Recipes
Search for Recipes
Recipe Tags
Super User
POLENTA & GREENS
POLENTA & GREENS
2 bunches cooking greens
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
Dash red pepper flakes
2 carrots, halved and sliced (optional)
Italian seasoning herbs (optional)
Sliced shitake mushrooms (optional)
1 c grated cheese, provolone, cheddar, fontina, even feta, as you like
Wash and chop the greens. Sauté onion, garlic, and carrots and/or mushrooms in olive oil. Season with salt, pepper & red pepper and Italian herbs. Cook until browning and fragrant. Gradually add the greens, stir frying until all are incorporated and just wilted.
1 c polenta (coarse cornmeal)
3 c water
1 tsp salt
Boil water & whisk in polenta & salt. Turn down very low, watch out for sputters. Cook until thick, stirring often.
Brush a baking dish with olive oil. Pour in about 2/3 of polenta, spoon in the greens, top with remaining polenta & cheese. Take a butter knife and swirl through the top layers a bit. Bake @ 350 until bubbly and slightly browned, about 30 minutes.
A couple notes on this recipe. It is easily doubled, which makes a generous 10 x 14 pyrex baking dish. The polenta is easier to work with if it is poured right when it thickens. If you wait it will set up into a more solid form. Prep the vegetables and have all ingredients ready before you cook the polenta, so it will be ready at the right time, as the greens take just a few minutes.
CORNBREAD
CORNBREAD
2 eggs
1 c milk
1/4 c oil
4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 c sugar
1 c flour
1 c cornmeal
Preheat oven 400. If you have a 9 or 10 cast-iron skillet, put it in the oven to preheat with a pat of butter in it. Otherwise butter a baking pan and set aside.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, salt & sugar. Whisk in the baking powder. Stir in the cornmeal and flour just to combine. Pour into the pan of choice. Bake 20 minutes, until set and golden.
As for all those Great Big Bunches of Greens coming your way, I have lots of ideas for you. I’ll share a few more over the next few weeks. Remember, they cook down to a much smaller volume!
TOFU AND GREENS
TOFU AND GREENS
1 bunch greens
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 cake tofu, pressed and cubed
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Tamari to taste
Wash, remove stems and chop greens. Heat oil in a large skillet; add onion and sauté over low heat until nicely browning. Add garlic and tofu and continue to sauté until tofu browns a bit. Stir in greens in batches until all are incorporated and cook just until they are bright green. Serve with tamari.
THAI SOUP WITH GINGER AND COCONUT
THAI SOUP WITH GINGER AND COCONUT
With chicken, make a stock by simmering the chicken in a large stock pot. Cover with water, and add any vegetable parings as you prepare the vegetables. Remove the chicken after about 30 minutes. Cool and then shred the meat. Strain the broth and set aside 8 cups.
Vegetarian broth can be made from the vegetable parings. For this recipe, use some ginger, lemongrass and garlic to flavor the broth.
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 pc lemongrass, diced, or pinch of dry lemongrass powder
2 tsp red Thai curry paste, to taste
2 tsp salt
3 shallots, sliced
6 piece diakon, halved and sliced on a diagonal
2 carrots, halved and sliced on a diagonal
1 c coconut milk
8 c broth (chicken or vegetable)
2 tbsp fish sauce (or tamari for vegetarian)
1 cake tofu, drained & cubed
or
chicken from one bird
1 # pac choi, cut into shreds
Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
1 lime cut in wedges
Hot sauce
Combine the garlic, ginger, lemongrass, curry paste and salt together in a small bowl to make paste. Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat and add this spice paste and the shallots. Sweat for a few minutes, and then add the coconut milk, daikon and carrots. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, add the broth, fish sauce/tamari, and tofu or chicken. Simmer until vegetables are tender, adding the pac choi at the very end. Garnish with cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Add hot sauce to taste.
You could serve this with rice or noodles, if you like.
So, as promised, here's another great greens recipe. This is a dish shared with me by Barry at the Buffalo Mt Coop in Hardwick. He was having his lunch while I was shopping. It looked so yummy he gave me a bite. The sweet flavor of the caramelized onions really shines through, and kale is especially good here. I’m sure I’ve changed it some since then, but that's the evolution of cooking!
SWEET POTATO AND GREENS GRATIN
SWEET POTATO AND GREENS GRATIN
2 # SWEET POTATOES
1 BU COLLARDS, CHARD OR KALE
1 ONION
2 CLOVES GARLIC
SALT, RED PEPPER FLAKES, CUMIN OR OLD BAY SEASONING TO TASTE
1/3/ C FLOUR
2 C MILK
1/4 C FRESH GRATED PARMESAN OR OTHER SALTY CHEESE
I think sweet potatoes and collards are an ideal pair. If you manage to have extra sweet potatoes around, scrub & cut into 1/4 slices. Place in a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook a few minutes, until barely tender, drain into a colander and set aside.
Combine flour and spices to taste in a little bowl.
Meanwhile, wash, remove middle stem, & chop the collards. Dice an onion and mince a couple garlic cloves. Saute the onion & garlic with olive oil and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Stir in the collards and sprinkle with salt. Saute until just tender & still bright green, a couple minutes.
In a buttered baking dish, layer the sweet potatoes and the collards. First 1/3 sweet potatoes, 1/2 collards, sprinkling the layers with the seasoned flour. Continue layering, ending with the sweet potatoes. Pour over the milk, sprinkle with the cheese. Bake @400 for about 30 minutes, until bubbly and golden.
