Veggie of the Moment: Purple Cauliflower

 

       Purple Cauliflower: Saute, steam, roast, soup or salad!

Romanesco Soup: The Color of Spring

ROMANESCO?

Romanesco (Brassica oleracea) has been cultivated in Italy since the sixteenth century, and is currently in season at Northern California farmers markets. Its delicious nutty flavor, vibrant color and plentiful nutrients make it a perfect ingredient for a simple one- pot soup. Yield: About four cups. (For extra credit, look up "fractals" and "fibonacci numbers").

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ROMANESCO SPRINGTIME SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

 2- 3 cups Romanesco, roughly chopped

2-3 medium shallots, peeled

2 ribs celery, chopped

2 - 3 garlic cloves, peeled

2 bay leaves

fresh water to cover

1 cup + more as needed unsweetened plain almond milk or soy milk

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

METHOD:

Place vegetables and bay leaves in a soup pot; add just enough fresh water  to cover the vegetables by about one inch. 

Bring to a simmer, cover, and allow to cook gently on a medium flame until Romanesco is just tender and still bright green.  

Remove from heat. Carefully drain vegetable broth into clean glass jars. Allow cooked vegetables to cool. Remove bay leaves.

In stages, puree the vegetables in a blender, adding vegetable broth and nut milk or soy milk as needed.

For a creamier soup, use a larger proportion of nut milk than broth, adjusting the consistency to your taste.

Add sea salt and a few generous grinds of fresh black pepper.

Taste and adjust seasoning.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

The flavor of this soup is enhanced if it is allowed to rest for a few minutes, but if you can't wait, reheat and serve immediately in pre-warmed ceramic bowls or mugs. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, your choice of fresh chopped herbs, or dust with a sprinkling of red pepper flakes or Hungarian paprika. Enjoy a taste of springtime!

 

 

 

 

Ginger- Lime Cabbage Salad

 

Ginger- Lime Cabbage Salad:  

This delicious, crunchy, sweet- tart salad is simple to assemble and rich in nutrients. Cabbage is a stand by staple in my fridge year- round; it keeps well and is easily transformed into an variety of cooked or raw dishes. The ingredient proportions below are approximate;  no need to measure exactly. Shred the cabbage as finely as possible to ensure optimal blending of the flavors. Yields about four servings.

Ingredients:

1/2 head green cabbage, finely shredded

1/2 head purple cabbage, finely shredded

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger root

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup rice vinegar

juice of 1- 2  limes

1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

 

Method:

Combine ingredients in a large bowl and toss very thoroughly.

Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.

Store in clean glass jars for up to 3 days in fridge.

Flavor will improve as the ingredients merge.

 

Serving Suggestions:

Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Garnish with any combination of lime slices, toasted chopped hazelnuts, toasted chopped almonds, toasted sesame seeds, red pepper flakes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Joy of Leafy Greens: Beauty, Simplicity, Health

 

Fresh produce is an essential key to health, and in this era of heightened awareness of wellness, eating dark leafy greens daily is an easy and critical practice to cultivate. Steaming is perhaps the simplest technique for preparing hearty greens and requires no special utensils.  I purchase greens weekly at my local farmers market and upon returning, I prepare several days worth of greens right away so they will be ready for eating later in the week. The method which follows is applicable to nearly every variety of dark leafy green.

PREPARATION:

1. Rinse greens and trim about 1/4 inch from the bottom of the stems. The stems are edible and nutritious and should not be discarded.

2. Put a few inches of fresh water into a pot with a well fitting lid and bring to a boil.

3. Stack the greens in the pot, pressing gently so they fit, and cover. They do not need to be immersed in the water.

4. Gently simmer just until greens wilt. The timing will vary depending on the thickness of the leaves. The rainbow chard pictured above requires about 3 minutes. Steam a little longer if you prefer more thoroughly cooked greens, but don't over cook. I usually turn the greens over once during cooking.

5. Remove greens immediately from pot and place in a colander to cool.

6. Pour the cooking water into clean glass jars and reserve for later use. 

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

It's fun to invent creative presentations for steamed greens. Here I've cut off the stems (and set them aside for snacks) and rolled up the leaves:

Drizzle with olive oil, a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  

Other delicious garnishes: 

Toasted sesame seeds

Toasted chopped almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts

Lemon or lime juice

Fresh or dried oregano, marjoram or basil 

Umeboshi vinegar 

STORAGE:

Steamed greens keep perfectly well for several days in a covered glass or stainless steel container in the fridge. 

