Awesome Collard Greens

• 1 lb collard greens (or 1/2 collards, 1/2 kale)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup prepared salsa or 1 chopped tomato
• 2-4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sea salt, to taste
• hot sauce, to taste

Wash greens in a colander. Chop into bite-sized pieces. Throw all ingredients into a large pot and cover. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, the reduce heat and simmer.Greens are done when they have shrunk down and are cooked through, usually about a half hour, but you can let it simmer much longer. Serve with its liquid.

SPICED TURNIPS

• 4 tablespoon Oil
• 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
• 2 Cloves garlic, sliced Lengthways
• 2 Dried chillies
• 1 teaspoon Fenugreek seeds
• 6 Curry leaves
• 6 small Young turnips
• Pinch of turmeric
• 1 teaspoon Salt

Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. When the oil is hot, remove the pan from the heat and add the cumin, garlic, chillies, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves. Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes. Peel and halve the turnips, then cut them into very fine slices. Season these slices with a pinch of turmeric and the salt, then add the turnips to the spices. Cook, covered for 5-10 minutes, making sure that the vegetables do not stick to the bottom of the pan. Keep the pan covered and leave over a very low heat for a few minutes. No water is needed to tenderise the turnips. Serve hot.

TURNIP, SWEET POTATO & BEET SALAD

Proportions of ingredients to taste:

• Turnips, cold boiled, diced
• Sweet potatoes, cold boiled, peeled, diced
• Beets, cold boiled, peeled, diced
• Lettuce

Homemade Mayonnaise dressing:
Mix 1 teaspoon of pepper, 2 teaspoons of mustard and 1 teaspoon of salt with 2 yolks of egg. Add ½ tablespoon of vinegar. Add 1.5 cups of olive oil gradually, stirring constantly. As soon as the mixture thickens, thin it with a little more vinegar. Proceed until two tablespoons of vinegar, and all the 1.5 cups of oil are used. If the oil is added too rapidly, mayonnaise will curdle. Smoothness can be restored by taking the yolk of another egg and adding to it little by little. The curdled mixture. Mayonnaise should be stiff enough to hold its shape.

On each plate place some leaves of lettuce. In the center place sweet potatoes and turnips. Cover with mayonnaise dressing. Decorate around the potatoes and turnips with the diced beets.

BEET GREENS & YOUNG BEETS

Select young beets when they are not larger than an English walnut; the tops will then be just the right age for this recipe. Wash thoroughly in several waters and examine each leaf for lurking worms. If one water through which it is passed is strongly salted, it will cause his wormship to leave the leaf at once.

Put them in enough slightly salted boiling water to well cover them and boil quickly until tender; it should require from thirty to forty-five minutes. Take them out of the kettle when done and plunge the beets only, not the tops, into very cold water, and the skins will very readily rub off with the fingers. Drain the greens and cut them up, not too fine; add a plenty of melted butter, a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice, and pepper and salt. Mix lightly, arrange them on a shallow, hot dish or platter, cut the beets in halves and lay them in a border around the greens. To make the dish more ornamental the beets may be alternated with slices of hardboiled egg, and a mayonnaise or boiled dressing passed with or poured over it.

Asian Spicy Gingered Greens

Adapted from Meals that Heal by Lisa Turner (Inner Traditions, 1996).This recipe adds Asian flavor and appeal to chard and mustard greens, both deeply nutritious foods packed with lutein, beta-carotene, and vitamins. It makes use of miso, the fermented soy paste that is a traditional - and tasty - ingredient of Asian cookery, exceptionally rich in phytochemicals. Even families who usually don't like greens will enjoy this delicious, healthful dish. (Please note that this recipe calls for honey, so even though it does not include dairy, it is not suitable for people who practice a strict vegan diet.) Simple Solution: printer friendly version

• 1 tablespoon light sesame oil
• 2 carrots, grated
• ¼ cup freshly-grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons tamari
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon mellow white miso(fermented soy paste, available at natural food stores or your supermarket)
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 pound chard, torn into large pieces
• 1 pound mustard greens, torn into large pieces
• ¼ cup sesame seeds
• ¼ cup water

In a medium pan, heat oil and saute carrots and ginger until carrots are tender. While carrots are cooking, in a small bowl combine tamari, honey, miso, vinegar, and cayenne pepper, adding water as needed to form a smooth paste. Add chard, mustard greens, and sesame seeds to pan with carrots, and cook until greens are just wilted. Add water and miso paste to vegetables, stirring well to coat all ingredients. May be served hot or well-chilled.Serves 4 to

BULL'S BLOOD BEETS IN ORANGE GINGER SAUCE

• Bull's Blood Beets, sliced thinly (1/8 inch)
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon ginger root, minced

Mix orange juice, honey, ginger and balsamic vinegar. Put beets in sauce pan or large skillet. Add other ingredients. Cook until beets are heated through and glazed.

