Even more than asparagus, the sweet and tender leaves of Overwintered Spinach always taste like spring to me. Seeded in September and left to fend for itself over the winter, spinach pulls the last of the autumn sunshine down into its roots, thickens its leaves, and hunkers down to wait for spring. All winter long, it sits green in its rows, losing leaves in the worst of the weather. As the soil thaws in the spring, the dandelion-like rosettes push out new leaves and take advantage of each ray of sunshine they can grab. The result is a delicious treat for spring.
We put a lot of spinach in the box this week, and you may want to use some for cooking and some for salads. Dressed with chive vinaigrette, it’s hard to go wrong; a light wilting can really bring out the flavor and add a pleasing texture. For cooking, many recipes recommend removing the stems. That may be fine for your basic, big, summer spinach, but the stems of spring, fall, and overwintered spinach are sweet and succulent, and not to be missed.
Basic Cooked Spinach
Slicing the garlic instead of mincing or pressing helps to keep it from burning.
1 lb Spinach
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic, sliced
Salt to taste
Heat 2 Tbsp of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic and sauté just until it begins to brown, one minute or less. Add the spinach to the pan; if it doesn’t all fit, you can pack in down with your hand or a spatula. Use a spatula to turn the spinach over a few times to thoroughly coat with the garlicky olive oil. Cover and cook for one minute, turn the spinach over, and cover to cook for another minute or so. Remove from the heat, pour off any water that has accumulated, and add a little more olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.
Long before anything else greens up out in the herb garden, Chives begin their rebirth from the soil. The leaves having died back completely over the winter, they look like nothing so much as a writhing mass of skinny green snakes as they clump their way out of the soil. With a delicate flavor, chives make a nice garnish for many foods, and a great addition to cooked rice.
Chive Vinaigrette
2 Tbsp Chives
4 Tbsp Good Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste
Place all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until emulsified. Or, if you have small children, place all ingredients in a lidded jar and shake vigorously until emulsified.
May 17—28 is Be Nice to Nettles Week in the UK, so we are a little early here but the time is right to take advantage of this delicious spring treat. Like asparagus, nettles are a true product of spring. They can sting, so be careful handling them; you may want to wear gloves, but a either a gentle or a very firm hand can prevent stinging. We’ve put them in bags to avoid unpleasant surprises. We know three ways to get rid of the sting: swish vigorously in cold water; boil; or chop very finely. All of these will burst the oil glands that contain the stinging formic acid. Nutritionally the nettle is an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, iron and numerous trace elements as well as a range of vitamins. The young shoots can be used in soups and stews and in place of spinach, or along side it to provide a bright, very “spring” flavor. Even our Norwegian farmer neighbors delight in this spring treat!
Stinging Nettle Pesto
Contributed by member Jenneane Jansen
6 c. nettles
Water for blanching
1/3 c. nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, pistachios, or almonds all work)
1-5 cloves garlic, depending on preference, peeled and trimmed
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 T. lemon juice
1/4-1/2 c. good-quality extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Black pepper
(The quality of the olive oil will make a big difference to this dish.)
Set the water to a boil in a large sauce pan. Do not add salt.
Toast the nuts in the oven at 350 until fragrant and slightly darker in color, about 3-7 minutes, depending on the nut. Allow to cool.
Rinse the nettles in cold water, and chop out the stems. The easiest way to avoid getting stung is to wear rubber gloves. But the hairs that cause the sting are very fragile, too, so swishing the nettles in a sink full of cold water will eliminate most of the hazard.
When the water comes to a boil, put the nettle leaves in the pot until wilted and bright green, about 1 minute. Drain in a colander and keep the boiling liquid for a healthy green tea. Allow the nettles to cool.
Place the drained, cooled nettles, cooled nuts, garlic, cheese, lemon juice, and one tablespoon of the oil in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is a thick green paste. With the machine running, slowly add the remaining olive oil. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Toss with pasta (gnocchi is traditional), drizzle over chicken, or spread on toasted French bread. The pesto can be frozen.
Our greenhouse-grown Cress has a flavor similar to watercress, with a pleasant and fresh peppery tang. We put it in clamshells to keep it safe on its journey to you. The small leaves make a nice addition to salads, but really shine as an addition to eggs or sandwiches with meat or cheese. At farmers market last year, several customers describe an egg, mayonnaise, and cress sandwich that they had enjoyed in
We stored the Celeriac and Carrots over the winter. Celeriac is the same species as celery, but bred for the swollen root rather than the fleshy stems. A more primitive version of the species, celeriac has contributed almost all of the modern pest resistance to celery varieties. The flavor chemistry is basically the same as that for celery, and the texture of the roots is similar to potatoes or turnips; in fact, it as at times been called “turnip-rooted celery”. Use it anywhere you would use potatoes, such as in soups or gratins. The strong flavors of celeriac salads taste wonderful in cool weather, and a little bit goes a long ways.
Celeriac Salad
2 lbs Celeriac, peeled and cut into matchsticks
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
3 Tbsp Mayonnaise
1 clove garlic (or a ¼ cup of chives)
1-1/2 tsp stoneground mustard
Blanch celeriac in boiling water for 2 minutes; dunk in cold water to stop cooking, then drain. Place in a bowl and add oil and vinegar. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Refrigerate, covered, for at least two hours. Crush garlic into a paste and combine with the mayonnaise and mustard, and add this mixture to the celeriac and stir well just before serving.
Posts
