Recipes from the Farmers' Market
from Karen and John at Pollinator Paradise

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COLLARDS WITH POTATOES

2 8-oz bags of Collards, Kale, Mustard Greens or other greens

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

3 medium redskin or yellow potatoes, scrubbed and coarsely diced

3-4 strips bacon, cut into small pieces (optional)

2 Tbsp olive oil (or peanut or canola oil)

½ medium onion, finely diced

2 plump garlic cloves, finely chopped (or use a garlic press)

Pinch red pepper flakes, or one small hot pepper chopped fine

Hot pepper sauce or vinegar for the table

Strip collard leaves from stem; wash the greens. Chop into large (~1-2") squares  Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add salt and greens, simmer 10 minutes; then add potatoes and simmer until tender. If desired, fry bacon until brown, drain the fat on paper towels, and wipe out the pan. Return pan to heat; add oil, sauté onion and garlic until tender. Chop the cooked greens and add to the pan along with pepper flakes. Add cooked potatoes and bacon (if desired); season with salt and pepper. Serve with pepper sauce or vinegar.

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INDIAN STYLE GREENS

2 Tbsp cooking oil

1 tsp whole brown mustard seed

1½ tsp whole cumin seed

1½ tsp fennel seed

1 medium onion, cut into 1/8" wide slivers

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Hot peppers to taste: 1 long green chile, 1-3 jalapeños, 1 ancho, etc.

1½ lb mixed greens: mustard greens, turnip greens, spinach, pak choy, collards, kale, spinach or any combination of these.

Heat oil over high heat in a heavy wok or skillet. Add spices. As soon as seeds begin to pop, add garlic, onion, and chopped chiles; sauté just until onion is limp. Add greens, stir-fry until wilted. Lower heat to a simmer and cover for five to eight minutes. Serve with rice and lentil dahl.

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COOKED GREENS A LA MAPP

Here is a recipe for cooking greens that I got from Jerome Mapp.  Jerome is a planning consultant and a member of Boise City Council, who has been helping Parma work on its Comprehensive Plan.  He encouraged me to plant collard greens.  This recipe is good with most of my cooking greens: 

1 Bunch of Collard Greens, Mustard Greens, and/or Kale.   
1 Onion          
1 Red Pepper Pod
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Meat - Ham, Bacon or Smoked Turkey (as you prefer)

Remove damaged leaves and stems from Collards and Mustard Greens.  Wash well.  Place meat (ham frozen from Thanksgiving or Christmas, a ham bone or side of bacon, or smoked turkey) in the pot. Boil until thoroughly cooked. Add collard and mustard greens, a crushed red pepper pod, chopped onions, salt, pepper and a little sugar to taste and place in the crock pot. Add water. Place in crock pot on low and cook until tender. Serve.

Notes:  Try our pan smoking kit to make your own smoked meats for this dish.
              If you are vegetarian, try using tofu or tempeh marinated in your favorite barbeque sauce in place of the meat.

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RATATOUILLE (Mediterranean vegetable sauté)

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, cut into 1/8" wide slivers

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2-3 medium eggplant, cut into ½ - 1" cubes

2 lb approx. summer squash – zucchini, patty pan, yellow, or a mixture, sliced

2 - 3 medium bell or other sweet peppers, preferably in several colors, cut into chunks.

½ lb mushrooms, sliced

1 lb fresh tomatoes, cut into chunks

Basil, Oregano, Parsley to taste (lots and lots!), fresh or (if need be) dry

Mozzarella cheese

In a wok or large skillet, heat olive oil until almost smoking. Add onion and garlic; sauté until translucent. Add cubed eggplant; sauté until it darkens. Add sliced squashes and peppers and continue to cook over medium-high heat until almost tender. Add herbs and tomatoes, lower heat to simmer, and cook until everything is tender. Right before serving, cover with sliced mozzarella cheese and let it melt. Serve over spaghetti.

Summer Squash Diary Blog

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BASIL PESTO

2 cups loosely packed basil (1 4-oz bag)

2 cloves garlic

1/3 cup olive oil

¼ cup walnuts, chopped

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Trim stems from basil; lightly toast walnuts. (Toasted pine nuts are more traditional and taste wonderful, but are expensive!) Put olive oil, crushed garlic, and nuts in a blender; whirl briefly to mix. Add basil leaves a few at a time, scraping down to mix, until you have a thick dark-green paste. Remove from blender and stir in Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately on fresh pasta; or cover with a film of olive oil and keep for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator; or freeze.

A tablespoon or two is all you need to coat a plate of pasta.  Also good on potatoes and vegetables. 

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MUSHROOM MARINARA SPAGHETTI SAUCE 

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, cut into 1/8" wide slivers

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 lb cooking tomatoes (Roma are great for this), chopped coarsely

12 oz (2 small cans or 1 large) tomato paste

½ lb mushrooms, sliced

Basil, Oregano, Parsley to taste (lots and lots!), fresh or (if need be) dry

2 bay leaves

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil until almost smoking. Add onion and garlic; sauté until translucent. Add tomatoes and mushrooms (if using dry herbs, add them now); when tomatoes are almost boiling, lower heat and stir in tomato paste. Simmer until mushrooms are tender. Add fresh herbs and simmer for ten minutes or so. Serve over spaghetti with grated Parmesan and Romano cheese, as a pizza sauce, or with lasagna.

Variations: add chunks of summer squash, eggplant, bell peppers or other tasty vegetables with (or instead of) mushrooms.

This recipe freezes well. 

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BAKED CHILES RELLENOS

4 large, mildly hot chiles (Beaver Dam or Anaheim)
4 oz. jack cheese, cut in strips
butter
3 eggs
6 Tbsp. milk
6 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1/2 c. (2 oz.) grated sharp cheddar cheese

Cut a slit down the side of each chile and gently remove any seeds. Fold or stuff an equal amount of cheese in each chile. Arrange chiles side by side in a lightly buttered shallow 2-quart casserole or 9 x 9” baking dish. Beat eggs until thick and foamy. Add milk and flour. Beat until mixture is smooth. Pour egg batter evenly over chiles and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake uncovered, in a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until casserole is puffed and jiggles only slightly when gently shaken.  Garnish hot casserole with olives and serve at once with salsa. (Adapted from “Sharon’s Baked Chiles Rellenos” on www.cooks.com)

4 servings

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Updated 8/17/2003
© Karen Strickler