It's not easy being green, living in a house full of men.
But I still love them, the greens and the men.

Swiss Chard and Ricotta Crostata
From: Memories in the Baking

Crust:

1� cups AP flour
� cup grated Parmesan
Pinch kosher salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold butter, cut into �-inch pieces
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening, chilled

Filling:

Extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 bunch Swiss Chard, stems removed, leaves cut into 1-inch lengths
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and finely chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons water
Kosher salt
2 cups fresh ricotta
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 eggs
Pinch cayenne pepper
Egg wash: 1 egg, beaten with 2 tablespoons water

Crust:

Combine the flour, parmesan, salt, cayenne, butter and shortening in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons ice water over flour mixture. Adding up to a tablespoon of water and pulsing until dough just begins to come together. Gather dough into a ball and flatten into a 4-inch disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Filling:

Coat a large saute pan generously with olive oil. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and bring the pan to a medium heat. When the garlic becomes aromatic, add the leeks and 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and season with salt.

When the water has evaporated and leeks are soft, add the Swiss Chard leaves. Season the leaves with salt and saute until they are soft and wilted. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

In a large bowl combine the ricotta, Parmesan, eggs, cayenne and the Swiss chard mixture. Mix thoroughly. Adjust seasoning if needed.

Preheat the oven to 375� F.

To assemble:
Roll dough on a floured surface into a large circle about 1/4 to 1/8-inch thick. Transfer dough to a large sheet tray lined with parchment paper.

Put the filling in the center of the dough leaving a 3 to 4-inch border. Fold the edges up around the filling. Brush the dough with egg wash and bake in the preheated oven until crust is golden brown, about 45 to 50 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving, to allow the filling to firm up for easier slicing. Serve hot or at room temperature. Makes: 8 to 10 servings.

Note: I keep seeing the measurements in the recipe being replaced by funky symbols. If you're having the same problem, go here: Swiss Chard and Ricotta Crostata

Sol

AB, I forgot to add that I often cook lettuce as a side dish, and it's so delicious, that there are times I'll make a meal out of it.

I particularly crave Romaine lettuce. Grilled in the summer, but more often than not, chopped up and sautéed in a little butter or olive oil. And seasoned to taste.

I prefer its light, fresh taste better than any other greens I've ever tried.

I also have a recipe for lettuce that's actually baked in a mold. Simple, but it's too weird, even for me, so I haven't tried it yet.

Sol

I went to a raw "cooking" class last week and this was one of the featured recipes, it was one of the crowds favorite.

Mediterranean Kale Salad

2 small bunces dinosaur kale, stems removed
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T lemon juice
1/2 t sea salt
1/4 c pine nuts
1/4 c golden raisins soaked 10 minutes, drained and rinsed
fresh ground black papper to taste

Cut the kale into thin strips crosswise

Place the kale in a mixing bowl along with the olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Toss well with your hands working the dressing into the greens for about 5 minutes. Add the pine nuts and raisins and toss gently. Kale salad will keep for three days in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Oh, Sol! That is just breathtaking! Is that you're blog? I just love it. I'm following it now.

Jenny, Sol's blog is amazing. You won't find any better pictures than Sol's.

If you haven't visited Memories in the Baking you are in for a real treat.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sol's Blog

Sol it is always so nice when you post with those gorgeous photos!

I splurged on greens yesterday at the grocery store. Collards, beets and escarole, all $2.50/lb which is above my usual $2.00/lb. cutoff for fruits and vegetables. On the plus side though, a bag of brussel sprouts was $2.00/lb and they are usually $3.50/lb. As a side note, avocados have sadly gone above $1.00 each, which is my cutoff for them! We've been living high on the avocado for the past month! Radicchio was $5.50/lb.!! Needless to say I didn't get any of that, but fennel was $1.50/lb., which is practically unheard of, so I got some of that too. I'll be living high on the greens for the rest of this month. I want to try Alexa's collard greens recipe for dinner tonight. The escarole is for a soup recipe, along with the beet greens. Watch this space, lol! But my stuff won't be a elegant as Sol's or Ynnej's! I am a hash cook!

