Mustard greens are one of those early-season (and late-season) CSA stalwarts that used to give me fits. Frittatas were the aspirational default, but if I’m honest, mushstuck to the crisper drawer was too often the reality. Since last May, though, my work schedule has had me home in the days following CSA Day, so I’ve…
Tag: greens
Roasted Rhubarb Vinaigrette
Last week, I had a few stalks of rhubarb leftover after a crumble-for-two. Before they got lost and rubbery beneath the early-CSA kale, arugula, and spinach in the crisper, I transformed them into a bright and tangy topping for all that early-CSA kale, arugula, and spinach in the crisper. Those sturdy, deep, dark greens demand…
Rhubarb & Chard (& Mustard Seeds & Sausage)
Okay, so it’s not exactly “Hey, you got your chocolate in my peanut butter!” territory, but it’s close. Over high heat, the rhubarb breaks down quickly, dissolving into a sauce that slicks the dark, tannic greens; those tannins—and the rhubarb’s citrusy tang—work to balance the rich sausage; the mustard seeds weigh in with a little pop of…
Taste the Rainbow
Confession: I used to shun the chard. Bulky and mysterious (like its fridge-hog friend, collard greens), chard made it home with me only when the swap box overflowed at the end of pickup day. Not anymore. Thumbing through Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty last winter, when the Swiss chard was a weekly sharebox occupant, I ran across…
Swap-Box Hero: Hot Under the Collard
Despite offering free bundles with purchase for late-Wednesday wine customers, it seems we still end up with a swap box full of collards whenever they’re in the share. I don’t know why they’re so intimidating. I mean, I get they can be bitter, but a little bit of fat mellows the harsh tannins*, making those deep…
June-Swoon Salad
Here’s one from my mom, who’s been making this swoon-worthy bowl of green and red for years. I know, it seems like a lot of dressing. Trust me; you’ll want leftovers. Strawberry-Spinach Salad 1 lb fresh spinach, washed, dried, and chilled (and chopped, if the leaves are giant) 1 pint fresh strawberries, washed and halved or…
Microgreen Goddess
“What the heck is a microgreen, anyway?” That’s what a long-time Moore Brothers CSA participant asked me yesterday. “Um, I’m not sure. I’ve always assumed they’re just teensy radish greens, but I’ve never looked it up.” Well, now I have. Turns out, they’re pretty much any super-young salad green (arugula, chard, radish, mustard, beet, and…
Polenta: When Meal Makes the Meal
Sometimes I fantasize there’s a CSA Merit Badge for incorporating multiple sharebox items into a single dish. I had a four-bagger a couple months ago. One of the winter season’s final boxes included shitake and crimini mushrooms, red sorrel, a head of garlic, and a bag of Castle Valley Mill polenta. I guess technically that’s five items….
Sting for your Supper
Stinging Nettles. What, you missed that day in Professor Slughorn‘s class? Though raw stinging nettles will indeed hurt you for a few minutes if you touch them with bare hands, you don’t need a magic wand or copy of Advanced Potion-Making to transform those-who-shall-not-be-handled into a terrific—and nutrient-dense—workhorse green. A couple-minute blanch is all it takes…
There will be blood oranges
I know, I know. They’re not local. But here in southeast-PA’s Zone 7, no citrus is. With the short-seasoned blood oranges, ruby grapefruits, and Meyer lemons, though, I’ll stomach the carbon-footprint guilt. They just pair so beautifully with what is local and available now: Dark, leafy greens. Yes, even in the midst of the region’s…
Boxing Day 