Thayer in the Kitchen

Yes, another greens recipe. We're getting lots of greens in the spring share from our CSA farm. Anyone who has ever done a spring share will be able to relate. Fortunately we really like all kinds of greens, but I'm always looking for new ideas of how to prepare them. We both liked this greens & tofu dish served with a combination of cooked whole grain (I'm not sure what it was since I had it in unmarked canister) and whole wheat couscous. Obviously brown rice would be another excellent choice. 1 bunch Komatsuna Greens, stems and leaves separated 1 lb firm or extra-firm tofu 2 tablespoons sliced almonds 1-2 tablespoons sesame oil 1 onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1-2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon miso 1 teaspoon rice vinegar Brown the tofu. My method is to slice the tofu and drain on paper towel. Press gently to remove as much liquid as possible. Sprinkle both sides with flour. Spry an iron frying pan with pan spray (pr...

That is the official name of the recipe that came from The Seasonal Palette. I think the title Spring Greens Pasta would work equally well. 1/8-1/4 cup olive oil 4 garlic cloves, minced or you could substitute some green garlic if you have it available 3 cups sliced mixed mushrooms (shitake, oyster, portobello)--I used chopped portobellos 12 oz. penne pasta--try to use one of the whole grain varieties for better nutrition 10 cups chopped mixed greens (mustard, turnips, or whatever you have available) Salt & pepper to taste 1/4 pound Gorgonzola or blue cheese, crumbled Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente or whatever degree of "doneness" you prefer. Saute garlic in olive oil for 1 minute, add mushrooms and cook until wilted. Add greens to pan with mushrooms & garlic and cook about 5 minutes or until tender. Drain pasta, add to pan with vegetables. Season with salt & pepper. You could also add some fresh or dried herbs at this point if you would like to...

We picked up our second spring share from our new farm today. Tons of lovely greens. We got spinach, pizzo, frilly mustard greens, Toyko bekana, komatsuna, salad mix, micro greens, little white turnips, asparagus, leeks, green onions, green garlic, rhubarb and frozen strawberries. I am not familiar with some of these greens, but other then deciding whether they should be cooked or not, a lot of them are interchangeable. Both the pizzo and frilly mustard greens are spicy and can be used raw or cooked. I used the pizzo in a recipe that called for mustard greens. Potato Salad with Greens and Hard Boiled Eggs 5 or 6 Medium Potatoes, cut into chunks. If they are organic, there is no need to peel them. 1/2 Onion, finely chopped 1 Bunch Mizuna or other Mustard Green 2 Eggs, Hard boiled 1 Jalapeno Pepper (optional), seeds removed and finely chopped Sea Salt 1 Cup Mayonnaise 1 Tablespoon Prepared Mustard 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar Boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes and drain. While t...

Yesterday was a totally beautiful day in southern Wisconsin. Our friends called us bright and early Sunday morning to invite us to come and see the last of the apple blossoms in their orchard. Ellen and Bob have a a wonderful orchard in Ridgeway Wisconsin where they grow certified organic apples, pears and plums. They have a fruit CSA as well as selling at the farmers' markets: http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M7074 . After touring the orchard, Ellen and Bob prepared a wonderful meal, including asparagus and morel mushrooms from their land. I contributed dessert. Some of the ingredients such as the rhubarb were local--the mangoes unfortunately were not. Rhubarb-Mango Crumble 1 1/2 pounds rhubarb stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 2 mangoes, preferable Champagne mangoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes--this is picture of the Champagne mango. They are very sweet, have smaller pits and are less fibrous then regular mangoes. I usually find them at Whole Foods. 3/4 cup sugar 1 1/3...

I love lentil soup but I especially enjoyed this recipe which I believe came from the book, The Best Life Recipes. I found the recipe tucked away in my recipe files and decided to make it. Of course it got altered along the way. 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup chopped onion 2/3 - 1 cup chopped carrot 1 pepper, red or green 4 cloves garlic, finely minced 2-3 slices bacon, cooked and then crumbled 1 1/2 cups dried lentils 5 cups chicken broth 1# can crushed or chopped tomatoes 1 dried hot pepper (optional) 3 sage leaves, finely chopped or 1 teaspoon dry rubbed sage if the fresh isn't available (which it wasn't for me) 2 large fresh thyme springs, finely chopped or 1/2 teaspoon dry thyme leaves (I used dry) 2 large rosemary springs, you could also substitute dry rosemary--maybe about 1/2 teaspoon. I used fresh Salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons or more chopped fresh cilantro Fry bacon until crisp. Remove most of the drippings, add the olive oil and saute oni...

This might be surprising considering how unlovely our weather in Madison, WI has been this weekend. It turns out though with a great speaker on gardens you can feel like you're out there doing garden activities. This actually for me as the best kind of gardening. I just like the stuff you get from your garden not doing the work. OK, to explain this event--Saturday, April 24, the Madison Herb Society and Olbrich Gardens cosponsored Jim Long, Herb Companion writer, lecturer, and nationally renown herbalist to come to Madison to present a slide show/demonstration entitled "Eat Your Landscape." This is a link to Jim's website: http://www.longcreekherbs.com/ and also his blog: http://jimlongsgarden.blogspot.com/ . Preceding the talk was an herbal potluck brunch for MHS members. And preceding this on Friday night, the MHS board members gathered at the president's home for a pizza party with Jim. The president made all the pizza crusts and supplied all the toppings. We...

This is my favorite recipe for roast potatoes. Butter Mountain Potatoes has the best potatoes in the Madison area! They sell their potatoes at the Dane County Farmers Market. They have a booth at the indoor farmers market in the senior center all winter long as well as at the outdoor market on the square. They have a wonderful variety of potatoes, probably 8-10 at any one time. Besides the great variety, John and his brother and son are extremely knowledgeable. Just tell them what potato dish you're planning to make and they'll tell you what kind of potatoes you need. Now that you have some great potatoes or even if yours are just some ordinary grocery-store potatoes, this recipe will make all of them taste super. I frequently double this recipe, especially if I'm preparing the dish for more than just Arthur and myself. 1/8 cup olive oil (2 tablespoons) 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed 1/2 teaspoon...