Greens can be served at room temperature, or gently warmed in a skillet in a little olive oil.

Whole leaves can be cut up before heating; kitchen shears are a great tool which make this task effortless. Greens can also be warmed briefly in some of the reserved cooking water. Add  a peeled garlic clove to the broth if you wish.  Enjoy a cup of the broth as a quick, energizing snack.

VARIETIES  OF LEAFY GREENS:

If you have access to a farmers market you will find many varieties of dark leafy greens which are not commonly available in conventional food stores. Some of the densely nutritious greens available now in Northern California farmers markets are:

Rainbow Chard

Collards

Beet Greens

Spigarello

White Russian Kale

Italian (Lacinato) Kale

Mustard Greens

Mizuna

Bok Choy

Arugula

Watercress

NEW TASTES AND FLAVORS:

Fresh local produce is full of intense complex flavors. It may take some practice to notice and appreciate them, especially if you are not accustomed to eating simple, unprocessed foods. If fresh, simply prepared greens seem flavorless or unappealing to you, try a mini fast of sixteen or eighteen hours; a serving of greens and a cup of warm broth may be a revelation when hunger is genuine.

During this extraordinary time, when food shopping is challenging and we must make do with narrower choices, consider taking the opportunity to re-frame preexisting ideas and expectations about what food should taste like, and what a meal consists of.

Our ancestors were foragers, gatherers and hunters, who did not eat three meals a day, nor did they know about the four food groups, food pyramids, vitamins, proteins or calories. Somehow, they were strong and resilient enough to reproduce generation after generation, and to survive over thousands of years in the absence of supermarkets, fast food, take-out and restaurants. Perhaps we can be inspired today by their example.

 

Celery Broth Winter Tonic

Perhaps you've noticed that raw celery juice is a current wellness fad, following on the heels of  other trendy "super foods" such as kale, acai berries, flax and chia seeds popularized by celebrity social media influencers. 

According to Traditional Chinese/ Eastern Medicine, celery, though not a panacea, does possess considerable health supportive qualities, including its ability to cool inflammation, reduce dampness, strengthen organ function and calm the nervous system. In western terms, celery contains generous amounts of essential compounds such as potassium, silicon, sodium, vitamin C and more.

The brilliantly fresh organic celery at my local farmers market is topped with large crowns of bright green leaves whose deep pigmentation signals a high nutrient content.  Quite bitter when raw, celery leaves mellow appreciably when briefly simmered in water. The resulting broth and lightly steamed leaves are intensely flavorful and energizing, and can serve as a potent antidote to holiday feasting.

Although raw juices are hugely popular in contemporary wellness culture, Traditional Chinese/ Eastern Medicine specialists recommend avoiding consumption of cold raw foods in winter, especially for individuals who are recovering from illness, suffer from fatigue, have difficulty staying warm, are older or have chronic health challenges. Lightly steamed hardy greens and warm broths are thought to be particularly restorative.

Disclaimer: This simple celery leaf  infusion is not party fare, but your body will celebrate when you reward it with the occasional cup.

Ingredients:

2 bunches organic celery with leaves
fresh water

Method:

Cut leafy tops and their slender stems from the thicker celery stalks.
Set aside the celery stalks for future use.
Chop leaves and stems roughly.
Place chopped greens in a stainless steel pot with a well fitting lid.
Add fresh water to cover about half the greens.
Cover pot and bring to a gentle simmer for two or three minutes, stirring once or twice.
When leaves have wilted but still retain their bright green color,  remove from heat.
Allow leaves to rest, covered, for five or ten minutes.

Broth:
Pour the celery broth into clean glass jars; it will keep well in fridge for several days.
Gently reheat without boiling and sip for an invigorating, warming winter drink. 

