If you’ve been reading this blog awhile you know that I love my CSA. I really do. I was thrilled when home deliveries of organic produce started about a month ago. The only problem with the CSA (and I don’t think this problem is unique to my CSA) is that every week I get a lot of greens. You probably can’t imagine how many greens show up on my door step. Just as an example, here’s a recent photo of one week’s delivery:
In case you have trouble differentiating your greens, this includes Swiss chard, bok choi, lettuce, kale, and beets (I eat the greens as well as the beets). Other weeks we’ve had mustard greens, Napa cabbage, senposai, and collards.
While I’ve had success preparing greens a few different ways (some of which I even blogged about here, here, and here), I need additional options. So dear readers, do you have any recipes for greens that you’d be willing to share? I would be most appreciative. Actually, at this point, I suspect Mark would be the most appreciative member of the household. He doesn’t really like greens to begin with and yet they keep appearing on our dinner plates cooked in the same manner each time.
I’ve only heard of about half of those greens. And unfortunately have no new cooking ideas, though lately we’ve been eating a lot of kale, chopped up fine and sauteed and added to brown rice and vegetables.
Hi Anne, Senposai and mustard greens were definitely new to me. The others I think I’ve had before (probably from other seasons with the CSA). I think I’ll take your advice and try to chop the greens into tiny pieces and hide them in other dishes. Thanks!
Best, Jean
Jean, I like to cook the quickly cooked ones (like beet greens or chard) in butter (maybe with a bit of olive oil too) and salt. Even a pinch of sugar maybe. Cooked not too long, but long enough to get them nice and soft.
Collards, kale and other “harder” (longer to cook?) greens I love to cook with onions (soften them first – or caramelize them?). I use bacon fat/olive oil/butter (whatever I have), salt, vinegar (balsamic is good, but so is apple cider) and I like to cook them for a LONG time, adding water as necessary.
Mmm…greens.
Kirsten,
These are great tips. Thanks so much.
Collards with caramelized onion and bacon — yum!
Regards,
Jean
Our CSA too sends lots & lots of greens – along with lots of strawberries with which I have much less problem! Even the woman who staffs their stall at our local farmers’ market says she has trouble getting through all the greens before next week’s delivery. I’m about to make soup to use up what we’ve got before tomorrow’s delivery. Here are two recipes:
Lettuce Soup (from Reader’s Digest Creative Cooking cookbook)
1 head Boston lettuce [I’d use whatever’s on hand]; salt; 1 small onion; 3 tbsp. butter; 2 cups chicken stock; black pepper, sugar, grated nutmeg; 2 cups milk; 1 – 2 egg yolks; 2 tbsp. heavy cream.
Wash lettuce leaves & blanch them for 5 mins. in boiling salted water; drain & rinse in cold water. Chop leaves; peel & finely chop onion. Melt butter in saucepan & saute onion for a few minutes till soft. Add the lettuce (saving a few shreds). Add the stock and & bring to a boil; season to taste with the salt, pepper, sugar, and nutmeg.
Allow soup to cool slightly before blending it or rubbing through a sieve; then add the milk, reheat gently and simmer for about 5 minutes. [You could stop here if you prefer a less rich soup.]
Lightly beat together the egg yolks & cream; spoon a little of the hot (but not boiling) soup into this and blend thoroughly, then pour the mixture into the soup & simmer gently till it thickens. On no account let it reach the boiling point, or the eggs will curdle.
Stir in the saved lettuce shreds and serve, with croutons if you wish.
Cream of Spinach, Escarole or Lettuce Soup (from an old edition of Joy of Cooking)
Pick over & wash 1 lb. spinach or escarole or leaf lettuce; place it while moist in a covered saucepan. Cook about 6 minutes, drain, put through a strainer or blender.
Melt 2 tbsp. butter in a saucepan; add 1 tbsp. grated onion and saute for 3 minutes. Stir in 2 tbsp. flour, cook till blended. Stir in gradually 4 cups milk and/or stock; season with salt and paprika (and a grating of nutmeg if desired). Add the greens and heat well. Serve sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese or sieved egg yolk.
I’ve never heard of lettuce soup. Please let me know if the sup was good. I’ll certainly try it if you liked it.
Thanks for the recipes!
xo,
Jean
I made the Reader’s Digest version tonight, including the egg yolk (though with 2% milk, not heavy cream, alas), and it was very good, we both enjoyed it.