Spinach Spaetzle

The fields at the farm are finally drying out and now it’s a matter of keeping up on the weeds which have simply thrived with the recent weather. The weeds are sneaky and they grew like crazing knowing we couldn’t come out to pull because it was so wet for awhile there. Now our work is cut out for us.

We’ll being seeing some more greens at the markets now but the new addition will be sweet onions, broccoli, cauliflower, beets and turnips. Remember, if you buy beets don’t throw those greens away! They can be enjoyed lightly sautéed or added to a soup.

I’ve been selling at three farmers markets a week in Tulsa. I am mostly selling tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, and squash plants. Saturday we have our big booth at the Cherry Street Market with plants and produce from the garden. I’m the "greens queen" at the market with all my kale, collards, spinach, arugula, red mustard, lettuce mix, and braising mix. I don’t let anyone pass by without trying a leaf of something. I’m a sneaky sales girl getting people to eat their greens!

Spinach Spaetzle with Chicken Breast and Kale Pesto

Spaetzle [SHPEHT-sluh; SHPEHT-sehl; SHPEHT-slee]
Literally translated from German as "little sparrow," Spaetzle is a dish of tiny noodles or dumplings made with flour, eggs, water or milk, salt and sometimes nutmeg.

Going green? This recipe will make it official!

For the Spaetzle
2 cups packed loose rough chopped spinach
1 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs
¼ cup low fat milk
Pinch salt
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg

6 oz chicken breast
2 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1 recipe Kale pesto

In a food processor, puree the spinach then add flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Then add the eggs and milk together; stir it into the flour/spinach mixture. Let the dough rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Batter should be smooth and thick.

Bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot. Reduce the heat to a simmer. To form the Spaetzle, hold a large holed colander or slotted spoon over the simmering water and push the dough through the holes with a spatula or spoon. Do this in batches so you don't overcrowd the pot. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the Spaetzle floats to the surface, stirring gently to prevent sticking. Drain the Spaetzle and give it a quick rinse with cool water.

In a large sauté pan, heat two tablespoons olive oil and sear the chicken breast add two tablespoons of Spaetzle water with 1 cup of Kale pesto mix into a sauce consistency add a little more water if needed. Add the Spaetzle and coat with the sauce. Top with a sprinkle of Parmesan
Cheese.

Serves: 6 Calories: 380 Proteins: 36 g Carbohydrate: 18 g Total fat: 18 g
Saturated fat: 4 g Cholesterol: 140 mg Fiber: 2 g Sodium: 280 mg
Seretean Wellness Center at Oklahoma State University

Fear not!

Greens are not just good for you, they also taste wonderful!

While the weather is still cool we’ll be seeing lots of greens still at the market and this is the perfect opportunity to get those greens while they last. Soon the weather will stay consistantly warmer and greens with be replaced by onions carrots, beets, turnips and strawberries. If you haven’t experimented with all the wonderful greens such as mustard, kale, beet greens, collars, etc., I urge you to give them a try.

This week I will be posting a variety of different recipes with creative and delicious ways to use these awesome greens.

TIP: Cut and wash greens as soon as you get home. This will help them stay fresh longer. The extra bonus is they will be ready to go when you cook with them! Spinning dry will also keep greens fresh.


Kale and Green Onion Cakes

2 cups packed, chopped and cleaned kale
2 eggs
½ cup low fat milk
¼ cup flour
2 green onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons onion, minced
Pinch salt
⅛ teaspoon cumin
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil to coat the pan.

In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients and mix into a batter. Heat a heavy skillet or a cast iron pan with just enough oil to coat the bottom. Scoop silver dollar size pancakes into the hot skillet and cook on each side until golden brown.


Serves: 6 Calories: 120 Proteins: 4 g Carbohydrate: 12 g Total fat: 7 g
Saturated fat: 1.5 g Cholesterol: 65 mg Fiber: 1 g Sodium: 40 mg

Seretean Wellness Center at Oklahoma State University

Kale!

I’ll be honest - between feeding fourteen kids three times a day, milking six goats, working in the green house, and getting the garden up to farmer’s market standard there is not much time to rest or do much else. But it’s a type of work and a type of tiredness I can tolerate. When I go out into the garden and I see the seeds we’ve sewn sprouting and coming on strong I know there will be lots of food to harvest. When I look in the cooler and see eight whole gallons of fresh goat milk I know cheese will be made and when I look in the green house and see rows of bright green healthy plants I have hope. When I set up the booth at the farmers market full of wonderful produce and come home with none, I know I am living the dream. In spite of some heart ache, minor setbacks, and a very achy lower back there is a deep happiness I have found here that I’ve never known before.

But enough of that, now down to the business of eating. The predominant item at the Farmers Market last Saturday was Kale. Many folks have told me they have no idea what to do with this stuff and I will assure you, was I time I didn’t either.

In 1996 I opened up a Sicilian restaurant with a partner who was indeed Sicilian. She was raised in Connecticut and had a rich East Coast Sicilian attitude. Her Sicilian born grandmother was the inspiration of many recipes and dishes we had on our menu and by far the most popular item was called Grandma’s greens. This is a twist on what many would be familiar with in southern cooked greens but this recipe had no pork fat, just seasonal greens, olive oil, garlic, raisins, pine nuts, olives and anchovies. This dish would melt in my mouth. We served it with corn bread to sop up all the delicious juices in the bottom of the bowl. It’s still on the menu today at La Medusa. To me this is comfort food at its finest. I hope you enjoy.

Braised Greens

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch Russian kale, escarole or curly endive, washed and trimmed
5 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1 tablespoon golden raisins
1 tablespoon chopped Kalamata olives
¼ cup water

In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute. Quickly add the greens, give them a good toss. Then add the pine nuts, raisins, olives, and water. Braise until soft.

Serves: 4 Calories: 90 Protein: 3 g Carbohydrate: 8 g Total fat: 6 g
Saturated fat: 1 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Fiber: 4 g Sodium: 120 mg