Woo hoo, I love greens. I just saw this thread, of course right as I need to rush out the door. I can't wait to get back tonight and read the thread and see what I can contribute! Thanks for picking this ingredient!

Sally

Oh Lpink - I'm sure you and BF will love the Southern Style... I was amazed how good it was! Oh, and since we did have some leftovers, DH finished them over a bowl of Garlic Smashed Potatoes... he was a happy man!

Alexa

Sol, I have so-o-o missed your posts and your beautiful photos.

jude

Sol, I have so-o-o missed your posts and your beautiful photos.

jude

Posted by jude31 "Sol, I have so-o-o missed your posts and your beautiful photos. jude"

You can say that again! :-)

Simply stunning. In addition to being able to create beautiful food, Sol is amazing in creating the right atmosphere for the beautiful food.

dcarch

So many great recipes above! We love kale chips but that is kinda boring!

How about Sausage, Cauliflower and Kale Potpie??

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed and meat broken into 3/4-inch pieces
2 medium onions, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
kosher salt and black pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 bunch kale, torn into bite-size pieces (about 10 cups)
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 small head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into florets
2 sheets puff pastry (one 17.3-ounce package), each cut into 4 rectangles

Directions:

Heat oven to 400F. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, tossing occasionally, until browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a large bowl.
Add the onions, rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the drippings in the skillet and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the broth and simmer until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the kale, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and cook, tossing, until the kale is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the kale mixture and cauliflower to the sausage and toss to combine. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch or some other 3-quart baking dish and top with the puff pastry, overlapping the rectangles slightly.

Bake until the pastry is golden and the filling is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes.

Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

By Dawn Perry and Charlyne Mattox, Real Simple March 2012

Sol, my jaw literally dropped when I saw your photo. Then I followed your link, and my jaw is still on the ground, making it very hard to type this. Wow!

I'm planning to keep this thread and cook my way through it like Julie did with Julia's book!

There's a recipe I used to make when my kids were little, and they loved it, even though it had turnip greens in it. I couldn't get them to eat turnip greens to save my or their lives, but with this recipe they did. Unfortunately, I don't know where I have it, but I'll try to remember it. I've been making a vegetarian version of it for years, but when they were little, I made it the original way. It came from a magazine, probably Woman's Day, way back in the 1980's. I don't even remember the name of the recipe. The recipe calls for canned black-eyed peas, which makes it a good quick supper recipe, but I'm sure you could use all fresh ingredients if you wish. This makes a thick stew kind of dish.

Turnip Greens and Black-eyed peas

1 kielbasa or smoked sausage, cut into bite size pieces
2 15 oz. cans black-eyed peas, drained
1 28 oz. can tomatoes
1 16 oz. bag frozen turnip greens
lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients and heat till done. Add a squeeze of lemon juice just before serving. Season to taste. I don't remember if I sauteed the sausage before adding it, but I think I just added everthing into a pot.

To make it vegetarian (which my dh doesn't like nearly as well, but I like it (grinning thinking about the lying vegan thread!), omit the sausage, and use olive oil for the fat - a couple of tablespoons is good. I add a very small amount, maybe 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of liquid smoke to get that smokey flavor that the sausage gives the meat version.

If I find the original recipe, I'll check to make sure I didn't make a mistake on this.

Sally

Y'all can really be a good influence! Yesterday at the grocery store I bought a big bag of frozen chopped spinach (on sale!), a head of cabbage (.25 a lb.), and a bag of chopped collards. Those plus a pack of frozen sugar snap peas and 2 bags of carrots (.57 per lb. bag), sweet potatoes and a couple of baking potatoes kept my focus on buying more vegetables than meat. I did a freezer inventory last weekend and saw that I need to use up the meat in my freezer before I buy more.

Today I'm making a spinach and cheese quiche for dinner tonight and lunch on Meatless Monday. I also plan to try a bean/sausage/greens recipe on Kalyn's Kitchen blog that I found this past week.

Teresa

Here is a link that might be useful: Sausage, Beans, and Greens crock pot recipe

Sally2, I'm perusing Sol's site as I type this. I LOVE the way you write, Sol. Very very funny and witty, I'm laughing, sitting here with my coffee.

Thanks for your recipes, your photography and your blog.