Greens:
Greens will store well for several days in fridge.
To prepare, finely chop greens and heat briefly in olive oil.
Serve tossed with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, or with any garnish of your choice.
Especially delicious sprinkled with home made gomasio, a Japanese toasted sesame seed condiment. (Recipe @ http://tinyurl.com/rbo3w6f)

 



 

Chill With Summer's End Soup

Here in chilly, foggy San Francisco, our real summer shows up in September and October; time to put aside (briefly) the fleece and down, don a single layer of clothing and enjoy refreshing light meals. Try this chilled vegetable soup whenever the heat strikes! (Makes about four servings).

Ingredients:

5 medium Swiss chard leaves, with stems
1 large celery rib, with leaves
1 medium summer squash (yellow adds nice color)
2 large ripe tomatoes
1 whole garlic clove
1 bay leaf
1/2 organic lemon (or lime)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
freshly ground black pepper to taste
fresh water
several fresh basil leaves

Prep:
Cut stems from chard leaves and chop into small pieces.
Stack chard leaves, roll into a cylinder and slice into thin ribbons.
Chop celery & leaves into small pieces.
Slice summer squash into matchsticks.
Mince tomato.
Slice lemon crosswise into thin rounds.
Roughly chop basil leaves.

Method:
Place chard stems, celery, squash, garlic clove and bay leaf into a pot, cover with fresh water and bring to a simmer.
Cook briefly over low heat until chard and celery are almost tender.  Turn off heat.
Stir in chard leaves, cover pot, and allow soup to rest two or three minutes, or until chard is wilted.
Stir in tomato, basil, lemon, olive oil, sea salt, black pepper.
Taste and correct seasoning.
Remove bay leaf and garlic clove.
Chill the soup in fridge.

Serving Suggestions:
Garnish with red pepper flakes, a drizzle of flavorful olive oil, more lemon or lime juice.

Blended:
Blend the soup until smooth; serve chilled in a tall glass.

How to Store:
Will keep well stored in clean glass jars for several days in fridge.

 

Cool Green Soup: Make your own!

Before setting off to my local farmers market each week, I inventory the fridge and decide how to use up the last week's vegetables before shopping for fresh produce.  Here's what I found this week:

arugula
bok choy
cilantro
carrots 
leek
celery

Since we're having a heat wave in San Francisco, I chose to make a batch of chilled green soup to enjoy in the warm evenings. When the weather turns cold, the soup can be heated. I don't measure the ingredients but for the recipe I created rough estimates.

INGREDIENTS:

 2 cups baby arugula leaves
 2 cups baby bok choy
 1 handful cilantro, with stems chopped
 2 carrots, chopped
 2 inches white part leek & 2 inches green part leek
 1 stalk celery, chopped
 fresh water to cover
 juice of one lemon or lime
 1 tablespoon olive oil 
 1 tablespoon smooth unsalted nut butter (cashew, almond, tahini, etc.)
 sea salt to taste
 freshly ground black pepper to taste


METHOD:

Place vegetables in a pot and add enough water to cover.
Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook gently on low heat for about 5 minutes.
When carrots are slightly tender, turn off heat.
Let soup cool.

Puree vegetables and broth in batches in blender or processor, adding lemon/ lime juice, olive oil, nut butter, sea salt and black pepper. 
Taste and correct seasoning.
This is an intensely concentrated, strongly flavored soup; its edge can be mellowed by the addition of some unsweetened nut milk or soy milk.
Chill in fridge in small glass jars; will keep for up to five days.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

Serve in chilled bowls as is, or garnish with your choice of chopped toasted almonds, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, avocado cubes, red pepper flakes, turmeric, fresh dill, lemon or lime slices, yoghurt etc....

 

Iron Skillet Brussels Sprouts

 

Iron Skillet + Brussels Sprouts + Heat + Oil 

This minimalist recipe requires only four ingredients and proceeds from beginning to end in a heavy black cast iron skillet, an inexpensive, indestructible and versatile kitchen tool. The thick bottom and sides of the skillet conduct and radiate heat evenly and intensely, making it ideal for oven roasting.

Brussels sprouts need little adornment to taste great, and roasting them brings out their sweet flavor. Select fresh, compact, brightly colored Brussels sprouts which are relatively uniform in size. 

Trim off the stems if they are very thick or gritty, then slice sprouts in half. If sprouts are large, make a small additional cut at the base of each half to facilitate cooking. Leaves which separate during slicing can be sprinkled on top of the cut halves before they go into the oven.

