What to Do With All Those Greens

As you saw in my first post I have A LOT of greens.  I found some recipes that I intend to try. This first one is great because it calls for 4lbs. of greens. Believe it or not I still have more, but I'm less worried about any of it going to waste.

Basmati Rice and Kale Gratin - "Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook"
2 c. veggie stock
1 c. diced red bell pepper
1 c. whole kernel corn
1 1/4 c. uncooked basmati rice (always a good idea to rinse first)
1tsp dried thyme
4 lbs. kale or mixed greens (I used Kale and Swiss Chard yummy)
1 1/4 c. part skim ricotta cheese
2/3 c. grated parm
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 c. fresh bread crumbs
olive oil cooking spray (or just spray olive oil)

Combine the stock, bell pepper, corn, rice and thyme in a saucepan.  bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer until the rice is tender, about 15minutes. Set aside.

Preheat over to 400F.  Wash but do not dry the kale or greens and trim and discard to stems. Place the greens in a large pot, cover and cook over medium-high heat until it wilts, about 5 minutes. (the water in the leaves is sufficient to steam the greens) Drain and coarsely chop. Fluff rice mixture with a fork.

In a large bowl combine the greens, rice mixture, ricotta, 1/2 the parm and salt and pepper. Put into an oiled 2qt dish. Sprinkle with remaining parm and breadcrumbs. Spray with oil. Bake until golden and bubbling (about 30 minutes)

What a delicious way to use a lot of greens.

Cornucopia of Slugs

I was weeding my garden the other day and noticed that the grass from the lawn was tall enough that it was leaning into my raised bed - home to cucumbers.  I started pulling away the grass and there were so many little slugs.  I do not want to kill them, I just want them to stay out of my garden.  So I gathered them up and set them free in some yummy vegetation - NOT in my garden.  There were 25 and I learned that a group of slugs is called a cornucopia.

Reaping the First Harvest

I harvested my first batch of veggies from the garden.  All of a sudden everything is ready at once.  I harvested spinach, kale and swiss chard; and a lot of it.  There is still so much out there.  The first dish I made was a salad for a party.
I used a recipe from http://www.thekitchn.com
Rainbow Chard Salad with Raisins and Walnuts
serves 4
About half a large bunch of rainbow chard
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cup walnuts
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup fresh-grated Parmesan cheese
Wash the chard well and let dry. Fold the leaves in half and slice away the tough stalk. Discard or compost. Cut the leaves in half, lengthwise, then slice into fine ribbons. You should have about 4-6 cups of finely sliced chard.
Put the walnuts in a small, heavy frying pan over medium heat and toast for about five minutes, shaking to keep them from burning. Add the raisins to the pan right at the end just to warm them through.
Whisk the sugar, olive oil, wine, and orange juice together and taste. Adjust to taste and add salt and pepper.
Toss the raisins, hot walnuts, chard and dressing all together. Distribute among individual salad bowls and sprinkle Parmesan on top.

I used a combo of Swiss Chard, Red Russian Kale and Spinach. I also added almonds and craisins, cooking them in the same way as the nuts and raisins are cooked.

This salad was a hit!