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.

Put the olive oil into a deep sauté pan set over medium heat, add the garlic and let simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir and adjust the heat as necessary so that the garlic neither burns nor browns. Transfer the garlic to a work surface and either discard it or reserve it for another use.

Add the fluffed leaves, turn in the oil and cook until just wilted, about 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Season with salt, several turns of black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Remove from the heat.

Serve right away, with lemon wedges alongside.

Serving suggestions

Alongside roasted chicken

As a bed for sautéed fish

As a bed for roasted vegetables

Tossed with thin pasta (such as spaghettini) and finished with a grating of dry Jack or similar cheese.

Folded into a simple risotto

Atop creamy polenta, with or without grilled sausages.

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A raita is an Indian condiment, typically one of many served alongside curries.

Some are sweet, some are hot, some are tangy, some are a combination of all these flavors. This one is full of peppery flavors from both the pepper itself and the radishes, including the leaves.

You needn’t limit your enjoyment of a raita to Indian cuisine. This one is excellent atop potato soup or on a sandwich, especially of grilled lamb or roasted eggplant. It’s also great alongside almost any grilled meat or poultry.

Radish Leaf Raita

Makes about 2 cups

1 bunch radishes, trimmed, leaves reserved

- Kosher salt

- Black pepper in a mill

½ teaspoon ground cayenne or other ground hot chili

1½ cups plain whole milk yogurt, such as Straus or Bellwether Farms Sheep Milk Yogurt

Cut the radishes into very small julienne, cut the julienned slices into small cubes and put them into a bowl.

Sort through the leaves and discard any that are discolored or wilted. Wash throughly and press in a clean tea towel to remove all the water. Chop well and add to the bowl with the radishes. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne or other chile. Add the yogurt, stir well, taste and correct the seasoning.

Use right away or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Stir before using.

Michele Anna Jordan is author of the new “Good Cook’s” series. Email her at michele@saladdresser.com or visit her blog at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com.