Ingredients:

1 pound Brussels sprouts, washed, stemmed and halved

3- 4 tablespoons olive oil

sea salt to taste

cracked black pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Heat olive oil in skillet on medium flame and place sprouts cut side down in pan.

Saute for about 3 minutes or until cut sides are lightly browned; stir gently with a fork and add a bit more olive oil if needed.

Place skillet in oven and roast for roughly 10 - 15 minutes until sprouts are tender and browned to your taste.

Remove skillet from oven and allow sprouts to rest for a few minutes to develop their sweetness.

Serve straight from the pan, garnished with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

 

On Perfection, Evolution & Summer Pleasures

Though human perfection does not exist, Homo sapiens is imbued with the evolutionary drive to seek perfection in all things.  Perhaps this  impulse is linked to the survival instinct which pushed our species to hunt for the best food, partners, comrades and environments. 

There is tension inherent in this search, for ultimately, one must make a choice.  Certain choices are crucial, and will resound in our lives for decades. Other choices are simpler; which sunflower, which artichoke, which peach shall we select?  

Such are the small, weightless pleasures of summer, when there is an abundance of nearly  perfect produce to enjoy.

  

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inanimate perfection?

Meditation on a Black Radish

Black Radish

The black radish, with its rough thick outer shell and pure white pungent bitter interior, is the dark horse of the radish universe. Cultivated by farmers since the days of ancient Egypt, Raphanis sativus var. sativus tolerates extremes of climate, grows to a generous size and contains considerable quantities of vitamin C.

 I am told that the black radish, which stores very well, was a staple food for my Eastern European ancestors during long cold winters when few fresh vegetables were available. It was peeled and sliced and eaten with raw onion, salt and heavy dark sourdough rye bread. In France it is known as "Gros noir d'hiver",  or "large black of winter".



                                             black radish
                                             your rhino hide shell
                                             protects a bitter snowy core
                                             from which the lovely
                                             green shoots spring

A Winter Restorative: Root Broth

This season of excessive consumption, activity and stimulation creates a need for counter- balancing austerity. Root broth, a fortifying Winter restorative, is a satisfying response. Both the making and the drinking are effective antidotes to the restless chatter of our universe.

The broth is prepared by simmering a selection of roots in water until tender. Humans have cooked this way under very primitive conditions for millennia, ever since they tamed fire and created ceramic vessels. This simple non-recipe produces a warming and intensely flavorful clear broth, replete with valuable nutrients. Select any combination of the following ingredients- whatever is available will be suitable.

Ingredients:

carrots
turnips
white radish
purple radish
parsnip
ginger root
leek
garlic cloves
dried shiitake mushrooms
bay leaves
fresh water
sea salt to taste

Method:

Scrub and trim root vegetables and cut into medium sized pieces. Peel the garlic cloves but leave whole. Shiitake mushrooms are also left whole.

Place vegetables and bay leaves in a soup pot. Add fresh water, enough to cover the vegetables by one or two inches.

Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over a low flame, adding more water if level gets too low. Simmer until vegetables are tender but not mushy.  (Longer cooking is fine but will yield a thicker broth).  Turn off heat. Remove the mushrooms and when cool enough to handle, slice and return to broth. Taste and add sea salt as desired. Serve in a pre-heated bowl so that broth stays warm.

Living in Harmony With the Atmosphere of Winter:


"The three months of Winter are called the period of closing and storing. Water freezes and the Earth cracks open. One should not disturb one's Yang. People should retire early at night and rise late in the morning and they should wait for the rising of the sun. They should suppress and conceal their wishes, as though they had no internal purposes, as though they had been fulfilled. 
 People should try to escape the cold and they should seek warmth. They should not perspire upon the skin, and they should let themselves be deprived of the breath of the cold. All this is in harmony with the atmosphere of Winter and all this is the method for protection of one's storing."

-- From the Nei Jing, The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic (circa 206 BCE-220 CE)

Nourishing the Roots: The Source of Vitality

A tree with a deep, well developed root system is more likely to survive periods of drought, heat, cold or other extreme weather conditions. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, (TCM), the same can be said for humans. Maintaining a healthy, robust constitution is essential to one's ability to withstand the inevitable mental, emotional and physical challenges which confront us all.