I got to thinking, and that recipe I posted above probably had an onion in it. I'd probably saute the onion, then the sausage, then add the other ingredients - after draining excess fat, of course. Sorry about the omission.

Sally

I love this salad. I can't say that about many salads. This is my version of the house salad at Vittorio's in Toronto.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Vittorio's Spinach Salad
========================
Washed and dried spinach (Baby)

4 hard boiled eggs, peeled

4 or 5 cleaned mushrooms, sliced

1 can of artichoke hearts halved or quartered

3 Roma tomatoes, quartered

2 chopped green onions

Kalamata olives
Dressing

1/4 teaspoon tarragon
1/2 clove of garlic
2 or 3 tablespoons wine vinegar
1/2 cup homemade mayo or Hellmans
Salt and pepper
. Place spinach in a large salad bowl. Decorate with eggs, mushrooms,
artichoke hearts, tomatoes and green onions and olives.

Drizzle with dressing and toss.

Can be made on individual plates as well.

Dressing

Soak tarragon and garlic in vinegar. Add salt to dissolve.

Mix vinegar mixture into mayonnaise and adjust seasoning to taste.

Inspired by this thread, I tried sauteeing some romaine lettuce last night. Simply washed the greens, cut them crossways so you had about an inch of stem flanked by some curly greens, and sauteed them in a little butter/evoo mix until the greens were a little wilted.

Fantastic! Needed no accompaniment, though I bet a little freshly grated parmesan would do great on it.

Ann, that dressing sounds amazing. Sol, your blog is just wonderful, and I can practically hear your voice as you read. You have a terrific writing style. My husband showed up with a big bunch of beets for me this Valentine's Day. He knows me too well.

Beet Green and Sage Pesto with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

This was the first time I've tried slow-roasted tomatoes. What a difference! I don't think I'll ever go back to sundried.

I've got cabbage and leeks in the slow-cooker now, with a bit of chicken broth. When it's cooked, a cream sauce gets made for it. I'll let you know how we like it.

Every time I read this thread, I drool. Imagine, drooling over greens. But I've always loved greens. As a child, spinach was my favorite vegetable. I even ate the stuff the school cafeteria passed off as spinach - that's how much a spinach-aholic I am.

Here's a recipe I tried last night. Yesterday I was weeding my garden, thinking about this cookalong, and kept eyeing the beet greens. I have some beets left over from fall or even last spring, where the beets are way too mature to eat, but they keep producing nice greens. So, I decided to try a recipe from Annie Somerville's cookbook, Fields of Greens. I thought it an appropriate cookbook for this cookalong. In case anyone doesn't already know, beets and Swiss chard are very closely related. I use their greens interchangeably. So, for last night, I subbed beet greens for the Swiss chard called for in the recipe. I also used regular raisins, since we didn't have the currents or golden raisins on hand, and I didn't want to go to the store. I think regular raisins are just fine in this recipe, and I don't even like raisins. I did feel like cooking and having fun with my grandson, so we made pasta from scratch. He had fun feeding the pasta dough through the machine! It's not necessary to make it from scratch at all, as the note that goes with the recipe indicates.

Sorry, I forgot about picture taking until it was all gone.

Fettuccine with Swiss Chard, Currants, Walnuts, and Brown Butter

from Fields of Greens, New Vegetarian Recipes from the Celebrated Greens Restaurant, by Annie Somerville

Serves two to four

We use fresh fettuccine here, but penne is also a delicious pasta choice. It can be cooked in advance, tossed with a little olive oil, and reheated with the sauce, a make-ahead technique that works well for this dish.

1/3 cup brown butter (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon dried currants
2 tablespoons golden raisins
1 bunch of red or green Swiss chard, about 8 cups packed leaves
1 tablespoon light olive oil
1/2 medium -size red onion, thinly sliced, about 1 cup
Salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 pound fresh fettuccine
1/3 cup walnut pieces, toasted
Grated parmesan cheese

Make the brown butter and keep it warm over very low heat. Set a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Plump the currants and golden raisins in a small bowl covered with 1/4 cup hot water. Trim the stems from the chard and slice across the leaves to make 2-inch-wide ribbons.