BUTTER FRIED PARSNIPS

• Parsnips
• Salt & Pepper to Taste
• 4 tablespoons Butter
• 1 tablespoons Parsley; Chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg

Wash, trim and scrape the parsnips. Cut into uniform pieces and boil in salted water, 25 to 30 minutes or until tender. Drain well, and let dry. Just before serving, heat the butter in a skillet and saute over moderate heat until light brown on all sides, letting the parsnips caramelize a little in their own sugar. Season with the nutmeg, salt and pepper and serve in a warm vegetable dish, garnished with parsley.

CHINESE CABBAGE SOUP

• 1 head green cabbage, finely shredded or chopped
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 16 to 28 ounces canned tomatoes, chopped with juices
• 2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
• 4 celery stalks with leaves, or cutting celery, chopped
• 6 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 pound green beans, stem ends snapped, sliced on the diagona
• Black pepper to taste
• Chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, sage, dill, cilantro, or thyme
• Garnish: Balsamic vinegar or lemon or lime juice, Minced fresh herbs, Chopped green onions

Place all the vegetables in a big soup pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and boil gently for 10 minutes. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until all the vegetables are soft. Stir in the black pepper and chopped herbs. This soup can be served hot or cold. It can be pureed or partially pureed to vary textures. It can be seasoned differently for variety, with balsamic vinegar, lemon or lime juice, different fresh herbs, or chopped green onions.

SIAMESE DRAGON (ASIAN GREENS) STIR FRY WITH DAIKON, ALMONDS & MISO SAUCE

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon miso
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• fresh stir fry greens
• daikon radish greens washed, trimmed, and cut in 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
• Daikon radish, sliced to bite-size
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Combine soy sauce, miso, and vinegar until smooth. Set aside. Heat wok over high heat. Add almonds and stir-fry quickly until fragrant and toasted, about 45 seconds. Remove. Add sesame oil to wok and heat. Add greens,daikon and ginger and stir-fry until tender, about 3 minutes. Drizzle with miso dressing and sprinkle with almonds. Serve immediately.

BAKED SCENTED BEETS & GREENS

• bunch of beets with greens
• 2 whole star anise "flowers" or 1/2 tsp anise or fennel seeds
• 1/2 T butter, unsalted
• fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375F. Trim off beet greens, leaving about 2 incehs of stem; reserve. Set each beet on a square of foil large enough to enclose it. Break star anise in half and place a piece on each square (or divide evenly among packets if using fennel or anise). Crimp each packet tightly to seal.Set beets in roasting pan and bake until tender when pierced through with knife tip, about 40 to 60 minutes. Meanwhile rinse greens thoroughly in cold, running water.Remove beets from oven and allow packets to cool a bit, then gently rub the skins off the beets while still enclosed in the foil. Discard skin and spices. Halve the beets.Steam greens until tender, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile heat beets in a sauce pan with the butter. Toss greens with lemon juice and mound on a plate. Spoon beets in the center and serve.

ITALIAN TURNIP SOUP

This elegant soup has a flavor that sharpens the appetite in unexpected ways.

• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound turnips, peeled and cut into a 1/2-inch dice
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup rice, arborio if you have it
• salt and pepper
• Garnish: minced parsley and 3/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan

Melt the butter and oil in a large saucepan and bring to a froth. Toss in the turnips and saute til brown, about 5 or so minutes. Pour in the broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook, covered, for about 10 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook, covered, over medium heat for about 15 minutes. When ready to serve, stir in salt and pepper to taste, then parsley and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Ladle into bowls and pass the extra Parmesan separately.