Our genetic make up is referred to in TCM as the "inherited constitution" or "ancestral energy". Each person is born with their own unique quantity and quality of constitutional energy, which determines the trajectory of birth, growth, maturation, aging and death. Ancestral energy is finite; when it is used up the organism ceases to live.

An essential teaching of TCM is the importance of nurturing the inherited constitution through proper life style, which is the foundation of "acquired energy". This means that the preponderance of the body's day to day energetic needs should be derived from appropriate food, exercise, and sleep. If acquired energy is not replenished on a daily basis, the body taps into the finite storehouse of ancestral energy, reducing vitality, resilience and shortening its lifespan.

Like the root system of a tree, the body's vital organs are hidden, but they are the source of our ability to sustain life. Nourishing the roots is a day by day mindfulness practice which can provide us with the emotional and physical strength to meet the vicissitudes of life.
 

Tomato, Tomatl, Solanum Lycopersicum!

The tomato is a fruit of many colors, shapes and names, and summer is the time to revel in its heady acidic sweetness. Though greenhouse tomatoes are available year round, a tomato in winter is but a pale imitation of robust fruit grown in healthy soil under the hot summer sun. 

Tiny wild tomatoes were native to South and Central America and were first cultivated by the Inca and Aztec peoples around 700 CE.  The Aztecs learned to breed large flavorful specimens which they called "tomatl" meaning "fat fruit" or "plump fruit" and "xitomatl" meaning "plump fruit with a navel" in the Nahau language.

Spanish explorers introduced the fruit which they called "tomate" to Europe in the sixteenth century; eventually it gained extensive culinary use throughout the continent and beyond. The Italians named it "pomodoro" or "golden apple" and the French call it "pomme d'amour", "apple of love". In Russia, home of the famous heirloom Black Krim,  the fruit is called "pomidor".

Known botanically as Solanum lycopersicum, tomatoes belong to the large family Solanaceae which includes potatoes, eggplants, peppers and tobacco. The etymological roots of Solanaceae are unclear, but Lycopersicum  as translated from Greek means "wolf peach", "lyco" meaning "wolf" and "persikon" meaning "peach". The "wolf peach" name may stem from early European folklore involving witchcraft and werewolves. Tomatoes were long thought to be poisonous since they belong to the nightshade family, which includes some deadly varieties.

Far from being poisonous, tomatoes are dense with valuable nutrients, especially lycopene, a powerful antioxidant which gives tomatoes their deep color and is thought to offer protection from several types of cancer and coronary artery disease. Tomatoes also contain plentiful amounts of vitamin C, potassium and fiber, and a 100 gram serving provides nearly a gram of protein. 

Tomato, tomatl, Solanum lycopersicum; whatever name you give it, the plump fruit of the Aztecs and Incas is one of the finest simple pleasures of summer. 

Farmer's Markets: Where the Real Food Is

One of the great luxuries of life in Northern California is the accessibility of quality produce year round. Even in winter, a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits are available from regional farms. In San Francisco, neighborhood farmer's markets provide urban residents the opportunity to deepen their understanding of seasonal growing cycles and to become familiar with a broad range of produce which is seldom available commercially.

In our earliest millennia as a bipedal species, our primary occupation was to search for and gather our food. Anthropologists observe that foraging peoples walked an average of three to five miles a day in search of a remarkably diverse selection of edible plants, roots, nuts, berries and fruit. Our ancestor's survival hinged upon their knowledge of where each of many varieties of food was located in its season and the ability to gather it. Energy, intelligence and perseverance were critical to this task; our motivation was hunger. Homo sapiens succeeded in this endeavor well enough to reproduce and pass on the human genome from generation to generation.

Many thousands of years later, this essential human project has turned upside down. Moderns have little need to gather their own food, and little time to prepare it. Most of us spend our days (or nights) earning money with which to purchase our food, much of which bears faint resemblance to that of our forager ancestors. A vast assortment of what Michael Pollan calls "edible food like substances" is readily available in supermarkets and few calories are consumed in the effort to acquire it.

