Seasonal pantry: Three ways to enjoy fresh Sonoma County winter greens
If you are confused about what, exactly, is meant by “winter greens,” no one can fault you. Some greens that were, not so long ago, available from late fall through mid spring are now available year round in Sonoma County and beyond. Kales, chards, arugula, spinach, cabbage and even collard greens have been available at our farmers markets for years now. And supermarkets, too, tend to have these greens all the time, though they’ve been a bit late to the game with some of them, especially kales.
Still, there remains such a thing as winter greens, though what is included in the category is evolving. Today, our farmers markets offer Brussels sprouts leaves, fava leaves and root vegetables with their pert, beautiful greens still attached. Even carrot greens are edible and, if prepared the right way, delicious. Many supermarkets trim leaves from beets, turnips, carrots and radishes or allow them to wilt and turn slimy. It’s such a waste.
There are many ways to enjoy all of these greens, beyond a simple sauté in olive oil, butter or bacon fat. Many can go into slaw and other salads and can be shredded for sandwiches. The larger leaves - collards and Brussels sprout leaves, for example - can be blanched and used as you would use grape leaves, tortillas and other flatbreads suitable for wrapping around other ingredients.
If you want to show off, make polenta, let it set up firm, wrap thick slices in wilted collard leaves and then grill the little packages over coals, a gas grill or a stove top. Smaller ones make a great appetizer; larger ones are perfect as side dishes.
An easy way to not waste those greens attached to root vegetables is to remove them right away, sauté or blanch them and then pack them into freezer bags and tuck them into the freezer.
They’ll keep for a few months and will make preparing a main dish that much easier. (You can do the same thing with leeks, onions and mushrooms.)
Most of these greens taste best in the winter, as they sweeten up a bit in cold weather.
For more recipes for winter greens from the Seasonal Pantry archive, visit “Eat This Now” at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com.
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Almost any sort of leafy green will work in this soup, which you should think of as a template or even an artist’s canvas.
The creaminess of the potatoes forms a perfect foundation for the greens.
Do not omit the parsley, as it will help maintain the bright green color; without it, your soup could end up a dull shade of grey.
Basic Potato Soup with Winter Greens
Serves 6 to 8
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, minced
1 small carrot, peeled and minced
2-6 garlic cloves, minced
3 pounds potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced
2-3 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock or water
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper in a mill
4 cups, approximately, sliced winter greens (see note above)
1 cup, lightly packed, Italian parsley leaves
- Red pepper flakes
- Plain whole milk yogurt, bottle hot sauce or Hawaiian chili water
Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pot set over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots, lower the heat, and sauté until the vegetables are tender and fragrant, about 15 minutes. Stir now and then to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Add the garlic and sauté two minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the potatoes to the pot, stir, add the chicken stock and enough water to completely cover the potatoes by about an inch.
Increase the heat, bring the liquid to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes are completely tender, about 15 to 20 minutes or a bit longer.
While the soup cooks, prepare the greens. Put the remaining olive oil into a sauté pan or wok set over medium heat, add the greens and cook, stirring or tossing continuously, until the greens wilt.
Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. When the potatoes are tender, stir in the greens and the parsley, cook for 3 to 4 minutes, taste and correct for salt and pepper. Stir in the red pepper flakes.
Leave the soup chunky or purée it with an immersion blender.
Ladle it into soup bowls, top with one of the condiments and enjoy right away.
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Brussels sprout leaves refer to the large leaves on top of the stalks, not to the small leaves that you get when you cut out the tiny cores. Look for them at your local farmers market and at farm stands, such as GreenString Farm in Petaluma.
Sautéed Brussels Sprout Leaves
Serves 3 to 4
1 large bunch of Brussels sprout leaves, rinsed
3 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed but not chopped
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper in a mill
- Red pepper flakes
- Lemon wedges
Set the leaves on a clean work surface, stacking several on top of each other. Use a very sharp knife to cut the leaves into ½-inch wide strips. Use your fingers to fluff them.
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