EAT YOUR GREENS
Tips for salads, stir-fries, sautés and scrambles
The sun is finally out after a very rough Central Texas winter, and the markets are bursting with greens and color again. Nearly all winter, we’ve had hardy winter leaves, such as kale and collards, to help us survive the coldest months, but with the warmer weather come some of the best local greens.
Lettuces, more varieties of brassicas and edible weeds can help you push past the kale to make sure you’re still getting a daily source of vitamins, including iron, calcium, fiber, vitamin A and vitamin K. But those green leaves are not all alike. Some take much longer to cook and are best for stir-fries, sautes and scrambles, while others are tender enough for salads. Here are some recipes and tips to help you get to know greens a little better.
One of the routines I’ve developed as a New Yorker is wandering up and down the streets of Chinatown to check out what’s available in the market stalls there, since it is so different from what’s to be found in the humongous Union Square Greenmarket in Manhattan or the McCarren Park market in my Brooklyn neighborhood. What always knocks me for a loop is the amount and variety of the greens, especially the bok choy. This dish derives from that experience — and from the influence of Chinese cuisine on cooking in New York.
4 teaspoons fine salt 1 large bunch (about 2
pounds) bok choy 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 cup (1/4-inch-thick) diagonally cut celery slices 2 large garlic cloves, thinly
sliced 2 tablespoons finely
chopped shallot 1 tablespoon chopped
fresh ginger 4 to 6 ounces oyster mushrooms, thinly sliced 1 teaspoon finely chopped
jalapeño chili, optional 2 teaspoons tamari 1/4 cup chopped fresh
cilantro 1 tablespoon chili vinegar 1/4 cup roasted pumpkin
seeds (pepitas) 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a stockpot or large Dutch oven over high. Add 2 teaspoons of the salt. Add the bok choy and cook, uncovered, until bright green, about 15 seconds. Drain well, and set aside.
Heat the oil in a heavybottomed skillet over medium. Add the celery, garlic, shallot, and ginger and cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, jalapeño, if desired, and tamari and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms soften, 2 to 3 minutes.
Chop the cooked bok choy, and add to the skillet; cook, stirring often, until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the cilantro, vinegar and remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds and serve with the lemon wedges on the side. Serves 4. — From “100% Real: 100 Insanely Good Recipes for Clean Food Made Fresh” by Sam Talbot (Oxmoor House, $29.99)