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan; add the onion, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a few pinches of pepper. Saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the onion softens and begins to release its juices. Add the garlic, chard, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes, until the chard is just barely tender, then reduce the heat to low.

When the water boils, add 1 teaspoon salt. Add the fettuccine to the boiling water, timing it to finish cooking with the chard. (The chard should be very tender but not overcooked when the pasta is done.) When the pasta is just tender, drain it immediately in a colander, shake off excess water, and add it to the onions and chard, along with the plumped fruit, walnuts, and brown butter. Toss together and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.

Variation: We often make this pasta with a mixture of winter greens - spinach, Swiss chard, and kale make a particularly satisfying combination. Kale is the slowest cooking of the greens, so add it to the onions 2 or 3 minutes before the chard. The spinach can be wilted quickly, so add it just before tossing with the cooked pasta.

Brown Butter

The time and attention needed to make brown butter are minimal - just be sure to use unsalted butter and remove it from the heat before its warm amber color begins to darken. The butter will hold indefinitely in the refrigerator, so make enough to have on hand when you need it.

1/2 pound unsalted butter

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. As the butter gently simmers, the butter fat and mil solids will separate from each other. The solids will settle to the bottom of the pan, coloring the butter as it cooks. When it turns a rich amber color, in about 8 to 10 minutes, remove from the heat. Line a fine-mesh strainer with a paper towel or cheesecloth and pour the butter through it, straining out the solids. The butter can be used immediately or cooled and refrigerated in a sealed container.

Makes about 3/4 cup.

One additional note from me. I doubled this recipe to make enough to serve 5 as a main dish. I doubled the amount of brown butter, which I think was a mistake - it was too greasy. If doubling, I'd suggest using just a little more brown butter rather than doubling it.

Sally

That sounds really good, Sally! I've got a few beet greens left over and I think I might try this.

This is by far my favorite thing to make with kale. An Irish dish that is bright green, perfect for St. Patrick's Day.

Colcannon

kale
potatoes -- Not the waxy red ones. Yukon Golds are especially good. But russet types, being drier, let you use more of the scallion-infused milk.
scallions
milk
butter

Wash the kale and strip out the tough stems. Cook it in a large pot of boiling water until tender. (This keeps it bright green. Steam it if you insist.)
Drain the kale; when it's cool enough, squeeze it to get out as much water as you can.
Chop it finely. I like a knife chop, but if your kids will be put off by "pieces" you can process it.
Meanwhile, boil peeled potatoes until tender.
Heat some milk with finely sliced or chopped scallions. Use some butter and the scallion milk to mash the potatoes.
Serve with a good-sized pat of butter.

Little kids will eat a lot of "green mashed potatoes."

The recipe should say to add the cooked chopped kale to the mashed potatoes.

Ynnej I would love it if you would post the recipe for the beet green pesto and also the slow roasted tomatoes. I tried doing some roasted cherry tomatoes a couple of weeks ago, they were good but I don't think I roasted them quite right.

Sally2 I'm like you, I would love to cook my way through this post. Unfortunately, my rate of participation on this Cookalong has slowed due to my ruining my oven's computer once again, and this time I think for good. Last time it healed itself after a few weeks, but last time the clock at least kept working. Now it seems to be dead as a doorknob. I've already researched fixing it and getting a new stove, so it's just a matter of time before I get the new stove. Meanwhile, I'm a stovetop cook. Also, I've been under the weather for a couple of days, so not much cooking going on and then there will be stuff to do to make up for my lost work time.

Meanwhile, here's the soup I made last weekend. It's kind of hard core vegetarian and you'll love it if you love the combo of beans, butternut squash and greens. It's a good healthy and colorful starter for a Mediterannean type meal.

Butternut Squash Greens Soup
(Lpink's adaptation of a recipe she got off a recipe card she got at some grocery store ages ago.)

