Greens Adobo

Our CSA boxes are getting rather thin at this time of the summer. That's understandable. It's hot here. Since the beginning of August, we've had temperatures near or over 100 degrees every day. That's enough to stress out any plant. We hang on for the next month or so, dreaming of the greens that are going to be appearing in October/November.

This summer, dreaming of the greens hasn't been quite as far-fetched. Through non-traditional greens, we are getting small amounts of greens in our CSA boxes. It's wonderful in a summer of eggplant and a variety of peppers. Thanks to purslane (also known as a weed) and sweet potato greens, my diet isn't totally devoid of greens this summer.

Evidently, sweet potatoes greens are commonly eaten else where. Sweet potato greens are high in vitamins A, C, and Riboflavin (B2). They also contain calcium, dietary fiber, potassium, phosphorus and are high in protein. The greens are commonly eaten in West Afriaca, China, Taiwan, and the Phillipines to name a few places.

To prepare the sweet potato greens, remove them from the thick stem (the tender stem can be eaten) and string them--like string beans. I've never actually stringed them, but I may try that next time (the string is supposed to be tougher).

I adapted a Filipino recipe to use these greens. Curtis and I both like it, the kids not so much, but we'll keep working on them.

Greens Adobo
adapted from Sundays at Moosewood

3 garlic cloves, sliced
2 T olive oil
5 c sweet potato greens (or beet greens, chard, or mustard greens), washed, well drained, and chopped
2 T soy sauce
1 T white vinegar
black pepper, to taste

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok. Stir-fry the garlic until golden. Remove and set aside. Add the greens to the hot skillet and toss over high heat until wilted and at desired tenderness. Turn off the heat. Stir in the soy sauce, vinegar, black pepper, and golden garlic. Serve at once.

Smoky Greens and Beans

Mmm...this is a great side or a stand alone light supper. I think it was intended as a soup, but I just needed it as a side, so I just didn't dish a lot of the broth (and had the leftovers as soup). I didn't have smoked paprika, so regular worked just fine. Next time, I'll be sure I do have the smoked paprika. That's right friends, there will be a next time for this one. I also just used water for the broth and it was just fine.

Smoky Greens and Beans
adapted from Bon Appetit

2 T olive oil
1 lg onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1 1/2 t smoked paprika (or regular if you can't find smoked)
1 3/4 c (1-14oz can) vegetable broth, chicken broth, or water
8 c coarsely chopped assorted greens (kale, mustard greens, and/or collards, about 8 ounces)
1 15-oz can cannellini beans, drained
grated Manchego or Parmesan or other hard salty cheese

Heat oil in large pan over medium high heat. Add onion and saute until softened and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, stir 1 minute. Add tomatoes (with juice) and paprika; stir 1 minute. Add broth and greens. Bring to boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer until greens are wilted and tender (depending on the type of greens depends on the time--I used all collards and it took longer than 15 minutes), about 15 minutes. Stir in beans and simmer just until beans are heated through, 1 - 2 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese.

Greens and Cheese Sandwich

I chose this recipe because it was one of the few I knew of that used mustard greens. It turns out that upon closer inspection, my mustard greens weren't mustard greens but broccoli rabe. Since I had already bought the cheese for the sandwiches, I decided to go ahead and make them with the broccoli rabe. (The secret to how I knew it was broccoli rabe---at the inside of the bunch of greens I found what looked like loose little bunches of broccoli. I saved them for Curtis and M to eat later).

I really enjoyed my sandwich--so much that I had two! In my defense, they were open faced (only one piece of bread). There won't be more sandwiches another day. :) I need to get more broccoli rabe or mustard greens before I can make more.

Greens and Cheese Sandwich (For one sandwich)
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 T of olive oil
1 c mustard greens, rinsed and finely chopped
1 piece of bread (I used a rustic sourdough, the recipe called for pumpernickel--I think any good artisanal bread woudl be great)
1/2 c smoked gouda, grated

Heat olive oil and garlic in a small bowl until they begin to sizzle. Add the mustard greens and cook, stirring frequently until the greens are limp and tender (about 3 minutes). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, lightly toast a piece of bread. Top with grated gouda and toast again briefly (either in a toaster oven or on the stove like you would a grilled cheese sandwich) to melt the gouda. When greens are done, put on top of the cheese (if the greens are hot, they will continue to melt the cheese). Eat hot. Try to eat only one. :)