Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

from the Smitten Kitchen

Adapted from several places, but my favorite version is Alton Brown’s

To hard-boil eggs, well, there are a million approaches out there (see this comment section if you don’t believe me). Mine is to cover a large egg with cold water and put it on the stove and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, set a timer to exactly 9 or 10 minutes, and reduce the heat to medium. Once it’s done, I often plunge it in icy water so that it will stop cooking immediately and also chill quickly. At 9 minutes, large eggs will be a little tender in the center, as you can see in the top photo. At 10, it will be a fully-cooked (but not overcooked) egg.

If you’re freaked out by raw red onion, you can actually add it to the dressing in the skillet for the last 10 seconds to soften it and remove more of the bite, and pour the onions and dressing over the salad together.

Ingredients

• 4 ounces baby spinach
• 2 large white mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1/4 small or medium red onion, very thinly sliced
• 1 large egg, hard-boiled (see above), chilled, peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 pieces thick-sliced bacon (about 4 ounces), finely diced
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon honey or sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Place spinach in a large, wide salad serving bowl. Scatter with mushrooms, red onion (see above for a different, mellower way to add the onions) and coins of hard-boiled egg. In a large skillet, fry bacon bits over medium-high heat until they’re brown and crisp and have rendered their fat. Use a slotted spoon to scoop them out of the skillet and spread them on a piece of paper towel briefly before sprinkling them over the salad. Pour out all but two tablespoons of hot bacon fat from the skillet. Reheat over medium and quickly whisk in the red wine vinegar, honey and Dijon. Pour over entire salad and season salt and pepper. Toss gently and serve hot. Repeat tomorrow night. Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 spinach salad enthusiasts.

Spinach and Smashed Egg Toast

I use this spinach method, scaled up, all the time to make a quick, lazy creamed spinach with dinner. (A more classic one is here. An even more gussied one is here.) Creme fraiche could replace the cream (unlike yogurt or sour cream, it doesn’t curdle when heated).

Ingredients

• 1 large egg
• 1 slice of your favorite hearty bread
• 2 ounces baby spinach
• 1 pat butter
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot or white onion
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon crumbled cheese, such as goat cheese or feta

Directions

Bring small pot of water to boil. Lower egg into it and boil for five (for a runnier egg, as seen in top photo) to six (for a less-runny but still loose egg, as seen in bottom two photos) minutes.* Rinse egg briefly under cool water and set aside.

Wash your spinach but no need to dry it. Put a small puddle of water in the bottom of a skillet and heat it over medium-high. Once the water is simmering, add the spinach and cook it until it is just wilted, and not a moment longer. Transfer it to a colander and press as much of the excess water out with the back of a fork as possible. No need to wring it out here; we’re hoping to those lovely wilted leaves intact. Keep that fork; you’ll use it again in a moment.

Put your bread in to toast.

Dry your skillet if it is still wet. Heat a pat of butter in it over medium-low heat. Add shallots and cook them for a few minutes, until translucent and a little sweet. Return spinach to skillet and add cream. Simmer them together for one minute, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Put your toast on your plate and spread it thinly with Dijon mustard. Heap the spinach-and-shallot mixture on top, then add the crumbled cheese. Peel your egg; doing so under running water can make this easier. Once peeled, place it on your spinach toast, smash it open with the back of that fork you used a minute ago, and sprinkle it with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Eat immediately.

* When you’re eating a soft-boiled egg right away, six minutes is the way to go. But here, since we boil the egg and then prepare the rest of the toast, it continues to cook and firm up a bit in its shell, so I’ve found that a 5 to 5 1/2 minute egg will give you the equivalent in the end.

Espinacas con Garbanzos [Spinach and Chickpeas]

From the Smitten Kitchen

Adapted from Moro: The Cookbook and Lobstersquad

One of the reason I blended recipes was because I wanted the approachability of Ximena’s version but also some of the extras in Moro’s — the vinegar, paprika and the fried bread, mashed to a paste. Except, in hindsight, I think I’d also enjoy this recipe without the bread. It would be a bit thinner and saucier and possibly harder to slop onto a piece of toast, but also a bit lighter — in weight, not just calories. If you’re bread-averse or think you’d enjoy it without the crumbs in the sauce, give it a spin and let us know how it goes.

Tomato sauce, by the way, is emphatically not traditional in this dish but after making Ximena’s version with it — she says “you don’t have to use tomato in this recipe, but it’s so much better with it” — I can’t have it any other way.

Last note: This recipe is flexible. If you end up with a little less spinach or a little more sauce, or if you want it with a little less this or a little more that, so be it. Enjoy it. Have fun with it.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound (230 grams) dried chickpeas, cooked until soft and tender* or two 15-ounce cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 6 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound (450 grams) spinach, washed
• A hefty 1-inch slice from a country loaf or about 2 slices from sandwich loaf bread (2.5 ounces or 75 grams), crusts removed and cut inset small cubes
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) tomato sauce (I used canned stuff I keep around)
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika**
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Lemon juice, to taste

Directions

Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add half the olive oil. When it is hot, add the spinach with a pinch of salt (in batches, if necessary) and stir well. Remove when the leaves are just tender, drain in a colander and set aside.

