Here's my column from the Petaluma Post for April...
As April rolls into Sonoma County our hillsides glow with
beautiful yellow mustard blossoms. But
did you
Dandelion Greens |
Growing wild around our area you would not think of eating
what so many think of as a weed. Being a
member of the brassica family, like radish/ turnip/broccoli, all aspects of the
plant are edible. The yellow flowers can
be picked, yellow, white or purple and tossed in salads to add a light peppery
touch. There are numerous varieties with
greens that are eaten, and the seed has been ground for 1000s of years for
condiments. Many consider it a super
food being high in vitamins A, C, and D, plus calcium, potassium and iron.
I am not suggesting that you run out to the field and pick
your dinner, although many do. However I
would like to recommend taking a different look at your produce basket. Tender
mustard greens are the first peek of fresh produce to hit the farmers markets.
Baby red frill mustard is one of my absolute favorites. In
the spring it is tender and lacy and a great addition for spicy salads.
Red Frill Salad
Serves 4
4 oz red frill mustard
1 head escarole (a very hearty leaf green, close in flavor
to iceberg)
1 small head fennel, shaved
2 blood oranges, juiced
1 Tbl white wine vinegar
2 Tbl olive oil
1 tsp honey
Salt and pepper to taste
2 oz Chèvre
Trim off the end of the mustard and gently break in to
smaller size if necessary. Cut escarole
to bite size pieces, toss with fennel and mustard, and set aside. Combine, honey, blood orange juice and
vinegar, whisk to combine, then whisk in olive oil, and season with salt and
pepper. Toss as needed to coat the
greens. Top with Chevre
Another great use is as an uncooked green. What do I mean by that? When making a vegetable sauté I love to throw
a hand full of greens in after I have taken the vegetables off the stove, just
before serving. The color just pops, but
the integrity of the greens holds up well.
I also often toss my greens with just a bit of salt, pepper and olive
oil, and then at plate up put them on the bottom of the plate and top with your
hot items. Grilled
Salmon or other fish
are my favorites, the heat of the meat is just enough to wilt the greens.
Another great spring green is dandelions. Yes that weed that you pull out of your lawn
is also very healthy and edible, but I suggest getting it from your grocer. The long slender leaves are bright green in
color and have a slightly bitter taste.
You want to look for young tender leaves without a thick back vein. The have a lightly spicy flavor and can be
added into many dishes or sautéed on their own.
When cooking greens I like to choose younger greens, usually
from the bulk area not bunches. I have found that 6 ounces will be a pretty
full bag and about what I need for dinner for 2 people. It seems that I never have a large enough pot
to hold that much; it will wilt down to less than 2 cups at the end, but
keeping it all in a small pot is like heard cats. I have found that if I take a large microwave
bowl and place the greens in it and heat for 1 to 2 minutes, they will just
begin to wilt and be much easy to handle.
Wilted Greens
1 small onion, sliced
4 strips bacon, chopped
2 Tbl olive oil
6 oz spring mustard, red frill, red rain or dandelion greens
1-2 Tbl balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Wilt greens in a large bowl in the microwave. Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet, then add
the bacon and onions, and sauté until onions are tender and bacon is cooked
through. Add greens to the bacon and
onions, toss through until warm. Finish
with balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper
From flowers to dinner, don’t forget to stop and smell the
mustard.
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