"Northern Style" Greens

If you are a gardener, you probably know that most greens grow best in cool weather. Why, then, does it seem as though these wonderful vegetables have long been most prevalent on the tables of Southerners? Growing up in the upper Midwest, we mostly knew of spinach from Popeye --and it would take more than the power of a cartoon hero to get us to really eat the slimy olive green things that came out of cans.

My parents did love beet greens, and the first beets from the garden were always tiny, picked more for the greens than the roots. Even though she sauteed them only lightly, my mother's best efforts to get us kids to take more than the mandatory bite were usually futile.

When we moved to central Appalachia many years ago, I was introduced to greens as a regular part of menus and learned to appreciate at least a little the slow simmered with ham hocks versions we were often served. But it wasn't until years later when I discovered how wonderful greens could really be if a few basic rules were followed:

• Always use LOTS of onion and/or garlic
• Use a small amount of oil (preferably olive)
• Cut the stems from the leaves and cook them a bit longer than the leaves
• Saute the leaves only until just wilted and slightly tenderized

...oh, and a splash of good vinegar is always a great addition--balsamic is best, but cider or red wine vinegars will also work.

There are  gradations in how strongly flavored (or bitter) different greens are, so you may want to start out with the milder varieties. Kale and spinach are now much more likely to be used in recipes, but they are still not often sauteed on their own. Mustard greens and collards are more of an acquired taste, but there is a wonderful kind of greens that I heartily suggest everyone become familiar with:

 Chard.

There are red, yellow, and green variations of chard, each of them beautiful to look at and wonderfully mild and even just a bit sweet. As with all greens, a touch of frost mellows the flavor, so the best time of year to buy these is right now, in fall and early winter. The preparation method I give below for chard will also work with just about any greens, but why not start out with these beautiful chard leaves if you are new to cooking with greens? I think you will be very glad you did.

As usual, this is more method than recipe. Amounts can vary according to your taste, so decrease or increase the onion and garlic as desired. Many people will want a dash of a favorite hot sauce and that is a good choice too. After you have tried this with chard (or beet greens--almost interchangeable), try moving on to one of the other kinds of greens so prevalent in the farmers markets and produce aisles right now.

Chard, Northern Style

olive or canola oil
onion, coarsely chopped
garlic, minced
1 bunch of chard, washed
salt to taste
hot sauce (optional)
balsamic or other vinegar

1. Prepare the chard by separating the coarsest parts of the stems from the leaves. Chop the stems coarsely. Roll the leaves into tight curls and then, using scissors (the easiest way) or a knife,  cut the leaves into coarse pieces. Set the leaves aside.

2. Measure the stems and use about the same amount of onions as stems.
3. Saute the onions and chard stems in a small amount of oil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. Make sure the pan you use will be large enough for all the leaves you will be adding.








4. When the onions are soft and translucent, stir in the garlic and then add the leaves.








Lower the heat to medium, cover the pan, and cook just until the greens are wilted and slightly tender. For most greens, this will be only 5 minutes or so. If needed, a bit of water can be added to the pan to avoid over-browning.
5.  Remove from heat and salt to taste. Serve with vinegar and hot sauce as desired.

Variations:

Thanks to one of my loyal followers (who seems to be having a problem making comments here), I have been reminded that greens love, love, love, the addition of some cubes of feta cheese when served. You might also try a dollop of plain yogurt (Greek or regular), especially if you are drizzling the greens with hot sauce.

Tis the Season for...Greens!

Here we are, almost to December in the upper Midwest, and I am just finishing the last of the greens from my garden. Little warms a gardener's heart than to be able to serve food fresh from the back yard for months and months.

Even if you are not a gardener, however, now is the time to look for greens in the market. They are often quite reasonably priced right now, and it is not just gardening lore that they are at their peak in the fall. A touch of frost seems to sweeten many varieties of greens, so this is a good time to try them out if you have hesitated in the past.

If you look closely at the picture above, you will see there are two kinds of greens--rainbow chard and kohlrabi. Yup, kohlrabi. Until this year, I had not realized that the leafy tops of this unusual vegetable are perfectly edible. As in years past, my attempts at growing kohlrabi seemed doomed to failure. Instead of forming fat balls on the lower stem, almost every plant grew leggy and slim, kind of like the Abe Lincolns of vegetables. What all the plants did have, however, were lots and lots of leaves.

Not wanting to consider the crop a complete failure, I went searching on the Internet and discovered that lots of people like kohlrabi greens. A few tentative nibbles on the tenderest of the leaves and I was hooked. I started harvesting a couple of plants at a time, getting a few cubes of the bulbs from each for adding to a tray of baby carrots and other fresh vegetables but also having some "bonus" greens to add to stir fries.


