What’s In Your Share This Week?
Most of us are familiar with the more delicate leafy greens like spinach and lettuce but heartier greens like mustards, collards, kale and bok choy can really throw some home cooks off. Never fear! Most hearty leafy greens can be prepared in similar fashions across the board. Follow these tips for beautifully sautéed and stewed greens. Sub in any greens you have on hand–turnip greens, beet greens, mustard greens, a head of cabbage, you name it!
How to Sautée Leafy Greens:
Start by selecting a few aromatics and spices to add flavor to your greens. Aromatics are vegetables that deliver deep, flavorful tastes when heated or crushed. Some of the more common aromatics are onions, garlic, ginger and fresh or dried herbs.
In a heavy pot, add the selected aromatics, a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Once your mixture is fragrant and slightly browned, add 1 tablespoon of broth or water to steam, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
After about 15 minutes, add greens and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the leaves are bright green and tender. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed. Season your liquid with your fresh or dried herbs.
How to Stew Leafy Greens:
Most of the steps you’ll want to follow for stewing leafy greens are similar to the steps listed above for sautéing.
Start by selecting the aromatics you’d like to flavor your greens. In a heavy pot, add the selected aromatics, a little olive oil, salt and pepper.
Once your mixture is fragrant and slightly browned add broth, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
The amount of water or broth you add will vary based on the amount of greens you’re planning to cook. Just remember, the greens will eventually cook down after some simmering so don’t feel pressured to add a full pot of water.
After about 15 minutes of boiling, add greens and cook for another 10 to 20 minutes, or until the leaves are bright green and tender. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed. Season the cooking liquid with fresh or dried herbs and serve alone over rice, with bread or as a side dish.
For more recipes using your Market Share ingredients check out the seasonal favorites listed below:
Didn’t find a recipe that works for you or your family? Head on over to our Recipe Box and browse our collection of soups, salads, desserts and more!
In case you missed our post last week, read on for tips and suggestions to take your winter squash to the next level with savory roasted seeds and delicious spiced muffins.
Just like leafy greens, many different varieties of winter squash can be prepared and treated in a similar manner. Aside from spaghetti squash–which yields stringy, spaghetti style flesh when roasted–almost all winter squash flesh can be used for baked goods, soups and savory mashes. Take this Kabocha Squash for example, the seeds inside make for a deliciously crunchy snack roasted squash seeds. And, it’s bright orange flesh is creamy and perfect for squash muffins or Curried Winter Squash soup.
To prepare Roasted Squash seeds check out our last post. For more on Fall-spiced squash muffins keep reading!
How to Prepare Squash Muffins:
Start by grabbing two bowls to separate the wet ingredients from the dry ingredients. Despite what you may think, sugar should be mixed in with the wet ingredients.
Dry ingredients: 2 cups whole wheat or white flour, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. baking soda, and 2 tsp. baking powder
Wet ingredients: 1 tsp. fresh or ground ginger, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 2 tsp. cinnamon, 2 eggs, 3/4 cups sugar, 1 stick or 1/2 cup melted butter or oil, 1/3 cup orange juice and 2 cups of pumpkin or squash puree (fresh or canned)
In addition to the ingredients listed you will also need measuring spoons, measuring cups, mixing spoons and a muffin tin or loaf pan. Bake on 350 for 15-20 minutes. You’ll know the muffins are ready when you can touch the top of the muffin and it springs back.
Have the whole family help you make these delicious muffins and roasted squash seeds by incorporating the following activities:
- After cutting the squash in half, use a spoon to scoop the seeds out into a bowl. Fill the bowl with water and have your child use their hands to separate the seeds from the flesh. Encourage them to remove as much flesh as possible and drain the water.
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Have you or an older child dry the seeds with a paper towel or clean dish towel. Encourage siblings to take turns to add 1/2 tbsp of oil and sprinkles of your favorite seasonings (go savory with salt and pepper or sweet with cinnamon and nutmeg).
- Roast on 400 for 10-15 minutes, making sure to stir every 5 minutes, until the seeds are fragrant and toasted.