1 TBLSP of extra virgin olive oil (or less) for sauteeing
1/2 cup each diced onion and celery (you could probably use fennel in place of celery. Omit celery if using beet greens, use the beet stems instead. White onions are good, I also like this soup with red onions, they're colorful).
Bunch of fresh greens, about 1 1/2 cooked cups worth. I most often use beet greens and the amount is what comes from a bunch of beets. I have also used frozen chopped greens for this dish, such as frozen kale or frozen spinach.
1 1/2 cups butternut squash (I just use a 10 oz. block of the Bird's Eye frozen pureed butternut squash).
3-4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 can small white beans (I usually use canelinni)
1/4 cup chives (I often use 3 scallions or 1/8 cup dried chives when I don't have fresh chives)
1/2 - 1 tsp. good italian seasoning
1 dash balsamic vinegar (slightly more than 1 tsp.)
salt and pepper to taste

Sautee onion, celery in oil until translucent. Add greens and cook until wilted. Add 2 cups broth and bring to a simmer. Add the block of frozen butternut squash. (You can microwave it to thaw it out if you want, or use 1.5 cups fresh squash, cooked and pureed). Cook until squash is combined. Add one can of beans, rinsed, and the italian seasoning. Add more broth until the soup reaches the consistency you like (1-2 more cups). Add scallions or chives and simmer 10 min. Adjust seasoning with a healthy dose of salt and pepper. Add a dash of balsamic vinegar. Taste and adjust additional seasonings to taste as you wish. Serve with croutons floating in the soup and a dusting of parmesean cheese.

Here's a pic. I was almost out of soup and out of croutons by the time I remembered to take a photo.

Oh I forgot to add GARLIC in the soup recipe. The original recipe doesn't call for it, but I think a little bit is OK. I just add a dash of garlic powder, but you could add 1-2 cloves minced garlic in with the onions.

Garlic is non-negotiable in my book! I put it in just about everything. For slow-roasted tomatoes, I just halve them, toss them in a little oil with salt, pepper, and thyme and heat in 220 oven for 2-3 hours. Here is the Beet Green Pesto Recipe.

Beet Green and Sage Pesto

2 cups chopped beet greens, center ribs removed
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup sage leaves
1 cup fresh grated parmesan
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp pepper, or to taste
2 tbsp water
1/2 cup olive oil+ more for frying

Add enough oil to coat a large frying pan and bring to medium low heat. Add beet greens and cook until wilted. Let cool. Add walnuts to food processor and grind until fine, then add cooked greens and all other ingredients, streaming in olive oil at the end.

Oh, that's what I did wrong with the tomatoes, I fast roasted them, in the oven at 400 for about 15 min. They tasted good but burst out of their skins leaving sad little skin curls in the pan.

And the skin's the best part! I wouldn't say you did it wrong, though. Slow-roasted is just a completely different outcome- like sundried tomatoes, only juicier.

Lpink - I posted the Kale and Chicken Stew recipe ~ I am glad you and BF love it ~ we feel the same ~ can't make it often enough!

I found this recipe when searching for ways to cook kale.
We thought it was delicious.
Changes I made:
I use a Rotisserie chicken & homemade chicken broth I had in the freezer. I also added Trader Joe's Everyday Seasonings - so season with your favorite spices.

Potatoes I used: Yukon golds, Red potato, Russet, and an all purpose white. Scrubbed and did not peel. Roast on some nonstick aluminum foil.

I always rinse & drain the beans.

I cooked it early and let it sit to meld the flavors.
It is going to be a favorite comfort food this year as the weather turns cold.

Kale and Chicken Stew
Serves 6-8

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 medium mixed potatoes; diced (I used Yukon gold, red and purple)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
4 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion; chopped
1 large shallot; minced
2 carrots; peeled and diced
6 cups chicken stock
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese; finely grated
5 cups chopped kale
15-ounce can cannellini beans; drained
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan. Rub with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. In a separate sheet pan, toss the potatoes with olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat. Cover and set aside.

Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and shallot and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the carrots and cook 15 minutes until softened. Add in chicken stock, thyme, chicken, potatoes, Parmesan, salt and pepper bring to a simmer. Add the kale and beans and simmer for another 20 minutes, until the kale is tender and the beans are hot.

Related: Five Ways to Eat: Kale

Rebekah Peppler
November 2, 2010 06:00PM

Lpink, that soup sounds delicious. So does the pesto, Ynnej. I'll have to make some of that.