And then I discovered something wonderful; kohlrabi seemed as cold resistant as the constantly growing chard and baby collards. (I planted a 4 foot row of rainbow chard in April and have been able to pick leaves from it continuously ever since--unsure of exactly how many meals it has provided, but that little half packet of seeds has paid for itself over and over!) Now, when we have had several nights in a row below 20 degrees (and no measurable rain for weeks, perhaps even harder on the plants), it was time to bring in the last harvest. Kohlrabi and chard--interesting combination, with lots of color and, right now, pretty mild flavors. I ended up using a pretty standard method of preparation--saute onions and garlic, maybe some bell peppers, and then stir in the greens, covering and steaming the mixture until the greens are just tender. This is a great side dish with beans (for vegetarians) or ham. In fact, if you have some ham fat or stock, that would be a great choice for sauteeing instead of oil.

And if you don't have greens from your garden, any of the choices in the market right now--collards, kale, chard--will easily work too. There is a lot of nutrition here, for very little cost. If you are not yet accustomed to trying greens (yes, my friends in the South, there are lots of who didn't grow up with these as a regular part of our menus), now is the time to try them out.

Last of the Garden Greens

canola or olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 red bell pepper, diced (optional)
approximately 3 to 4 c washed and drained coarsely chopped kohlrabi greens, stems removed (see Preparation Note below)
approximately 3 to 4 c washed and drained coarsely chopped rainbow chard stems and leaves
salt and pepper to taste
optional herbs--basil, thyme, and/or rosemary may be added to taste
other optional seasonings--low sodium soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes

1.  Put just enough oil in the bottom of a large skillet to cover with a light film. Add the onions and saute over medium high heat until golden and translucent. Stir in garlic and peppers and continue to cook for another two to three minutes.
2.  Add the greens, with the water clinging to the leaves. (If they are relatively dry, you may want to add another few teaspoons of water, just enough to keep from scorching). Cover tightly, turn to medium and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until the leaves are just tender and wilted.
3.  Add seasonings and taste, adjusting as necessary.

Variations
As noted above, kale, collards, bok choy or beet greens could all be substituted for the kohlrabi and/or chard. 

Kohlrabi Preparation Notes

While the chard stems can (and should!) be used, only the kohlrabi leaves are tender enough to be really edible.
After washing the kohlrabi well, cut off the leaves at the top of each stem. Near the center of the plant will be a cluster of small leaves and "baby" stems--visible in the lower right of the picture below. This entire "heart" section can be kept with the leaves.

Remove the remaining stems and root end from each kohlrabi "bulb,"  the part of the plant most of us are accustomed to using. These "bulbs" can be refrigerated for another few days if you won't be using them right away. Greens, however, should be used more quickly, as they lose flavor and tenderness rather quickly.

Start the Day with Veggies!

Have you looked at a calorie chart for the typical coffee shop muffin or bagel and toppings?

It doesn't take long for just one of these to top 500, even 600 calories.  Add the calories in that mocha or whatever other special drink you ordered with it, and your "light" breakfast has eaten up a huge part of the day's calories, without much real nutritional benefit.

(And if you really want to go "whole hog," eat a classic Cinnabon roll, just one, and you've consumed 730 calories.)

If you'd like to make a weekend breakfast (or brunch) that will give you a much healthier start, no more calories, lower cost, and not a lot of prep time, here's a suggested alternative...veggies for breakfast!

Okay, I know that vegetables may still be the "good" food group hardest to get enough of. Now that there are lots of bright vegetables at the farmers' market and in the grocery store, it's time to try some new flavors and combinations.

Today's recipe (with toppings shown in the photo) will add up to well less than 400 calories, high in protein, and even gluten-free if that is important to you. With carrots and onions mixed in with the colorful chard, this might be something even the most resistant greens eaters will try. You can reduce calories further if you use yogurt as a topping instead of the tablespoon of 2% cheese shown here--or just skip entirely.

Morning Vegetables with Eggs

canola or olive oil
4 c rainbow chard (about 4 to 6 oz)
1/3 c chopped onion
3/4 c sliced carrots (1 medium)
1 seeded jalapeno, chopped (optional)
1 to 2 cloves garlic (optional)
1/4 to 1/2 t Italian seasoning OR dried basil

3 eggs

Optional toppings:
salsa
shredded 2% cheddar or mozzarella cheese
plain, fat free yogurt
roasted, salted sunflower seeds

1.  Separate the chard stems from the leaves. Coarsely cut the leaves and set aside. Chop the stems in 1/2-1 inch lengths.
2.  Put just enough oil in a non-stick pan to lightly coat it. Stir in the onions, carrots, and chopped chard stems. Saute over medium heat until the onions are translucent and the carrots are barely tender.
3.  Stir in the jalapeno, chard leaves and seasonings. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook just until the chard is limp and tender.
4.  Meanwhile, stir the eggs together with a fork just enough to blend the yolks and whites into a uniform color. Heat to medium to medium high a small amount of oil in a small skillet and stir the eggs into the pan.
5.  Stir the eggs occasionally as they cook, breaking them up as needed to obtain the scrambled egg texture you prefer.
6. Serve the eggs and vegetables with any of the optional toppings--or anything else you like to add! Fresh herbs, hot sauce, even soy sauce might be choices your family prefers.

Serves two but easily doubled or more.