These changes have created a deep disconnect between humans and their sources of food, a decline in food intelligence and a troubled relationship between the instinctive drive to eat and an oversupply of aggressively marketed low quality calories. There is much confusion surrounding food choices and eating styles which has engendered a huge proliferation of widely variable and contradictory information about nutrition and health. Lost in the deluge of advertising and misinformation are the essential unprocessed foods which once were the sole components of our diet.

Farmer's markets offer honest commerce on a human scale. They bring farmers and shoppers together in venues where an abundance of the real food which truly nourishes and sustains us can be found. 

Spigariello? It's not an opera!

With the current proliferation of local farmer's markets across the country comes the opportunity to discover unusual varieties of produce which one would not find in commercial markets. A recent revelation is this lovely Spigariello, an heirloom Italian kale in the brassica family. Its full name as listed in seed catalogues is "Cavolo Broccolo Spigariello Foglia Riccia".

Like Lacinato kale (above), Spigariello is tender and uniquely flavorful, with small dark blue-green leaves. It can be sauteed, steamed, eaten raw in salad and smoothies or added to soups and stews. Both varieties are subtle in taste with no hint of bitterness and are more delicate than the common curly kale which has become popular of late.

There is nothing mysterious or difficult about preparing leafy greens. Lightly sauteing them in olive oil creates a flavorful nutritious dish in minutes. The only tools needed are a knife, a cutting board and a skillet.

How to saute a dark leafy green vegetable in olive oil:

Rinse the greens and shake off or blot excess water. If the leaves have thick central stems, cut them away from the leaves. Chop the stems into small pieces. Then stack the leaves and slice; thin slices will cook more quickly than thick. Remember that the volume of the greens will reduce greatly during cooking, so judge the quantity you begin with accordingly.

Heat some olive oil in a heavy skillet-  just enough to cover the surface of the pan. Add the chopped stems first, since they are denser and need a little more cooking time. After a minute or two, add the leaves and continue to saute over a medium flame, stirring occasionally until just tender; this should take only three or four minutes. Taste the greens. If they are not tender enough, continue cooking another minute or so. Add a bit more olive oil if the greens are sticking to the pan.

Serve sauteed greens immediately in a preheated bowl, sprinkled with a little sea salt to taste and perhaps some freshly ground black pepper. 
 

Cavolo Broccolo Spigariello Foglia Riccia

                                

Black Orca? Calypso? Vaquero? It's a bean.

Black Orca, Calypso, Vaquero, Yin Yang; these are all names for this attractive black and white speckled heirloom bean which is a member of the Phaseolus vulgaris family.  In recent years many varieties of heirloom beans have become widely available and are prized for their beauty, smooth texture and subtle flavor.

Humans have cultivated beans since the advent of agriculture millennia ago. For many cultures they are the primary source of protein and other essential nutrients and are eaten at almost every meal. In subsistence farming communities, beans are cooked daily under very rudimentary conditions, often over an open fire. To create richly flavorful beans, all that is needed is a pot with a lid, a source of heat and a few simple ingredients.

Home Cooked Heirloom Beans:
 
Soaking time: Overnight or 6-8 hours.
Assembly time: Less than five minutes.
Cooking time: About one hour.

Ingredients:

2 cups dried heirloom beans, soaked and rinsed
5 cups fresh water
2 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste).

Method:

Sort through beans and remove any foreign matter.  Place beans in a heavy bottomed pot and add enough water to cover. While soaking they will absorb some of the liquid so there should at least one inch of water above the level of the beans.  Soak overnight or for 6-8 hours. (You can skip the soaking and plan on extra simmering time.)

Drain beans and add fresh water. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat, add bay leaves, garlic cloves and onion. (The garlic and onion can be peeled before or after cooking.) Simmer gently until the beans are tender but not mushy.  Stir occasionally and make sure beans are not sticking and are mostly covered in liquid; add a little water if necessary. Cooking time is roughly one hour depending on the freshness of the beans.

When beans are tender, turn off heat. Remove bay leaves and garlic cloves. Mash garlic cloves in a bowl with some beans and their broth, mix well and stir back into the pot. Add sea salt, taste and adjust seasoning. Serve warm beans in their savory broth, garnished with freshly cracked black pepper. Any steamed or braised leafy green will compliment this dish.