Sally

Jenny, you're sweet; thank you! I followed the link to your wonderful blog, and I'm looking forward to trying your dishes on my boy, a vegetarian who hates vegetables :)

Thank you Ann, Lpink, Jude, Sally and Dcarch for your very kind words!
Your comments may just turn me into a Peanuts character, big head, tiny body.

I apologize for the lack of new blog entries. The blog was accidentally deleted by Blogger recently, and even though they brought most of it back, I've been busy doing damage control. I hope to get it up and running by this weekend.

It has been an unusually-mild winter this year, and I've been craving more greens than ever before. So, I'm saving this entire thread and the delicious photos.

Arley, I've taken note of the parmesan tip on the cooked romaine!

Sol

Great minds think alike! Cooking Light has kale recipes today.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cooking Light - 14 Kale Recipes

This was very good!

Chowhound's Garlic and Smoky Greens Soup w/Poached Egg.

3 large garlic heads
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
2 medium leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced crosswise (white and pale green parts only)
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 medium russet potato, peeled and medium dice
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, plus more as needed
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
12 ounces kale, tough stems removed and leaves cut into 1/2-inch slices (about 4 cups)
1 cup water
4 poached eggs (optional)

Prep
Heat the oven to 375F and arrange a rack in the middle.

Peel any loose outer skins from the garlic heads and cut off the top quarter of each head to expose the cloves. Place the garlic heads, cut side up, on a large piece of foil, drizzle 1 tablespoon of the oil over all 3 heads, and wrap tightly to form a foil packet. Place the packet on a baking sheet and bake until the garlic cloves are golden brown and very tender, about 60 to 75 minutes. Remove from the oven, open the packet, and let the garlic sit until cool enough to handle. Squeeze the roasted cloves from their skins and place in a small bowl; set aside.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the leeks, bay leaves, and rosemary, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until the leeks have begun to soften and the herbs are fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add the potato, roasted garlic, and paprika, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until a bit of crust begins to form on the bottom of the pan, about 10 minutes. Add the broth and, using a wooden spoon, loosen the crusty bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a tightfitting lid, and let simmer until the potatoes are knife tender, about 15 minutes.

Discard the bay leaves and remove the pan from the heat.

Using a blender, puree the soup in batches until smooth, removing the small cap from the blender lid (the pour lid) and covering the space with a kitchen towel (this allows steam to escape and prevents the lid from popping off). Place the blended soup in a clean saucepan. (Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the original saucepan.)

Return the soup to a simmer over low heat. Add the kale and water and stir to combine. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender but still brightly colored, about 10 to 12 minutes. Taste and add more paprika, salt, and pepper as needed.

Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with olive oil, season with pepper, and top with a poached egg if desired.

Link has two other soups - one with bok choy wontons which sounds like another one to make!

Here is a link that might be useful: Soups with Greens from Chowhound

Cooking Light just posted 14 tasty kale recipes for those interested.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cooking Light Kale Recipes

What a great Cookalong thread! I haven't been on line much lately but have been eating my greens. I made Chi83's Massaged Kale & Avocado Salad and it was excellent.

CC, I haven't made Colcannon for a couple of years. Thanks for the reminder since I just bought 10 lbs. of potatoes.

I also made some chard soup.

CHARD AND SAUSAGE SOUP

1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed, crumbled
1 Tbs. chopped garlic
1 pound Swiss chard, trimmed and coarsely chopped
4 to 5 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup broken (1 inch) pieces capellini or vermicelli pasta
4 slices crusty French or Italian bread, 1/2 inch thick
4 tsp. olive oil
4 tsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat a large saucepot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, stirring and chopping to break up clumps, until browned, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Add chard and broth and bring to boiling. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, then bring back to a boil. Add pasta, cover and boil 2-4 minutes or until pasta is done.

Meanwhile, heat broiler. Broil bread slices on cookie sheet about 1 minute per side, until toasted. Drizzle each slice with 1 tsp. oil; sprinkle each with 1 tsp. grated Parmesan.

Divide soup among 4 large soup bowl and top each with prepared toast. Serves 4

I had more chard left so tonight made these sci-fi-looking blobs on a flying saucer of Hollandaise.