BRAISED TURNIP GREENS

Remove long stems and ribs of bunch of turnip greens. Plunge greens in large pot of boiling salted water, cook for 10 min. then remove to a bowl. Reserve half a cup of the cooking water. Heat 1/4 cup butter until the milk solids are brown, the aroma should be toasty & nutty. Add 1 onion, garlic & pepper flakes in a wide skillet over medium heat until onion is soft. Add the greens, the reserved water and 1 tsp. salt. Cook for 30 min and taste again for salt. They can use a lot. Serve with hot sauce (the vinegar and hot sauce sets off the greens perfectly).

Red Leaf Lettuce, Radish & Pine Nut Salad

• 5 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 cups shredded red-leaf lettuce plus 18 whole leaves for lining the plates (about 2 heads total), rinsed and spun dry
• 1 cup julienne strips of radish
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted lightly.

In a large bowl whisk together the vinegar and salt and pepper to taste, add the oil, whisking, and whisk the dressing until it is emulsified. Add the shredded lettuce, the radish, and the pine nuts and toss the salad well. Line each of 6 plates with 3 whole lettuce leaves and divide the salad among the plates.

Beet, Lemon, and Ginger Marmalade

from Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Cafe by Mollie Katzen (Hyperion). If you do not like beets, this will make a believer of you. If you do like beets, you will be in ecstasy. This delicious marmalade is sweetened with honey and flavored with ginger. It is very quick and simple to make and makes a great condiment for any savory dish.

• 1 pound cooked beets
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons light honey
• 2 to 3 Tablespoons chopped lemon zest
• 1/3 cup crystallized ginger

Peel and coarsely grate or mince the beets, and transfer to a medium-sized bowl. Add salt, lemon juice, honey, lemon zest, and ginger. Mix thoroughly. Transfer to a tightly capped jar. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks. Serve cold. Use this marmalade with any savory dish.

Radicchio Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

6 cups shredded or chopped radicchio

4 oz. feta cheese

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup pecans

Combine all ingredients in a large salad bowl. Toss with honey balsamic vinaigrette.

For the Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Whisk together all ingredients for the salad dressing in the order listed.

Rutabaga or Turnip Puff

• 4 cups cooked, mashed rutabaga, about 1 large (2 1/2 to 3 pounds) rutabaga
• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 teaspoon fresh chopped dill weed or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• dash pepper
• dash paprika
• 4 eggs, separated

Combine mashed rutabaga, butter, dill, salt, pepper, and paprika. Blend in egg yolks. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into the rutabaga mixture. Lightly pile into a greased 1 1/2-quart casserole. Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until set and top is golden brown. Spoon into a serving dish and serve.

Rutabaga Baked in Cheese Sauce

• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper
• 1 large rutabaga, diced and cooked (4 to 5 cups diced)
• 1/2 cup soft bread crumbs tossed with 1 tablespoon butter

Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat; stir in flour. Continue to cook and stir until smooth; gradually stir in milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add cheese and stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place rutabaga in a shallow, lightly buttered baking dish; pour sauce over rutabaga. Sprinkle with buttered bread crumbs. Bake at 400° for 15 to 20 minutes. Serves 6.

Roasted Beet Salad with Cilantro Dressing

• 3/4 cup walnuts
  
• beets, thoroughly washed
  
• 1 tablespoon butter
  
• 2 cups plain yogurt
  
• 1 minced hot green chile peppers
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  
• salt to taste
  
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  
• 1 red chili pepper, minced
  1. Spread walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast at 300 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes. Chop coarsely.
  2. Butter aluminum foil. Pierce beets with a fork, and wrap with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for up to 1 hour, or until tender. Cool.
  3. In a medium bowl, beat yogurt until smooth. Mix in green chile pepper, coriander, and walnuts. Season to taste with salt. Chill for 30 minutes.
  4. Peel beets (optional, if large), and quarter without cutting all the way through. Place in a serving dish, and spread open. Spoon dressing over beets, and garnish with cilantro, and minced red chile peppers.

Grilled Beets in Rosemary Vinegar

• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
  
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
  
• 1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence
  
• 3 medium beets, sliced into rounds
  

1. In a medium bowl, mix balsamic vinegar, rosemary, garlic, and herbes de Provence. Place beets in the mixture, and marinate at least 20 minutes.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil grate.
3. Place the beets and marinade mixture on a piece of foil large enough to wrap all ingredients, and seal tightly. Place the foil packet on the prepared grill, and cook 25 minutes, or until beets are tender.
4. Remove beets from the packet, and place directly on the grill grate for 2 to 5 minutes before serving hot.