Why you should give the earthy flavor of mustard greens a chance

Valentine’s Day may make a fetish out of the color red, but spring fever, that intoxicating rush of anticipation that fills our veins as the days lengthen, is yellow.

Nearly every meadow, field, pasture and dormant vineyard breaks out in a bright yellow fever as mustard, ubiquitous throughout the North Bay, bursts into bloom, a happy harbinger of the coming season. The patient mustard seed can wait through drought, fire, flood and other extreme conditions and still bloom, sometimes dozens of years after it first fell from its fading flower.

The mustard we see growing everywhere is, for the most part, wild. The greens are edible when harvested young and tender, and the flowers are wonderful in bouquets. But as for the condiment, commercial mustards do not come from our soil.

The commercial mustard industry requires thousands of tons of mustard seed, and it takes about 70,000 seeds to make a single pound of mustard. Most of the world’s commercial mustard seed is grown in central Canada, in vast fields spanning miles.

Of course, the condiment mustard is much more popular than mustard greens. But if you love the flavor of mustard, don’t overlook mustard greens or mustard sprouts, both which have mustard’s characteristic flavors of bright heat and earthy savor.

Today’s recipes highlight these ingredients.

This simple soup highlights the spark of heat in mustard flavor, echoed by a cooling sauce drizzled on top. Mustard lovers will adore this, and it might win converts, too.

Mustard Greens Soup with Mustard Yogurt Sauce

Makes 6 to 8 servings

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, minced

1 small carrot, peeled and minced

6 garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt

Black pepper in a mill

2½ pounds potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced

3 cups chicken stock

1 large bunch mustard greens, big stems discarded

Olive oil

2 generous handfuls of young spinach leaves

1 cup, loosely packed, Italian parsley leaves, chopped

Mustard Yogurt Sauce (see recipe, below)

Mustard flowers, for garnish, if available

Heat 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 half the garlic and sauté 2 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Add the potatoes to the pot, stir and add the chicken stock and enough water to completely cover the potatoes by about 2 inches.

Increase the heat, bring the liquid to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

While the potatoes cook, prepare the greens. Set the mustard greens on a clean work surface and cut them into ½-inch crosswise slices.

Pour a little olive oil into a large sauté pan set over medium heat, add the mustard greens and cook, turning gently, until they begin to wilt. When they are almost fully wilted, add the spinach and cook 2 minutes more. Add the remaining garlic and the parsley, turn two or three times and remove from the heat.

When the potatoes are almost tender, add the greens and cook 5 minutes more or until both the greens and the potatoes are tender.

Remove from the heat, taste and correct for salt and pepper.

Leave the soup chunky or, if you prefer, purée it with an immersion blender. Ladle into soup bowls and drizzle a generous spoonful of sauce over top. If you have mustard flowers, add a few petals on top and enjoy right away.

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This sauce is as versatile as it is easy to make. I almost always use a good Dijon, but you can use whatever style of mustard you prefer.

Mustard Yogurt Sauce

Makes about 1 cup

¾ cup plain whole-milk yogurt

¼ cup mustard of choice

Kosher salt, as needed

Black pepper in a mill

Put the yogurt into a small bowl, add the mustard and stir well. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Use right away or keep in the refrigerator, covered, for up to a week.

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This salad is bright and lively, with an engaging interplay of flavors. To turn it into a main course, add seared and sliced duck breast or grilled and sliced chicken breast on top, before adding the sauce.

Seared Oranges with Braised Mustard Greens

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Braised Mustard Greens

2 tablespoons pure olive oil

6 Cara Cara oranges, peeled and cut into ½-inch thick slices

Freshly ground black pepper

¾ cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 tablespoon low-salt soy sauce

1 to 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Prepare the greens, set them on a serving platter and keep warm.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet until very hot. Add the orange slices, just a few at a time, being sure not to crowd the pan. Sear quickly, turn and sear on the second side, for a total cooking time of just 45 to 60 seconds.

Add the seared oranges to the plate with the braised greens and continue until all the oranges have been cooked.

Sprinkle the oranges with several turns of black pepper and keep them warm.

Working quickly, pour the orange juice into the skillet and deglaze the pan over medium heat. Add the soy sauce and reduce by half.

Stir in the mustard to taste and pour the sauce over everything.

Enjoy right away, as a first course or side dish.

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These greens make a delicious side dish, especially with roasted chicken and roasted pork tenderloin.

Braised Mustard Greens

Serves 4 to 6

2 tablespoons butter or bacon fat

1 large bunch mustard greens, trimmed and cut into crosswise slices

Crushed red pepper flakes

Kosher salt

Apple cider vinegar

Put the fat into a heavy sauté pan set over medium heat. When it is melted, add the greens. Turn to coat them in the fat, cover and cook very gently until wilted, about 10 minutes.

Uncover, check for tenderness, sprinkle with pepper flakes to taste, season with salt, toss and continue to cook until very tender. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve right away, with apple cider vinegar alongside.

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Mustard sprouts are easy to grow at home and are quite delicious, with a bright mustardy flavor and a bit of heat. If you don’t want to wait the three to four days it takes to grow the sprouts, you can make this salad using radish sprouts or onion sprouts, both of which are often available at farmers’ markets.

Mustard Sprout and Farro Salad

Serves 6 to 8

2½ cups farro, soaked in water overnight, drained

Kosher salt

Juice of 2 lemons, plus more as needed

1 bunch (8 to 10) radishes, preferably French Breakfast variety, trimmed

3 scallions, white and green parts only, very thinly sliced

8 ounces Bulgarian or French feta, drained and crumbled

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

Black pepper in a mill

1 cup mustard sprouts (see note below)

Put the drained farro in a medium saucepan, add water to cover plus 2 inches, stir in 1 generous tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Skim off any foam that forms on top. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the farro is tender but toothsome, about 30 minutes or a bit longer.

Drain, transfer to a wide and shallow serving bowl, drizzle with lemon juice and let cool for 15 minutes. Cover with a tea towel for up to 2 hours.

To finish the salad, shave the radishes as thinly as possible and add them to the bowl of farro, along with the scallions and crumbled feta. Add the olive oil and toss gently.

Taste for acid balance, adding a bit more lemon if it is not tart enough or a bit more olive oil if it is too tart. Correct for salt and season with several generous turns of black pepper. Add the mustard sprouts, toss a time or two and enjoy right away.

Note: To make mustard sprouts, soak 2 or 3 tablespoons of mustard seeds in water overnight. Wet a tea towel thoroughly with water and wring it out so it is still fairly wet but not dripping. Fold it and place it in an oblong glass dish (9 inches by 13 inches is ideal). Drain the seeds and spread them between the layers of the towel. Set it in a warm but not hot area and keep moist for 3 to 4 days. By the fourth or fifth day, the sprouts should be about 1½ inches long and ready for harvest. Scoop them off the toweling and store in the refrigerator in a sealed container; use within 2 to 3 days.

Michele Anna Jordan is the author of 24 books to date, including “The Good Cook’s Book of Mustard,” from which these recipes are adapted. Email her at michele@micheleannajordan.com.