Amaranth Leaves Thokku

Fresh amaranth leaves from the farmers market is something I am getting used to, but soon will have to let go as the fall rolls in and fresh produce tapers out when the farmers market closes for the season.

Thokku is a south Indian catch-all term that is used to refer to sautéed grated vegetables packed with flavor. My favorite is spicy Chilli Thokku, but, I make thokku out of just about anything, including Kohlrabi, Mango, Green Papaya Thokku which was all the rage last year and the year before when I canned a few jars of them.


Preparation:

1. Chop up the amaranth leaves finely, even run them in a blender till they feel pasty. 
2. Heat some oil in a pan, add some mustard seeds and when they pop, add the prepared amaranth; add in some salt, chili powder, turmeric powder, tamarind paste, white vinegar, and a hint of brown sugar and allow to cook over medium heat, stirring frequently
3. Continue cooking, adding a bit more oil as needed till amaranth is fully cooked and the flavors meld
4. Cool and store in a mason jar in the fridge, or can it in boiling water bath

Cauliflower Leaves Tostada

Much like Collard (aka 'Colewort' greens of Brassica oleracea, variety acephala) greens that have sturdy stems and thick leaves that are chockful of vitamins, my favorite this year has been Cauliflower greens from the home garden.

Being of the same family, these cauliflower leaves also are sturdy and nutritionally packed, and have similar flavor and texture as collard greens when cooked.

Sautéed with onions and home-garden cherry tomatoes, these cauliflower greens were a perfect topping to spread on tostada to snack on some days back.

Amaranth Greens Rutabaga Beets Chard Spicy Ethiopian-Spiced Curry

A giant bunch of Amaranth greens hopped into my tote bag, all by itself, wanting to go home with me, imagining all the wonderful dishes it can become.

And so, couple of dollars gleefully jumped out of my pocket and nestled in the lady's palm at the farm stand while the amaranth leaves settled into my already brimming tote.

One dish is not enough to relish, and showcase, this amazing amaranth greens. High in dietary fiber with chockful of goodness like vitamin B6, folate, iron, manganese, calcium, plus cholesterol-lowering tendency and antihyperglycemic activity, I only wish it was available in the supermarkets on a regular basis instead of just the local farmers markets on and off. Most Amaranthus species are annual weeds, short-lived, and not all species are cultivated for the greens, so, understandably, they are not available year-round here. Amaranth seeds are one of my favorites as well, to boost salads and make kedgeree/kichri/porridge.

Known as Thotta Keerai or Thandu Keerai in Tamil, I remember my mom buying bundles of greens from a vendor who also knew which greens can address the heating/cooling of the body as needed, based on Ayurvedic principles. The thick but tender stems of amaranth greens remind me of tender asparagus. This is quite a staple as far as greens go in south Indian cuisine.

Some rainbow chard were ready to be clipped and used from the home garden.

I had some beets and rutabaga from the farmers market from last week. It seemed like a good combination for a spicy curry with a blend of South Indian and Ethiopian flavors. Ever since Ethiopian spice-mixes like Berbere, Mekelesha and Mitmita became readily available, much like the Indian spice-mixes such as Madras curry powder and Garam masala powder and Sambar powder, I have been adding them to my favorite Indian recipes. Fusion cuisine being my passion, finding equivalent substitutions from various cuisines to mix and match the flavors has been a wonderful obsession.

Nothing much to it, except for the curry paste which is non-traditional one I made up on a whim. and, managed to jot down the ingredients this time to share.

Ingredients:
For the spice paste:
1 Tbsp chana dal, lightly toasted
½ Tbsp urad dal, lightly toasted
3 to 4 dry red chilies
3 Tbsp sun-dried tomatoes for the intense flavor(or, use tomato paste)
1 Tbsp tamarind paste (sold as Sour Soup base mix in Asian stores)
2 Tbsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp cumin powder
2 Tbsp Berbere powder (Ethiopian spice mix)
1 Tbsp Mekelesha powder (Ethiopian spice mix)
1 Tbsp minced garlic
____
Veggies:
2 cups chopped amaranth leaves
1 medium rutabaga diced
1 medium beetroot diced
8 or so rainbow chard, chopped
¼ cup diced onions
_____
1 Tbsp peanut oil
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar
salt to taste

