Greens, Greens, Nothing but Greens

"Green, greens, nothing but greens: 

Parsley, peppers, cabbages and celery,

Asparagus and watercress and 

Fiddleferns and lettuce-!"

Into The Woods-Prologue

Ah, Winter Greens. Kale, Swiss Chard, Pok Choy, Collard Greens, Spinach, and so much more flourish in the cold winter months. And your color pallete is not limited to merely green, there is also purple Kale and rainbow Chard! 

The seeds are tossed into the ground while the earth is still warm in the middle of Autumn so one can continue to enjoy gardening well into winter's core. 

Often times the little plots are exploding with an excessive amount of greens, and the gardener is always left trying to find new ways to use them.

One of my favorite Winter foods is soup, and greens are a much welcomed addition to it. The best way I've found to add them in the pot is just before you serve. The leaves and stems will quickly cook up in the hot broth. Mother Judith recently made a Kale soup with chicken apple sausage and some other veggies. So delicious.

Another dish greens are great in is stir fry. Similarly with soup, wait until the rest of the veggies are cooked up then toss in the greens. Pok Choy is a must for the cuisine--make sure to include the stems! They soak in the onion and garlic flavors, which is simply divine. The last batch I made included Pok Choy and a red Swiss Chard leaf (The leaf was huge and I was only cooking for two, so one leaf sufficed).

Pok Choy stems all chopped up.

You can see the colorful stem of the Swiss Chard.

The easiest way to enjoy them is in a salad. Each leaf has a different texture and flavor that can be drowned out in other dishes; so enjoy their natural flavors while they are raw!

Do you have special ways you cook them? Please share!

Nancy Jane

Invigorating Citrus Coconut Salad

Harkening to days at the warm, breezy beach, citrus coconut salad can be just as a refreshing experience. 

We are blessed to grow copious quantities of oranges and grapefruits. They're great for snacking on while out gardening, or if the ol' sweet tooth is out for something sugary.

A member of the family who really enjoys oranges is our farm dog Dutchess.

She loves to sit by Dad's side as he tosses her a few slices. In fact, if Dutchess finds herself too full, the fruit will be buried and stored away in secret for later.

Who knew a dog would find oranges so delightful?

Here is an extremely simple salad recipe we enjoy throughout the season. Mother Judith made this for Christmas Eve; it was a perfect addition to the dinner table. No measuring necessary; just add as much, or as little, as you like!

Ingredients:

• Oranges cut in cubes
• Grapefruit cut in cubes
• Unsweetened Dried Coconut

Add cut citrus into medium sized bowl, stir in dried coconut and serve!

It's an excellent option for dessert, as a side dish, or as a late night sweet treat!

Nancy Jane

Pomegranates: Jewel of the Fruits

What to do, what to do?

Don't be afraid to approach the pomegranate. It may seem like too much work to eat; but you are truly missing a delicious fruit if you never go near it.

We love to simply sprinkle pomegranate seeds on broccoli salad, coleslaw, or fruit salad. So delicious!

And don't worry swallowing the seeds, they haven't hurt me yet!

Mother Judith

 

Bring Out the Piccolos for this Berryific Jicama Salad

 

Berryific Jicama Salad is the essence of late spring turning into summer, fresh and full of wild flavors! The berries can be interchangeable, but I had 5lbs of blueberries to use up and a ton of blackberries from our patch. The berries were begging to be used.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of Jicama, peeled and chopped (You can find it at your local grocery store)
• 2 cups of Blackberries, whole
• 1 cups of Blueberries, whole

Pour all ingredients in a large container, stir together. And it's that easy!

You can add to top of leafy salads, or eat alone. I've been eating it to help me get over a sugar fix. What's nice about the jicama is it absorbs the berry flavor without losing its spirit and crunch. The salad adds a brightness and extra nutrition to your meals, truly berryific!

Bring it to a Memorial day or 4th of July party to add naturally patriotic colors to the table. Its the John Philip Sousa of the salad world-I can just hear the Stars and Stripes Forever piccolo solo when I look at it.

 

On top of my leafy greens, and chicken. Delicious!

 

So colorful! So patriotic!

 

Nancy Jane

Splendid Blood Orange Olive Oil Quinoa Salad

The hint of orange mingles perfectly with jicama, bell peppers, and snow peas. The key to this salad is to let it set over night. The flavors will grow, along with its sweet aroma. Easy to make, and can be prepared in steps. You can cook the Quinoa one day and cut the veggies another. Nothing strenuous about this recipe.

I purchased the Blood Orange Olive Oil from the Temecula Olive Oil Company. It's a sweet and delicate oil. The aroma is very pleasant. Here is the link to the oil.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked Quinoa
• 2 1/2 tablespoon Blood Orange Olive Oil
• 1 cup diced jicama
• 1 cup diced bell peppers
• 1 cup sliced snow Peas

Step 1: Cook Quinoa as directed on package. Let cool.
Step 2: Stir veggies together in a large bowl.

Jicama

Bell Peppers

Snow Peas

 

Step 3: Add Quinoa to veggies and stir. Add orange olive oil, stir. Let the salad sit over night, serve next day.

You will be thrilled by the delicate flavor, and the bright colors of the veggies add some visual pizzazz to the food.

Nancy Jane 

Purple Cabbage Salad

Before and after

 

The strategy to get family to eat more salad is a variety of choices.  If there are cold salads ready  to go...they are simple to top off green salads with various favors, colors and textures. 

This is one of Nancy Jane's favorites, if this was ready to go, she was a happy girl, have a piece of fresh fruit on the side and life couldn't be better....well, if I let her dog in the house maybe it could be better.

Purple Salad

• 1 head purple cabbage shredded
• 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar. (vinegars are can be interchanged, so use what is on hand)
• 1/3 cup whole cane sugar or pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup water....amount depends if sugar or syrup is used, the lesser amount using sugar

Optional add-ins ...sliced onions, caraway seeds, any fresh herb you have available...we like tarragon, parsley, or cilantro.....but usually we make it solo with only the cabbage.

In large pot combine vinegar, sugar or syrup, water, salt, optional herbs...heat until simmering.  Add cabbage and optional onion.....cook until cabbage changes color a bright magenta and slightly tender....with a little crunch.

Cool a bit and refrigerate.

The best way to store is in a clear glass container with lid....when to refrigerator door is opened the salad looks so pretty and inviting.

With the vinegar this keeps for days, but it never lasts too long at our house.....

Mother Judith