PUMPKIN BREAD
PUMPKIN BREAD
3 1/2 C WW PASTRY FLOUR
1/2 TSP BAKING SODA
2 TSP BAKING POWDER
1/2 TSP SALT
1 TSP CINNAMON
1/2 TSP GINGER
1/2 TSP ALLSPICE
2 EGGS
1/3 C VEGETABLE OIL
1/2 C BROWN SUGAR
1/2 C MAPLE SYRUP
1 C PUMPKIN PUREE
3/4 C MILK
GREASE 2 LOAF PANS OR ONE MEDIUM BUNDT PAN. PREHEAT OVEN TO 350
IN A LARGE BOWL COMBINE THE DRY INGREDIENTS. IN ANOTHER SMALLER BOWL, WHISK TOGETHER THE WET INGREDIENTS. POUR INTO THE DRY INGREDIENTS AND COMBINE QUICKLY JUST TO BLEND. POUR EVENLY INTO PAN(S), BAKE ABOUT 45-60 MINUTES, UNTIL A TOOTHPICK IN CENTER COMES OUT CLEAN.
CRANBERRY BUTTERMILK MUFFINS
CRANBERRY BUTTERMILK MUFFINS
1/3 C OIL
1/2 C SUGAR
2 EGGS
1 C BUTTERMILK
3 C WW PASTRY FLOUR
1 TBSP BAKING POWDER
1/2 TSP SALT
1 C FRESH CRANBERRIES, WHOLE OR CHOPPED UP A BIT
ZEST OF 1/2 ORANGE
1/4 TSP NUTMEG
PREHEAT OVEN 400
IN A BOWL BEAT TOGETHER THE SUGAR AND OIL. BEAT IN EGGS ONE AT A TIME, UNTIL LIGHT & FOAMY. SLOWLY POUR IN BUTTERMILK AND MIX UNTIL WELL COMBINED. ADD THE REST OF THE INGREDIENTS AND STIR TOGETHER BY HAND UNTIL JUST BARELY COMBINED. DO NOT OVER MIX SO THE MUFFINS WILL BE TENDER. FILL 12 GREASED OR PAPER LINED MUFFIN CUPS EVENLY. BAKE AT 400 FOR 15 - 20 MINUTES.
OPTIONAL GLAZE: COMBINE 1 C CONFECTIONERS SUGAR WITH A BIT OF ORANGE JUICE TO MAKE A SMOOTH GLAZE. SPOON OVER COOL MUFFINS.
THIS IS THE MOST FLEXIBLE MUFFING I HAVE EVER TRIED. YOU CAN ADD 1 CUP OF ANY FRUIT, EVEN BANANA OR PUMPKIN, OR 1/2 CUP OF NUTS, OR CHOCOLATE CHIPS. ADD A 1/2 TSP OF CINNAMON, NUTMEG, OR VANILLA OR ALMOND FLAVORING. ADD LEMON OR ORANGE ZEST. ONE IDEA I HAVE NOT TRIED IS USING ONLY MAPLE TO SWEETEN, BUT THAT MIGHT BE NEXT.
Root vegetable gratin
Root vegetable gratin
1 tbsp butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups heavy cream (1/2 milk 1/2 cream, optional)
Salt & pepepr to taste
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 lb parsnips
1 lb sweet potatoes
1 lb celeriac (celery root)
8 oz gruyere or other strong, sharp cheese, grated
1 tbsp fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dry
3 tbsp minced fresh parsley, or 1 tbsp dry
Preheat oven to 400 and butter a 3 quart baking dish
Make cream sauce:
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and saute the garlic for a minute. Add cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Heat just until bubbles form around the edges of the pan, 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the herbs and let stand 10 minutes
Prepare vegetables:
Peel and thinly slice the vegetables.
Assemble gratin:
Arrange a layer of half of the vegetables: parsnips, then sweet potatoes, then celeriac. Sprinkle with half the cheese and pour over half of the cream sauce. Repeat layers with the remaining ingredients, ending with cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove foil; lightly press gratin down with a spatula. Return to oven for another 15-30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and top is golden brown. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
Mini pumpkins with maple ginger apples
Mini pumpkins with maple ginger apples
4 mini pumpkins, tops sliced off and seeds scooped out. Save the tops
4 apples
1 small onion, in thin verticle slices
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
Dash red pepper flakes
Salt
Preheat oven to 350
Bake pumpkins in a baking dish with an inch of water for about 30 minutes.
Core and chop the apple. In a small skillet, heat the oil and saute the onion, garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add salt, and the red pepper if using and saute a few minutes more. Add apples and maple syrup; cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and fill each pumpkin with 1/4 of the apple mixture. Return to oven, along with the tops for 20 minutes, until pumkins are cooked through and the apples are tender.
FROZEN SOUP BASE
FROZEN SOUP BASE
Roasted vegetable soup
1 quart vegetable soup base
1 quart water
2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
3 cloves garlic, cut in 1/2
1 large onion cut in wedges
8 cups peeled and cubed assorted winter vegetables; carrots, beets, parsnip, winter squash, sweet potato, celeriac, leeks, etc
Salt to taste
Seasoning of choice:
1 tbsp minced ginger, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp corriander, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Or
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, pinch thyme, black pepper, parsley
2 qt water or vegetable broth
Preheat oven to 425
Place soup base and water in a saucepan, cover and simmer until melted. Stir often to make a nice smooth puree.
Combine cubed vegetables with onion wedges, garlic, 2 tbsp oil, salt, and ginger if using. Roast in oven for at least an hour; stir occasionally.
When vegetables are tender and nicely carmelized, combine in a large stock pot with the puree and additional water or broth as needed. Puree with a stick blender, or in batches in a food processor or blender. Add water or stock as needed to make a smooth and creamy soup. Adjust seasoning and simmer 15 minutes to blend flavors.