Preparation

1. Spice paste: Combine the spice paste ingredients with a splash of water and grind to a fine paste in a blender or food processor, keep handy
2. Heat oil in a pan, add the veggies, turmeric powder, a pinch of salt and sauté
3. Add the spice paste and sauté some more
4. When onions turn translucent, add the amaranth leaves, just enough water to cook the veggies, cover and simmer gently, adding a splash of water as needed till veggies are fully cooked but not mushy, and the gravy thickens to make the curry
5. Serve warm with roti or naan or plain basmati rice

Quelite Lamb's Quarter Leaves with Potatoes

Quelite (kay-lee-thay) shown here is also known as pigweed or lamb's quarter. (Any generic greens can be referred to as quelite as well, as I understand it).

This particular weed used to be a commonplace greens my mom cooked when I was young. Known as Paruppu Keerai or Chakravarthi Keerai, Chenopodium album is not as popular as, say, spinach or kale, even though it is supposed to have hepatoprotective benefits, as well as antibacterial activity on a handful of pathogens that affect humans. Some weeds have it better than others!

All that aside, did I happen to mention that I picked up a bunch of quelite from the farmer's market when I also picked up some pipitza  and some papalo that this bubbly farmer encouraged me to munch on while I shopped at his stand?

I sifted through my childhood memories and came up with this simple dish that I used to love eating with rice and rasam.

Ingredients
1 medium onion, diced
3 or 4 cloves of garlic, minced
6 to 8 ripe cherry tomatoes (any variety is fine, I had these handy in the garden)
1 bunch of quelite/lamb's quarter/pigweed, tender stem and leaves chopped, washed
2 large potatoes, cut into chunks
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Juice of one lime
salt to taste
1 Tbsp sesame oil


Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions, garlic, turmeric powder and a pinch of salt, sauté
2. Add the chunks of potatoes, some water, cover and cook till potatoes are par-cooked
3. Add the chopped quelite, tomatoes, brown sugar, salt, some more water, cover and cook till greens are tender and potatoes are fork-tender
4. Off heat, squeeze the juice of one lime, stir well and serve warm with roti or naan, or plain brown rice

Roasted Kale and Colorful Bell Peppers Warm Salad

It almost feels wrong to enjoy colorful mini bell peppers around this time of the year, with snow all around, and my garden totally dead... but, I couldn't resist picking up a bag at the grocery store.

This is a simple recipe, almost didn't want to post it, but, it was so filling and hearty and perfect for the awfully cold weather here that I thought why not...

Toss rainbow kale, bell peppers, and onions, with olive oil, some salt, and a splash of apple cider vinegar, spread it evenly in a roasting pan and bake in a 450 °F oven for about 15-20 minutes, checking partway to make sure kale is not withering away, but a nice bit of crunch would be fine.

Topped with some hemp hearts, this warm salad seemed like a perfect meal for a cold snowy day a while back.

Cream of Kale Soup

With nicknames ranging from "Power Soup" (no guesses who picked this one) to "Brown Slime" given at home, this filled-with-green-goodness soup is one of my favorites, even if kids drink it reluctantly every time I make it. Fifteen more times and am sure they'll end up loving this soup.

Pressure cook some greens - kale, mustard greens, spinach - with celery, onions, garlic, and mayo coba beans. Then, run it through the blender to make a smooth mush. Then, strain it to remove pulpy lumps for a smooth texture.

At this point, stirring in cream and simmering gently should be fine. But, since I like to use my slow cooker to keep the soup warm and ready for dinner when I come back from work, I poured the strained soup into the slow cooker one morning and let it slow cook till dinner time. Around the 8-hour mark, some heavy cream was stirred in, plus dried basil (I use freeze-dried which feels intense fresh), dried parsley, dried oregano and continued till the slow cooker is done.

Cook longer if preferred for the soup to come together with a creamy  warmth. I start it first thing in the morning and let it slow cook till dinner time - about 12 hours - in the slow cooker.

With a few slices of Pumpernickel bread, the kind made according to "old world methods, utilizing a slow-rise process", from Trader Joe's. Of course, the name "Pumpernickel" itself has fun origins that we talk about every time we eat this bread.

