Wednesday, April 17, 2013

leafy greens harvest & a recipe



this week we harvested our first bunch of kale & swiss chard of the season! there isn't anything much better than homegrown greens freshly harvested from the garden right after a long winter season.


harvesting fresh vegetables from our garden allows me to get a little more creative in the kitchen & with our meal plan. on tuesday evening, i meal planned a brussels sprouts side dish to accompany our mushroom & tomato stew. with a bounty of leafy greens right outside our door, i decided to add a mix of kale & swiss chard to the sprouts.


 with a pinch of salt, a drizzle of olive oil & a helping of minced garlic, my bit of experimenting in the kitchen turned out delicious. i want to share my recipe with you for a healthy green dish!


leafy greens & brussels sprouts saute
serves 4
 1 1/2 cups brussels sprouts, chopped in half
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 cup kale, chopped & tightly packed
1 cup swiss chard, chopped & tightly packed
olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

in a cast iron skillet or nonstick pan, drizzle olive oil. allow to warm up just a bit until the oil starts to sizzle. add onions & brussels sprouts. cook on medium high heat for 8 to 10 minutes until brussels sprouts are tender. add swiss chard & kale. cook for an additional 4 minutes or so on medium heat until leaves are slightly wilted. add minced garlic & cook for another minute. salt & pepper to taste.
enjoy as a side dish or with beans as a main dish.

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as we enter into the season of bountiful leafy greens, i would love to hear your recipes for creatively adding greens to your meals! please share your ideas with us!

5 comments:

  1. Sounds great! We are so far away from harvesting anything other than dandelion leaf. The early leaves are so tender. I'm going out today to see if I can collect enough for a spring salad.

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  2. Those young kale leaves are beautiful. Leafy greens, well, I love them in everything. This is an old favorite, a way to add a little green to a pasta dish: http://racheleats.wordpress.com/2010/04/06/oh-crumbs/

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    Replies
    1. denise, what a delicious recipe! thanks for sharing!!

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  3. delicious. I need more brussels sprouts in my life! My favorite way to eat greens is always raw. I find it so hard to cook them when they are so fresh! I like to massage well chopped kale in olive oil - or massaged in sesame oil is also a real treat. Then add a home made vinaigrette and have it alongside most anything. Tossed into pasta or served on toast with avocado are 2 favorites.

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  4. These photos are so lovely and make me anticipate my summer garden with joy. I like to make kale almond pesto! It is yummy alternative to basil when it's not in season (and is less expensive).

    Here is a link to the recipe. I really like this website (and cookbook!) in general:
    http://www.harvesteating.com/2010/01/27/kale-almond-pesto/

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