Warm Arugula and Mushroom Salad

from The All New Good Housekeeping Cookbook

Prep Time:  25 minutes
Cook Time:  12-14 minutes
Servings:  4 first course servings

Ingredients
1/4 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons dry vermouth
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
about 12 ounces arugula, trimmed
4 ounce wedge of Parmesan cheese
3 garlic cloves, crushed with side of chef’s knife
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps cut into quarters
8 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled

Directions
In small bowl, mix broth, 2 tablespoons oil, vinegar, vermouth, sugar, salt, and pepper.  Arrange arugula on large serving platter.

With vegetable peeler, remove enough shavings from wedge of Parmesan to measure one cup, loosely packed.

In non-stick 12 inch skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook just until golden.  Increase heat to medium-high.  Add shiitake and white mushrooms and rosemary;  cook, stirring, until mushrooms are browned and liquid has evaporated, 8-10 minutes.  Discard garlic.

Add broth mixture to skillet.  Cook, stirring, for thirty seconds.  Immediately spoon mushrooms over arugula, top with Parmesan shavings.

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Pasta with Arugula, Cherry Tomatoes, and Pancetta

from The All New Good Housekeeping Cookbook

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time:  25 minutes
Servings: 2 main-dish

Ingredients
2 ounces sliced pancetta or bacon, chopped
1/2 garlic clove, crushed with garlic press
8 oz cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
8 ounces radiatori or rotini pasta
10 ounces of arugula, trimmed
1/8 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
In a nonstick 10 inch skillet, cook pancetta over medium heat until lightly browned.  If cooking bacon, discard all but one tablespoon of the bacon drippings.  Add garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.  Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper and cook until tomatoes are warmed through, 1-2 minutes longer.  Meanwhile, in large saucepot, cook pasta as label directs.  Drain.  In warm serving bowl, toss pasta with pancetta mixture, arugula, and Parmesan.

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Beet “Caviar” on Arugula

from Farm to Fork, by Emeril Lagasse

Servings:  6

Ingredients
1 pound beets, roasted until tender and peeled* (beets can be roasted one day in advance!)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallot
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
10 ounces arugula, rinsed and spun dry
3 tablespoons Chive Oil, for serving**

Directions
Using a mandoline, slice the beets to 1/8 inch thick slices.  Then cut the beets into a fine brunoise (a very fine dice, about 1/8 inch square).  Set aside.

Combine the orange juice, vinegar, shallot, poppy seeds, orange zest, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

In a medium bowl, combine the beets with two-thirds of the vinaigrette.  In a separate bowl, toss the arugula with the vinaigrette.

Divide the arugula evenly among six plates.  Then mound the beets on top of the greens.  Drizzle each plate with Chive Oil, and serve immediately.

*Roasting Beets
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cut a piece of aluminum foil about 12 inches square.  On one half of the square, place the beets, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper (for 3-4 small beets).  FOld the opposite side of the foil over to cover the beets, and seal all the edges tightly to form a packet.  Place the packet on the baking sheet, transfer it to the oven, and cook until the beets are tender, about 45 minutes.  You should be able to easily insert a paring knife into the middle of the beets.  Remove the packet from the oven and set it aside, unopened, for about ten minutes.  Remove the beets from the packet.  When the beets are cool enough to handle, gently rub off the skin using a paper towel.

**Chive Oil

Ingredients
4 cups water
2 ounces fresh chives, snipped to 3 inch lengths (2 cups)
3/4 cup canola, grapeseed, or other vegetable oil
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions
In a small bowl, combine one cup ice cubes with one cup of the water.  Set it aside.

Bring the remaining three cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan.  Add the chives all at once, stirring to make sure they are submerged, and cook for ten seconds.  Immediately transfer them, using a slotted spoon, to the ice bath.  Once they have cooled, remove the chives and set them on paper towels.  Squeeze the paper towels gently but firmly in your hands to absorb as much liquid as possible.

Combine the chives, oil, and salt in a blender and mix on high speed for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes, until thoroughly combined.  Transfer the Chive Oil to a small container, cover, and refrigerate for up to 1 week.  If you like, strain the Chive Oil through a fine mesh sieve.

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Greens: Storage & Cooking Info

adapted from:  Asparagus to Zucchini, by MACSAC

The term “greens” refers to the more common cooking greens, such as arugula, collards, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, spinach, and radish tops.  They can be used interchangeably.  “Salad Greens” refers to greens that are usually eaten raw.  Kale, chard, and spinach are specific tags. 

Most garden greens are cool-weather plants, and will usually be found in the spring and fall CSA shares.  Eat your greens!  They are packed with nutrients, low in calories, high in fiber, and renown for their roles in disease prevention.  Each variety of greens has it’s own flavor–some spicy, some mild.  Get to know them. 

COOKING:  Wash your greens before cooking to remove any garden grit. 

Be careful not to overcook.  They’ll be mushy, tastless, and significantly reduced in nutrition. 

Remember that as greens cook, they lose volume.  They will be 1/4 to 1/8 their original volume. 

Boil greens for 3-5 minutes.  Or, steam greens for 8-10 minutes, depending on maturity and toughness of green. 

As you cook the greens, watch for the color of the greens to brighten.  This signals that cooking is complete, or nearly complete.  When overcooked, colors are dark and faded.

***The most typical method to cook greens:  In a large skillet, heat 1/2 inch of water to boiling.  Add greens and heat to boiling.  Reduce heat to medium-high and cook until stems are almost tender, about 5 minutes.  Drain well.  Wipe skillet dry.  In same skillet, cook som chopped garlic in olive oil until golden.  Stir in the cooked greens, and heat through.  Season with salt and pepper.

Saute baby greens, and stir-fry larger greens.  Add them toward the end of the cooking time.  Two to five minutes is usually enough.

Milder greens are:  spinach, chard, collards, beet greens, kale.  Spicier greens are:  turnip, mustard, arugula, radish.  They are interchangeable, but the pungency will vary.

Add to burritios, sandwiches, soups, stews, omelets, quiches, lasagna, casseroles.  Or, serve simply as “greens”:  top with some butter, or just eat them plain.  Or, toss with red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Or, toss with sesame oil, rice vinegar, and soy sauce.  Or, toss iwth a lemon vinaigrette.

Raw salads are always great too!

STORAGE:  Store preferably unwashed, wrapped in damp towel or plastic bag in the hydrator drawer of the refrigerator.  Best used very fresh, but may last for up to a week. 

For long term storage, freeze greens.  Blanch washed greens for 2-3 minutes.  Rinse n cold water to stop the cooking, drain, and pack into airtight containers.  Freeze.

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