An alternative origin of "pumpernickel" is nearly as strange, if somewhat less savory. "Pumpern" was a New High German word similar in meaning to the English "fart" (so chosen because, like the word "achoo," it imitated the sound it described), and "Nickel" was a form of the name Nicholas, an appellation commonly associated with a goblin or devil (e.g., "Old Nick" is a familiar name for Satan). Hence, pumpernickel is the "devil's fart," allegedly a reference to the bread's indigestible qualities and hence the effect it produced on those who consumed it. (Some word fanciers have claimed that "pumpern" refers to the sound produced by thumping on a loaf of pumpernickel, but that explanation is extremely unlikely.) 

With winter firmly here, the old slow cooker gets a lot of use with stews and soups; quick one-pot meals come about often as well, like casserole and roast vegetables.

Stems, Stems, Stems: Broccoli, Kohlrabi, Kale Stem Kinpira

After the Burdock Kinpira not too long ago, I've been itching for more of that special Japanese sauté and simmer style plate of wholesome goodies.

Since I don't usually throw away edible stems and stalks of greens and veggies knowing I can find a nice way to incorporate them in my cooking, I had this huge pile of kohlrabi stems, kale stems, broccoli stems, chard stems, even bok choy stems. To a casual observer, it is just a pile of compost, but to me, it was heaven beckoning.

Simply chop into uniform size to facilitate even cooking. In a cast iron skillet, heat some sesame oil and sauté the stems; add in the chosen flavoring condiments, some braising liquid, cook till all the liquid is absorbed and the stems are cooked to satisfaction.

For flavoring, I went with Ponzu, apple cider vinegar, mirin, a touch of sambal oelek, and a generous sprinkling of smoked paprika for that bright color and cozy warmth. Just a splash of water as needed, enough to get the veggies softened and juices flowing. That's it.

Another batch got a slightly different flavoring: Worcestershire sauce, white vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, adjusted to taste. Since I make this kinpira-style dish often enough -- whenever there is a pile of stems to use up -- it's nice to change up the flavors to see if there is a new favorite in the horizon.

A bunch of mustard greens are growing in the garden. Tender baby mustard greens are a fantastic addition to salads. I love to pop a leaf in my mouth and wait for the sharp wasabi-like burst when munching it down. It starts off surprisingly sweet and then just explodes. Delicious!

Topped with some caramelized sweet onions and green chilies, garnished with some fresh baby mustard greens, this plate of stems got a boost from some carrot sticks I threw in for contrast while sautéing. Not a super-fancy dish or anything, but, quite satisfying to use up edible stems and stalks.

To make a feast of it, I serve some veggie pot stickers and a cleansing cucumber salad along with the kinpira.

Kohlrabi Pizza

Our first CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) basket for this summer came with a small bunch of cute little baby kohlrabis, with a lovely purple one to boot.

These tender kohlrabis are almost like watery green pears or green apples -- crunchy and pleasantly sweet -- and are perfect addition to fresh summer salads.

I was thinking about other ways to incorporate kohlrabi into everyday foods as I opened a kitchen cupboard looking for nothing in particular. A box of Almond flour pizza crust mix stared back at me -- the one I "won" by doing Zumba for an hour at a sponsored event at kids' school without flopping down exhausted. And, that's when the stars aligned themselves obligingly: Kohlrabi pizza!

Tender kohlrabi bulbs peeled and sliced thin, some kohlrabi leaves, plus some Walla Walla sweet onions, garlic shoots, and black olives (mostly for color) became the toppings for the almond flour pizza.

With these bright greens for toppings, the usual red tomato-based pizza sauce was antithetic. So, I looked in the garden for inspiration.

Some fresh oregano, mint, fennel, and basil beckoned. I walked around with my kitchen shears making a snip here and a snip there, tenderly, to get a happy little bunch of fresh organic herbs.

One Serrano chili with 1 cup packed chopped home garden herbs, plus a splash of apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and olive oil got ground up together to make a heady, aromatic chimichurri-like sauce. No cooking involved. Bonus: this sauce doubles as a great salad dressing!

So, with the sauce befitting the toppings, all that was left to do was make the almond flour pizza per package directions.

It turned out yummy, if I may say so myself. The only thing I'd do differently next time is to add the tender kohlrabi leaves as topping much later-- possibly closer to finishing time -- so as not to crisp it up too much. And, probably try my usual from-scratch pizza dough.

