, creamy risotto in only 6 minutes with just a few stirs. Alex and Aki describe soaking the rice in water to hydrate for 2 hours to reduce cooking time. Further in the comments there is a suggestion to soak it in the broth you intend to cook it in. Kenji Alt’s post on Serious Eats about risotto contends that the starch that thickens a risotto is mostly located on the outside of the rice, not inside the rice as is commonly thought. So I decided to combine the techniques and soak some Aborio rice in the broth from the leftover soup, then use the broth to finish the risotto with delicious results! The type of rice you use is important, it should be a rice that is suitable for a risotto like Aborio or Carnaroli which are short grained and high in starch. This recipe takes some prep time for the broth and letting the rice soak but instead of having to stir a hot pot of rice with gradual addition of liquids like traditional risottos call for, you get a creamy bowl of goodness in only six minutes with an occasional stir. It is also important to know that risottos should have a bit of “bite” to them. It should not exactly be crunchy but you should be able to feel individual grains instead of mush when you take a bite. Some people might consider it undercooked but it will actually get thicker and softer as it sits, so better to err on the side of underdone. You can also add some cream at the end but since I was using a creamy soup, I did not find that necessary.

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 cup Aborio rice

3 cups broth or soup, liquid only (you can strain out veggies and add them back with the broth when the rice is cooking)

1 Tablespoon butter, cold and in small pieces

2 Tablespoons grated parmesan

Combine rice and broth in a large bowl. Stir vigorously to agitate. Cover with plastic wrap and set in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Remove from refrigerator, uncover, and stir vigorously again. Use mesh strainer to drain liquid from rice and retain liquid. Agitate rice as it drains to help release starch from the rice. Heat olive oil in a heavy 12 inch skillet. Saute rice grains in olive oil over medium high heat until rice begins to brown and smell nutty, about 5 minutes. Add all of the liquid to pan at once and bring to a boil. Time to cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Rice may look too soupy and taste a bit underdone but it will quickly set up. Remove from heat and stir in cold butter and parmesan to finish.