No real recipe but I blanched the chard leaves in the microwave and put them in greased custard cups with the ends of the leaves hanging over the sides.

Then I added a filling of cooked basmati rice, cubes of cooked chard stems and golden beets, parsley, S&P, some grated Parmesan and a beaten egg white to bind.

After covering the rice mixture with the overhanging chard leaf pieces, I baked them in a pan of hot water at 350 for about 20-25 minutes. I let them cool for about 3 minutes before inverting onto the plates.

DH loved his greens "surprise package".

The chard bundles are very creative, Ruthanna! That chard and sausage soup sounds good to me - if/when we get some more cold weather.

Who knew we loved our greens so much?

Teresa

Tonight I tried Italian Style Braised Spinach. I found the lemon juice to be overpowering/odd. I think it would have been fine, otherwise.

Here is the recipe

1 1/4 pounds fresh spinach
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt (I used Kosher salt)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

1. Trim away stems from the spinach and wash well. Do not dry; allow water to cling to the leaves.

2. Heat olive oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add shallots and garlic and cook 2 - 3 minutes, or until shallots are tender, stirring frequently.

3. Place spinach in pan. Drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and cook 10 minutes, sirring occasionally. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts.

Here is a link that might be useful: Italian Style Braised Spinach

Today is the last day for posting recipes if you want to be in tonights drawing for choosing the next Cookalong ingredient.

I will draw a name tonight and post it tomorrow.

Hurry up! This has been a great Cookalong.

Nancy

Here is a side dish we cooked for the Colonial Tavern Dinner. It was well received by the guests.

Sauteed Parsnips w/ Winter Greens
1 lb parsnips-peeled and cut into 1" pieces
1/2 lb bacon
2 cloves garlic-minced
1 large sweet onion-thinly sliced
butter(for caramelizing the onion)
2 generous cups baby spinach
2 generous cups chard-rough chop
salt and pepper to taste

Par boil parsnips til fork tender. Drain.
Meanwhile, fry bacon til crisp in pan. Remove bacon, drain on paper towels. Heat separate pan. Add butter and onions. Saute til caramelized. Set aside.
Saute parsnips in bacon drippings til golden brown on all sides. The last few minutes of cooking, add the greens and garlic to the parsnips. Salt and pepper to taste. Add sauteed onions, crumble bacon on top and serve. Makes 4-6 servings.

Since the topic is greens, I should mention Gruna Dunaschdawk - Green Thursday in the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect. It's the day before Good Friday and the tradition is to eat greens on that day as a Spring tonic.

If the date coincides, it's usually baby dandelion greens wilted with hot bacon dressing. They must be picked before blossomming, when the taste becomes too bitter to be eaten raw.

When the dandelions are at the right stage (only for about 2 weeks), dozens of churches have ham and dandelion dinners as a fund raiser.

In our house, spring dandelion greens were topped with sliced hard-boiled eggs and topped with this dressing:

DANDELION OR LEAF LETTUCE DRESSING

1/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt.

Mix all ingredients. Pour over 3 - 4 cups of greens and 2 sliced hard-boiled aggs. Add pepper to taste. You can also add a few pinches of dried mustard to the cream before mixing.

Thanks, Nancylouise. I'll figure out a vegetarian way to cook that - maybe saute the parsnips in butter instead of bacon. It does sound good. All these recipes sound good.

Sally

Ready for the next Cookalong?

I need someone to pick the next subject.........

*********** jude31 *****************

will you please do us the honor?

I'll watch for you to post your choice here and also watch my email if you have any questions.
Then I'll set up the next Cookalong (you don't have to do that part).

Nancy

When I need bacon flavor in a vegetarian dish, I just sprinkle a little of the "bacon bits" made out of TVP. Very little though, they are salty and have more flavor per "bit" than bacon would.

I finished off the Cookalong last night by making Alexa's recipe for collards, albeit with a small amount of turkey kielbasa instead of the ham hock. I made it in the crockpot, as one burner is out on my stove and this was a stove-intensive meal. It was yum. I had never made fresh collards before. I liked them a lot, but they are kinda pricey (compared to spinach and kale) so I might not eat them very often. I served the collards with a blackeyed pea stew that BF made with red and green pepper, zuchinni, onion and fire roasted tomatoes. It was FAB, and so colorful! Wish I had taken a photo. That got served over cheesy polenta, to use up some asiago I had languishing in the fridge. Definately a keeper meal and will make again, although next time in may be with kale.