This was the "adult" pizza that evening. The kids got their own personal pizzas with their favorite non-kohlrabi toppings when they casually suggested, "just put it in my salad, Mama, not on my pizza," which left me beaming anyway because, well, at least they are not rejecting kohlrabi altogether.

Stuffed Kohlrabi Greens Dolma Bites

Seasonal blueberry-picking and jam-making happened last weekend. I was all set to pay for the berries we picked and head back home when a gorgeous crisp bunch of cheerful kohlrabi jumped up at me. I couldn't resist. I brought it home with much gung-ho, only to get caught up in a million household tasks that couldn't wait any longer. So, the kohlrabi bunch sat there and waited patiently.

I had mentally made some Stuffed Kohlrabi in Coconut Cream Sauce and some Kohlrabi Naan and Kohlrabi Greens Koottu and was thrilled to have used up this new bunch of kohlrabi in fitting ways. Of course, mental-cooking is not the same as actual-cooking. So the kohlrabi sat there, sporting a pout and threatening to wilt. I had to act fast.

That's how the kohlrabi greens got made into these grape-leaf-dolma-like steamed rolls filled with spiced and fragrant rice and vegetables. Much like Swiss Chard Dolma and Collard Green Bites and Cabbage Rolls, these Kohlrabi Greens Dolma Bites were much relished by adults. Kids, not so much.

The filling is a favorite: rice sautéed with vegetables and flavored with aromatic spices, some walnuts and dried cranberries. Since the filling is a favorite side for dinners, I made quite a big batch and saved some. About a dozen large kohlrabi leaves got trimmed and washed and patted dry, ready to be stuffed and steamed.

After steaming for about 12 minutes, I sautéed them in olive oil and garnished with fresh cranberries and blueberries and some sesame seeds. The tartness of the cranberries plus the juicy sweetness of the blueberries complement the spice filling and the savory leaves.

As to the kohlrabi bulbs, they are getting pickled in vinegar - some of them at least. The rest might become fritters or stuffing when I find a pocket of time next.

Ingredients
12 to 14 kohlrabi leaves of uniform size
1 Tablespoon olive oil for sauteing
Favorite garnishes

Filling:
1 cup cooked rice
2 cups finely chopped mixed vegetables - onions, colorful bell peppers, tomatoes, Serrano chilies, cauliflower, cabbage
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Seasoning spices to taste - salt, chili powder, curry powder, paprika, turmeric, cumin powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar

Preparation

1. Filling: Heat the oil in a pan; add the veggies, saute a bit; then add the spices and saute some more; cover a cook till tender; then add in the rice and adjust seasoning
2. Spoon enough filling onto each kohlrabi leaf and wrap it tight like a burrito and place it in the steaming basket, free side down
3. Steam fro about 12 minutes; remove from steam
4. Heat oil in a pan, place the steamed rolled leaves gently on the pan; turn them over to gently saute all sides
5. Serve warm, garnished with favorite berries and nuts

Spicy Sauteed Okra with Collard and Turnip Greens

Whole okra stuffed and pan-fried is one of my favorite ways of enjoying this unique vegetable. However, sautéed okra with spices is a wonderful side I make whenever I crave it.

Fresh okras are hard to come by here and even then it costs an arm and a leg (at least for my budget), but frozen whole okras are reasonable and cook faster as they are par-cooked before freezing.

This is a simple dish open to variations in spices and greens. I like greens a lot, be it collard or mustard, turnip or radish greens, spinach or kale, they all bring their own benefits. In this recipe I used collard and turnip greens. Serve warm with rice or Indian/Ethiopian flat breads, or enjoy as-is.

Ingredients
About 20 whole okras, thawed if using frozen ones
3 to 4 cups of favorite greens cut coarsely
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 to 6 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 or 3 medium tomatoes, diced
spices (adjust to taste):
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek or any favorite chili paste
½ Tbsp Blue Agave Nectar or brown sugar (optional)
salt to taste
1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a pan, add the onions, garlic and tomatoes, a pinch of salt and sauté till aromatic and onions turn translucent
2. Add the okra and greens, spices, some water, cover and simmer till veggies are cooked to your liking. I prefer the okra not too mushy
3. Taste and adjust flavors, garnish with cilantro if preferred

Lentil Barley Soup

Lentil Barley soup is quite a sumptuous weeknight meal, especially for the rainy autumn nights we've been having lately. Any combination of vegetables and spices will work, for that matter any type of lentils - red, brown, green, even yellow split peas, which is what I use here.

