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Veggie heaven, oh yeah. Today was my second pick-up of vegetables from my La Finca CSA veggie share. A bounty of leafy greens, more than we could ever eat in just salads, so I got busy cookin’…
First I made a gorgeously jade green spinach soup, with a hint of curry and cream. Hot or cold, with crispy croutons afloat in the silky smooth greenness – absolutely delicious.
Next, stir-fried bok choy, really simple. Heat a little oil in a wok, toss in some thinly sliced garlic, a pinch of red pepper flakes, the roughly chopped and rinsed bok choy, a few tablespoons of Lawry’s Teriyaki Sauce with Pineapple (I love this stuff). Toss, toss, let the juices and sauce reduce until quite thick and bok choy is tender-crisp, toss, toss, season with a bit of salt (if needed), done. Quite tasty.
And then, kale polenta. Yep, kale polenta, I made it up on a whim and it’s amazing. Creamy smooth polenta studded with tender-chewy kale. Nice combo. Top it off with freshly grated Parmesan for extra yumminess.
So! Along with a bag of mixed greens, a big bunch of arugula, and a bunch of red-leaf lettuce, pleeeenty of veggie variety to get us through the weekend. Love it, love it. To me, this is what summer is all about… (Recipes posted in comments, below.)
Kale Polenta
Stephanie Levy
Serves 6
2 Tbsp. butter (more butter for garnish, if you like)
½ medium onion, chopped
1 small cloves garlic, minced
pinch of nutmeg
½ lb. kale leaves, thick middle rib removed, coarsely chopped
3 c. water (water amount depends upon the grind of corn meal you use; follow package recommendation)
1 c. corn meal or polenta
1 tsp. salt
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion, garlic, and nutmeg and sauté until onion is transparent, about 5 minutes. Stir in kale leaves and sauté, stirring, until kale is wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in water and salt and bring water to a boil. Slowly stir in corn meal then turn heat down so the polenta is just simmering. Cook, uncovered, until polenta is very thick and tender and kale is tender. Stir in additional butter, if you like. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve topped with Parmesan.
Velvety Spinach Soup
Adapted from a recipe submitted by “Paulette” on www.therecipebox.com
Serves 6
This simple soup is delicious and a gorgeous jade green color.
2 Tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
½ tsp. curry powder
2 medium-sized russet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 lbs. fresh spinach leaves, stemmed and chopped
4 c. chicken broth
½ c. heavy cream
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
croutons
Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and curry powder, sprinkle with a bit of salt, and sauté until onion is beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in chopped potatoes and spinach and sauté until spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, until potatoes and spinach are very soft. Puree in a food processor or blender, return to the pot, and stir in cream and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot or chilled (cool soup uncovered to room temperature, then cover and chill) with croutons and a sprinkle of Parmesan.