Sunday Supper
In case you're wondering what to do with baby turnips and their greens, the following is a very good salad with interesting flavor contrasts.
Baby White Turnip Salad With Toasted Pecans And Bacon
4 small white turnips with their greens attached (or 1 bunch of baby white turnips)
1/4 c. pecan halves or pieces
3 oz. bacon
1 green garlic stalk and 1 green onion, sliced on the bias (a garlic scape is also a nice addition if you happen to have them available)
salt and pepper, to taste
1-2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 c. pecan halves or pieces
3 oz. bacon
1 green garlic stalk and 1 green onion, sliced on the bias (a garlic scape is also a nice addition if you happen to have them available)
salt and pepper, to taste
1-2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
Toast pecan pieces. I usually do mine in the microwave. It take 1-2 minutes. Otherwise toast them in a 350 degree oven. Make sure they don't burn.
Remove the greens from the turnips. Tear the leaves with your hands into medium to large pieces and set aside.
Slice turnips as thin as possible. I used my food processor using the thin slicing disk. Put into a bowl of iced water.
In a non-stick pan, saute the bacon until crisp. Remove from the pan and crumble, reserving the fat.
Prepare a simple vinaigrette: combine vinegar with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in about 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil. Set aside.
Heat the bacon fat in the same pan. Once hot, add the green garlic/onion and saute until tender. Add greens to the pan, season with salt and just a splash of balsamic vinegar and cook until they are wilted.
Remove the sliced turnips from the iced water bath and toss with the vinaigrette.
Arrange the turnip slices and their greens in a mound and sprinkle bacon and pecans on top.
Remove the greens from the turnips. Tear the leaves with your hands into medium to large pieces and set aside.
Slice turnips as thin as possible. I used my food processor using the thin slicing disk. Put into a bowl of iced water.
In a non-stick pan, saute the bacon until crisp. Remove from the pan and crumble, reserving the fat.
Prepare a simple vinaigrette: combine vinegar with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in about 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil. Set aside.
Heat the bacon fat in the same pan. Once hot, add the green garlic/onion and saute until tender. Add greens to the pan, season with salt and just a splash of balsamic vinegar and cook until they are wilted.
Remove the sliced turnips from the iced water bath and toss with the vinaigrette.
Arrange the turnip slices and their greens in a mound and sprinkle bacon and pecans on top.
Adapted from Group Recipes.com
Next we had a very simple pasta and greens dish. Its a quick and easy dish that takes very little time to cook.
Spinach and Ricotta Pasta
10 ounces elbow macaroni, penne or shell pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
8-10 ounces spinach, roughly chopped (1 bag of HVF spinach)
1 ounce basil, chopped (I didn't have enough fresh basil on my plants yet, so I used a combination of fresh and dry basil)
1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
1/4 cup nonfat milk
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
8-10 ounces spinach, roughly chopped (1 bag of HVF spinach)
1 ounce basil, chopped (I didn't have enough fresh basil on my plants yet, so I used a combination of fresh and dry basil)
1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
1/4 cup nonfat milk
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (1/4-1/3 cup)
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet saute onions and garlic until onions are soft and fragrant.
Add spinach and basil to the skillet, and stir until wilted. Then add ricotta cheese and milk to skillet and stir well.
Drain pasta, Combine cooked pasta and ricotta mixture in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the Parmesan.
Add spinach and basil to the skillet, and stir until wilted. Then add ricotta cheese and milk to skillet and stir well.
Drain pasta, Combine cooked pasta and ricotta mixture in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the Parmesan.
Serve immediately with some freshly ground black pepper.
Add some Penzey's Pasta Sprinkle herb seasoning as well if you happen to have it available.
Adapted from About.com Low Fat Cooking
For dessert we had a yummy Rhubarb Strawberry Brown Betty.
I adapted this recipe from recipetips.com. You might want to
checkout their site. They have lots of other rhubarb recipes.
4 cups fresh rhubarb, chopped
2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons tapioca, quick-cooking
2 teaspoons orange rind (lemon can be substituted)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs (I used whole wheat rolls made into crumbs)
1/3 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons tapioca, quick-cooking
2 teaspoons orange rind (lemon can be substituted)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs (I used whole wheat rolls made into crumbs)
1/3 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 400º F.
Place cut pieces of rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, tapioca, orange rind, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
Prepare soft, fresh breadcrumbs in food processor or blender by tearing each bread slice into quarters, placing in blender and shredding into somewhat coarse crumbs.
Melt butter for the breadcrumbs. In separate bowl, add breadcrumbs and then melted butter and vanilla. Mix the ingredients together.
Spray or coat casserole with cooking spray or butter.
Begin to layer ingredients starting with one-half of the fruit mixture and then half of the breadcrumbs mixture followed by the remaining half of the fruit and then the remaining breadcrumbs, resulting in four layers of ingredients. The breadcrumbs on top create a crisp topping for the dessert. Cover the casserole dish.
Bake for 30 minutes and then remove casserole lid to allow the dessert to bake an additional 10 minutes until bread topping is golden brown.
Serve warm, and if desired, garnish with vanilla yogurt or ice cream.
Spray or coat casserole with cooking spray or butter.
Begin to layer ingredients starting with one-half of the fruit mixture and then half of the breadcrumbs mixture followed by the remaining half of the fruit and then the remaining breadcrumbs, resulting in four layers of ingredients. The breadcrumbs on top create a crisp topping for the dessert. Cover the casserole dish.
Bake for 30 minutes and then remove casserole lid to allow the dessert to bake an additional 10 minutes until bread topping is golden brown.
Serve warm, and if desired, garnish with vanilla yogurt or ice cream.
Note: You can also make this recipe with 6 cups of rhubarb and skip the strawberries.
Comments