Rather than stove-top, I've come to like cooking barley and split peas in the rice cooker - roughly 1 part barley+split peas to 3 parts water. This way, I can set it and forget it, or even make ahead and store it in the fridge till I am ready to make the soup.

Thaw gently and add to the stock, along with other vegetables and spices. For a chunky stew, I add whatever winter squash is handy.

Ingredients
1 cup cooked split yellow peas
1 cup cooked barley
2 cups chopped turnip greens
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 medium onion sliced
6 cups stock or water
6 to 8 ripe sweet cherry tomatoes
salt to taste

spices:
1 Tablespoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon Madras curry paste (I use Patak's™)
1 Tablespoon canola oil or olive oil
chopped cilantro for garnish
1 cup evaporated milk (optional)

Preparation

1. Heat the oil, sauté the onions, add the barley, split peas, turnip greens, stock, cover and simmer till green are almost done, and barley and split peas are soft
   
2. Add the bell peppers and tomatoes, cook till as soft as preferred, garnish and serve warm
3. For a creamier texture, stir in the evaporated milk
   

Cabbage Kofta in Creamy Chard Sauce

Koftas are fried balls, usually made with minced meat, but can be made with just about any vegetable as well. They are typically served in a rich creamy sauce.

I prefer vegetable or paneer koftas. And the sauce can be tomato-based, cream-based or even made with favorite greens or other vegetables. I like the cilantro-jalapeño sauce as much as this silverbeet/chards sauce.

Koftas usually don't involve bread slices - just flour like chickpea, rice, all-purpose, corn. I had some heels of bread slices to use up so they came in handy here. As I often mention, à la Owl in Tearwater Tea, the heels - the end-slices of sliced bread loaves - ignored and discarded usually, have my sympathies. Which is precisely why I like to use them for binding, even for making breadcrumbs and croutons.



Spinach would be a good alternative, but, I had harvested the rainbow chards from my home garden and wanted to use it up. This Cabbage Kofta in Creamy Chard Sauce can be served with plain hot basmati rice, or with roti or naan or bathura or even pooris.



Ingredients
For the Kofta:
1 cup packed finely chopped cabbage
2 or 3 bread slices
seasoning salt/spices/salt to taste
water as needed
oil for frying

For the Sauce:
As much chards as in picture, chopped finely (more if preferred)
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 small onion, diced finely
1 Tbsp finely grated ginger
4-6 pickled jalapeno rings (or green chilies, to taste)
spices: cumin powder, coriander powder (optional, to taste)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp canola oil
optional: Half-and-half -OR- Evaporated milk for a creamier texture

Preparation

1. Cabbage Kofta: Combine the kofta ingredients with just enough water to make a dough that can be shaped into balls; deep fry till cooked through on the inside, drain and keep warm
2. Sauce: Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onions, ginger and garlic; toss in the chopped chards, some salt, spices, and a few tablespoons of water, cover and allow to simmer and wilt till mushy
3. Combine the cooked chards with the chilies or jalapeno rings in a blender and grind to a smooth sauce, return to pan and simmer some more, adjusting flavors with lemon juice and brown sugar; stir in evaporated milk or half-and-half for creamier texture at the end
4. Toss in the koftas with the sauce before serving

Turnip Greens and Black-Eyed Peas flavored with Cumin, Coconut, Chili

Black-eyed peas, much like other legumes of its kind, is full of protein and fiber, with health benefits that make it a friendly food to incorporate. My mom used to make chundal, koottu, even simple dal with it.

The title, Turnip Greens and Black-Eyed Peas flavored with Cumin, Coconut, Chili, says it all, basically. The recipe here uses turnip greens with black-eyed peas, but any other greens, or no greens at all will still work with this cumin-coconut-chili paste.

Serve with simple roti or naan or plain hot basmati rice with home-made flavored ghee. Or, enjoy is as-is.