Tonight is brussel sprouts. Then I just need to find a way to use up the bottoms of the beets and I will have finished using up all the produce I got for the Cookalong. I am so weird, I have LOVED this cookalong, with all the vegetables that most people turn their noses up at! I hardly ever eat them even though I like them, since they are usually outside my budget. So for me, these two weeks have been a luscious treat!

Oh, and here's a freeby for the beets that go with beet greens.

Syrian Beet salad (from "Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special" cookbook)

2 quarts water
3 large beets
1 TBLSP chopped chives (or 3 scallions)
2 TBLSP chopped cilantro (or parsley with some ground corriander seed)
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 fresh chili, seeded if you want milder, minced (about 1 TBLSP). I often have to use a healthy dash of Aleppo pepper instead
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 TBLSP lemon juice (or cider vinegar)
3 TBLSP EVOO
1 tsp. salt or to taste

In a large pot, bring water to boil. Wash and scrub beets well. Cut beets into quarters and ease into boiling water. Turn to simmer and cook until tender and easily pierced with a knife. Alternately, you can cut the beets into 1/8ths and coat with salt and EVOO and roast at 400 for about 1/2 hour. Put a little veg or chicken broth in the bottom of the pan to prevent the beets from drying out.

Cool the beets. Peel the beets after they cool and dice into bite sized pieces. Combine other ingredients into dressing and pour over beets. Chill at least 30 min. before serving. Good cold or at room tem.

I serve over a lettuce salad with goat's milk feta, chopped walnuts, and maybe some sliced cuke, pepper or celery. Can also top with sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds if your are into the anti-oxidant craze. Can sub blue cheese for feta, but not as authentic, IMHO.

Ruthanna, I just wanted to share some dandelion trivia. Yeah, gotta get the leaves early before they become bitter. But I find the name interesting; if you hold a dandelion leaf sideways, it sort of looks like teeth. Someone thought it looked like a lion's dentition, so you get the French 'dent de lion' which got corrupted into the English 'dandelion'.

But what I find funny is the other French term for it: 'pissenlit' which can be translated as 'wet the bed', for its alleged diuretic properties.

Appetizing, eh?

Okay, Nancy, here goes nothing! I choose pork,for Cookalong #42, which I believe is the first meat choice for a cookalong.

jude

Thank you jude!

I can't wait to see the recipes, pork just might be my favorite meat.

Nancy

Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #42 ----PORK

I had fun preparing a different variation of Solthumper's Swiss Chard and Ricotta Crostata. I used store bought ricotta, beet greens from my garden, and onions instead of leeks, since I had them on hand. I would love to make it exactly like the original recipe, with freshly made ricotta and with leeks, and especially with the cayenne and red pepper flakes. I left them out due to a four year old that is very sensitive to spices. Soo, of course it wasn't the same, but similar. It was good, but the ricotta had a grainy texture. I wonder if home made ricotta would have that same texture. Anyway, it was good, and worth doing again the right way. Oh, and I plan to use that crust recipe for other things, too. It was delicious and flakey.

Sally

I just tried tonight the Kale and White Bean Soup that annie1992 posted. It was very good! Thanks! I have been thinking for a long time I would like to try various greens. My husband does the weekend shopping. I put kale and the spicy sausage on the list. The store didn't have the sausage the recipe asked for; so he just winged it and picked something. Neither one of us knew what to expect, having never tried kale; and we don't eat sausage, either. We sat down to eat, wondering if all that chopping effort would be worth it. We were both pleasantly surprised to find we liked it a lot. I had always thought kale was supposed to be bitter or cabbage-y tasting (I do not like cabbage), but it was mild and tasty, with more character than spinach, the only green I have put into soup this far. The sausage added just a little bit and a savory accent.

Linnea, I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I like that soup a lot, but I like greens, even cabbage. I grew kale for the first time this year and was surprised at how well it grew and how mild it was. I'll definitely grow more next year.

Annie