Winter Miso Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms, Ginger and Greens

This miso soup is almost a stew, thick with slices of pungent ginger root, dried shiitake mushrooms and dark leafy greens surrounded by a savory broth. The white miso paste which is the basis of the broth is mildly sweet and not too salty; rice vinegar and rice wine add a subtle sweet- sour dimension.

Ginger root is classified as one of the most warming herbs in the traditional Chinese herbal pharmacopeia. Shiitake mushrooms are strengthening and beneficial for healthy immune function. Together these two ingredients transform this soup into a fortifying meal for cold winter days.

The recipe can be made in ten minutes or less. It does not require precise measurements but the quantities noted below will yield two generous servings.


Ingredients:


6 dried shiitake mushrooms
3 cups fresh water
1/3 cup thinly sliced leek
1/3 cup thinly sliced celery
3-4 slices fresh ginger root
1+ 1/2 tablespoons white miso paste
1- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon mirin rice wine*
2-3 handfuls baby lacinato kale leaves (or baby arugula, spinach or other leafy green)


1.  Place mushrooms in a ceramic bowl. Boil about half the water and pour over the mushrooms. Cover the bowl with a plate and allow mushrooms to rehydrate while you slice the vegetables.

2. Slice  ginger root into slabs and then into matchsticks. Thinly slice the celery and leek.

3. When cool enough to handle, remove mushrooms from bowl one at a time and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Reserve the soaking water. 


4. Slice the mushrooms with a sharp knife.  If the stems are tough, slice as thinly as possible; they will soften with further cooking.

5. Place the sliced vegetables into a pot, add soaking liquid and remaining water.  Cover and simmer gently over a low to medium flame for five or six minutes.  Add more water if there isn't enough to just cover the vegetables.

6. Place miso paste, rice vinegar, mirin and a few tablespoons of broth in a small bowl and stir until fairly smooth.  Add mixture to the soup.

7. Stir the greens into the soup, cover and turn off heat. Allow to rest for three or four minutes until greens wilt. Taste broth and adjust seasoning.  Reheat the soup very gently before serving but do not boil.   


*Note: Mirin rice wine is a traditional Japanese product; it is a versatile staple to have on hand and is commonly available in natural food markets. 

Grasping the Stinging Nettle

The sting of the nettle (Urtica dioica) is caused by three substances contained in its tiny hollow needles: acetylcholine, histamine and 5 hydroxytryptamine. Contact with the needles can create an unpleasant burning, itchy skin rash in most people. The Latin verb urere means "to burn" from which  the nettle derives its botanical name.

A common wild plant found throughout North America, Europe, North Africa and Asia, the nettle's sting has not deterred humans from gathering it for use as food, tea and medicine for thousands of years. Its fibers have been woven into cloth; today there is renewed interest in uses for this plentiful fiber.

Like many edible wild greens, the nettle plant is highly nutritious, containing valuable antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and an unusual quantity of protein for a leafy green. Brief cooking neutralizes the sting; thus the nettle becomes edible when steamed, sauteed, added to soups or other cooked dishes.


Nettles are now being cultivated by growers in California and I recently discovered some beautifully fresh ones at my local farmer's market. I prepared them using a simple technique which takes no more than five minutes and can be used to cook many varieties of  leafy greens.

Cooking the Nettle:
 
Heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a cast iron skillet, and using tongs or chopsticks to handle the nettles, pile them into the pan over a medium flame. Although an entire produce bag of nettles may look like a lot, they will quickly reduce in size as they heat.  Keep adding more nettles until they all fit into the skillet, pressing them down gently with the tongs.

With a kitchen shears roughly cut the longer stems into manageable segments. Stir the nettles and sprinkle with a tablespoon or so of rice wine and a few tablespoons of water; the resulting steam will quickly complete the cooking process. By now the nettles will be tender and much reduced in volume. Immediately transfer them to a warm serving dish. Garnish with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.

       
                                                                    

"Grasping the nettle" means to confront a problem head on. Linguists posit that this expression is derived from the notion that one is less likely to get stung by the nettle if it is grasped firmly in the hand rather than handled timidly; this flattens the tiny needles making it less likely that they will puncture the skin and inject their irritants.