Ingredients
2 cups fresh chopped turnip greens
2 cups cooked black-eyed peas
½ medium onion, finely diced
1 or 2 cloves of garlic finely minced
water as needed
salt to taste
1 Tbsp canola oil
4 Tbsp lemon juice (more or less)

for the cumin-coconut-chili paste:
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
4 Tbsp dry grated coconut
4 to 6 dry red chilies (fewer, if preferred)

for the tempering:
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp chana dal
1 tsp urad dal

Preparation

1. Paste: combine the paste ingredients with a little water and blend to a smooth paste, keep handy
2. Heat the oil in a pan, sauté the onions and garlic, add the turnip greens, some water cover and cook till it wilts a bit; then add the cooked black-eyed peas, the paste from the step above, more water if needed, some salt, and simmer till greens are done
3. Tempering: In a small pan, heat the oil, when it is quite hot, add the chana dal and urad dal, allow them to turn golden brown, then add the mustard seeds, let them pop, turn off heat
4. Taste and adjust flavors, stir in the lemon juice, top with the tempering and serve warm

Sauteed Radish Greens

We finally harvested all the radish from our home garden. We let some of them flower and go to seed so we can save them for the next crop. Radish flowers we had were simply gorgeous from white to pale lilac to beautiful purple.



Seed saving is a changing/evolving field and there are many publications that provide useful information. But, a fairly comprehensive compendium of sorts that sits on our bookshelf providing valuable insights into basic techniques on saving vegetable seeds is a book called Seed To Seed by Suzanne Ashworth. (Thanks for giving it to us, Mom!)

Anyway, we had a lot of radish greens to use up. The stalks were too woody and mature, but I had plenty of tender leaves to make a simple sautéed radish greens dish that preserves the mildly bitter flavor of the greens while complementing it with a sweet and sour taste that comes together rather well.

I used the onions from our garden - both the white bulb and the green parts - but, red onion or yellow onion would be good. The onions went to flower as well and needed to be used up... which meant most of the stalks got woody and fibrous. C'est la vie.



Ingredients
6 cups of fresh radish greens, washed
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
onions, garlic, ginger, finely chopped - as much as preferred
¼ cup lemon juice
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek
¼ tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
1 Tbsp smoke paprika powder (optional)
salt to taste
1 Tbsp canola oil
sesame seeds (optional)
½ cup water (more as needed)

Preparation

1. Sauté the onions, garlic and ginger in some oil, then add the greens and sun-dried tomatoes, saué a bit
2. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and cook till greens is done to your liking; taste and adjust flavors as desired
3. Serve warm with plain hot basmati rice and home-made flavored ghee, or with naan, or enjoy as-is

Easy Spinach Casserole

This is an easy, no-fuss mid-week dinner, hot and fresh from the oven, that can be enjoyed on its own, or served with some breads - maybe olive ciabatta or French bread, or even naan or roti.

Ingredients
1 pkg (about 14oz-16oz) frozen cut spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 can cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp garam masala paste

cooking oil spray
salt to taste

Optional: roasted red peppers, marinated onions and ginger

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F
2. Combine the cream of celery, vinegar, red pepper flakes and garam masala paste, stir well, then add the spinach and mix well
3. Spray an oven-proof casserole dish or a pan with some cooking spray, pour the mixture into it and bake in 375°F oven for about 25-30 minutes, till bubbly and spinach is cooked to your liking, checking to make sure the top doesn't get too dry

Sautéed Mustard Greens

Juicy, flavorful, peppery and wholesome, these Sautéed Mustard Greens are a delicious side, or even a meal in itself.

If preferred, caramelize the onions first, set aside; cook the greens separately and top with the caramelized onions.

Ingredients
6 cups loosely packed mustard greens, chopped & cleaned
3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed
½ medium red onion, sliced into rings
1 Tbsp canola oil
flavoring:
¼ cup vegetable stock or water
1 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
1 Tbsp Seasoned Rice Vinegar
1 Tbsp crushed red pepper
salt to taste

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a pan, add the garlic and layer the onions, sprinkle some salt
2. Add the greens and the flavoring ingredients, cover and cook on medium low heat for about 15-20 minutes, checking to make sure there is enough liquid, until greens are cooked to your liking
3. Serve warm with plain basmati rice, or roti or naan or even with a pan-cooked crispy chicken breast

Home-garden Radish Tops Dal

We harvested the white radishes from our garden. I didn't have the heart to throw away the radish tops/greens, so, decided to make a soupy dal out of it.

These are fairly bitter greens, so, adjust flavors to taste - I added lemon juice and brown sugar to balance and round out the bitterness, and some tomatoes. Plus, Ras al Hanout was handy, so, I added a generous amount of it to give this dal a unique flavor.

The dal recipe is not very different from my Kohlrabi dal recipe, except, I was low on moong dal, so, I used just a cup of dal for about 6 cups of chopped radish greens.

Swiss Chard Masiyal

Keerai (aka greens) masiyal was not a big favorite when I was little as it was mushy, thick, bland and usually served with some pickle or pappadam.

Over the years, I have fallen in love with this and have added a few variations to make it more appealing to me. So, this recipe is not quite traditional in that sense. This chard masiyal recipe is very simple, quick to whip up on a weeknight and quite nutritious.

My mom usually makes it with spinach, but I use a combination of spinach and chard here. We had a bunch of chard in our garden and I decided to use it up.

Ingredients:
1 bag frozen chopped spinach (or fresh)
1 bunch swiss chard
3-4 green chilies, chopped
1 Tbsp grated ginger
2-3 Tbsp Madras Curry powder
salt to taste
¼ cup finely chopped fresh coconut for garnish (optional)
Tempering: 1 tsp canola oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, ½ tsp cumin seeds, 1 Tbsp chana dal, 1 tsp urad dal

Preparation

Chop and wash the chard and spinach (if using fresh) well. Drain. Steam in the microwave till wilted and tender, using very little water. Squeeze out excess water. Allow to cool a little.

Combine the steamed greens, chilies and ginger and grind to a fine smooth paste, adding very little water, preferably none.

gently simmer this greens paste, adding a Tbsp of water at a time as needed, add the curry powder, adjust salt to taste

Tempering: In a small pan heat the oil, when it shimmers, add the chana dal, when it turns golden brown add the urad dal, lower the heat, and when urad dal turns golden brown add the mustard seeds and when they pop, add the cumin seeds, and turn off the heat. Throw in the chopped coconut ,if using.

Garnish with the tempering. Serve warm with warm rice, papapdam, vegetable curry, or even rasam and indian pickle.

p.s: thanks to Ashaji's comment, I am now aware of the Green Blog Project event (GBP) and this will be an entry for my Summer 2007 GBP event hosted by Deepz.

A few plant facts: The chard in our garden were from a local nursery, we just transplanted the seedlings in  early summer. This is Zone 5, with an average of 200+ days of growing season.

Cut off the outer leaves 1 1/2 inches above the ground when they are young and tender (about 8-12 inches long). Be careful not to damage the terminal bud, at the center of the bottom of the growing rosette of foliage. Maintain sufficient soil moisture to keep plants growing well.

Nutritional facts

Chard packs a huge amount of vitamin A and it is naturally high in sodium. One cup chopped chards contains Vitamin C 32 mg, Folate 15 mcg, Calories 35
Protein 3 grams, Carbohydrates 7 grams, Calcium 102 mg, Iron 4 mg among other goodies

Creamy Swiss Chard Soup

A lot of the puréed soups I make start off the same - throw them with some flavoring ingredients and pressure cook, then mush it up manually or using a food processor/blender; to thicken it, i either use a simple roux or potato flakes or, as in this case, some heavy cream.

This is same as my usual spinach soup, just substituted spinach with Swiss chard. The main difference is that I added some heavy cream here which I leave out usually. Even though it is subtle, the two greens' - viz., spinach and swiss chards - taste quite different. I happen to like them both :)

Ingredients
1 bunch swiss chards
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 jalapeño or serrano chilies, chopped
1 Tbsp Madras curry powder
1 tsp brown sugar
salt to taste
1 Tbsp oil
½ cup heavy cream

Preparation

wash the greens and roughly chop them; combine the greens, onions, chilies and garlic with a pinch of salt in a pressure cooker, add just enough water for the pressure cooker to work, cook till mushy

when cool enough to handle, purée the mushed veggies in a blender

heat oil in a soup pot, add the curry powder and let it bloom, then add the purée, adjust salt to taste and let it simmer gently till thickened a little

stir in the heavy cream, adjust flavors as needed

Serve warm with home-made corn bread or rolls.