Heat 2 more tablespoons olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the bread for about 5 minutes or until golden brown all over, then the remaining tablespoon of oil and the garlic, cumin and pepper. Cook for 1 minute more or until the garlic is nutty brown.

Transfer to a food processor, blender or mortar and pestle along with the vinegar, and mash to a paste. Return the mixture to the pan and add the drained chickpeas and tomato sauce. Stir until the chickpeas have absorbed the flavors and are hot. Season with salt and pepper.

If the consistency is a little thick, add some water. Add the spinach and cook until it is hot. Check for seasoning and serve with paprika on top, or on fried bread toasts (as the Spanish do).

* I make all of my dried beans in the slow-cooker these days. They are perfect every time, and the flavor of fresh beans — even the sad-looking ones from grocery store bins I used — is incomparable. No presoaking, just cover them 2 to 3 inches of water and cook them 3 hours on high. (I have learned that cooking time can vary widely in slow-cookers so allot more time than you might need. I often make mine in the day or days before and let them cool in their cooking water, which is then by then very flavorful.)

** This might be my favorite ingredient on earth — it’s amazing on eggs and potatoes, too. If you can’t find it locally, Amazon and Penzeys are among a bunch of places that sell it online.

Salad with New Potatoes and Pickled Spring Onions

From the Smitten Kitchen

I realized as I was editing photos for this post that they reminded me of something else, and that I’d likely been inadvertently influenced by Heidi Swanson’s Mostly-Not-Potato Salad from her incredible book, Super Natural Everyday. Great minds think alike! Heidi’s version is a bit different, including tofu, celery, cucumber, green beans, chive and dill, but I love that it also gives a the classic potato salad a makeover, and reprioritizing. I could imagine delighting in them both all summer.

Ingredients

2 pounds small new or fingerling potatoes (I used a mix of reds and yukon golds)
1 pound asparagus
1/4 pound sugar snap peas, green beans or other spring pea
4 small-to-medium radishes, thinly sliced

Pickled spring onions
3 spring onions (about 6 ounces)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon kosher salt (I use Diamond brand; use less if you’re using Morton or table salt)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

Sharp mustard vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard (both Roland and Maille make a whole seed one I’m tremendously fond of)
2 teaspoons smooth Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Place potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with one inch of water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the tip of a knife easily pierces through a potato. Drain the potatoes and let them cool until they’re almost room temperature. You can hasten this by covering them with cold water, and replacing the water a few times as it warms up.

Meanwhile, pickle your spring onions. Whisk vinegar, water, salt and sugar together in the bottom of a small container with a lid until the salt and sugar dissolve. Slice the bulbs and paler green parts into very thin coins and submerge them in the vinegar mixture. Cover and put in fridge until you’re ready to use them; if you can put them aside for an hour or even overnight, even better. Reserve the onion greens.

Refill the saucepan you used for the potatoes (here’s to fewer dishes!) with salted water and bring it to a boil. Prepare an ice bath, a large bowl with ice and water in it. Trim the tough ends off the asparagus. Once the water is boiling, add the asparagus. One minute later, add the sugar snap peas. Two minutes later, drain both together then dump them in the ice bath until chilled. Drain the vegetables and spread them out on towel to absorb excess water.

Slice the cooked asparagus spears and sugar snaps into 1/2-inch segments and place them in a large bowl. Chop potatoes into moderate-sized chunks and add them to the bowl. Cut the radishes as thinly as possible, with a mandoline if you have one. If they’re especially big (mine were), you can first quarter them lengthwise. Cut some of the reserved onion greens into thin slivers (no need to use all of them, as the onion flavor might take over) and add them to the bowl.

When you’re ready to serve the salad, or an hour or two in advance, whisk the dressing ingredients and toss it with the vegetables, to taste. (You may find you don’t want to use all of it.) Stir in as many pickled onion coins as you please, save the rest for anything and everything. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, o taste. Eat and enjoy!.

Do ahead: Pickles can be started in the day or days before. Potatoes can be boiled and chilled in fridge overnight, as can other vegetables. Vinaigrette can be made in advance as well, but I might wait until the last minute to toss it with the vegetables as the vinegar, over a long sitting time, can ever-so-slightly discolor the cut edges of the asparagus and beans.

Pork, Cabbage & Spinach Stir-Fry (you can sub tofu, tempeh, chicken, beef etc. for pork)

Ingredients

• 1 pork tenderloin (3/4-lb.)                                          
• 4 cups sliced cabbage
• 3 tablespoons EACH soy & hoisin sauce                        
• 4 cups spinach
• 1/2 cup chicken broth                                                 
• 5 cups hot cooked rice
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided                             
• 1-1/2 cups sliced green onions
• 1 Tb. teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger, divided     
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps                          
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or sesame)
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper                

Directions

Trim fat from pork [or other protein] cut into strips. Put pork, 2 Tbs. soy sauce, 2 tsp. garlic & 1 tsp. ginger in a bowl. Cover; marinate in refrigerator 2 hours. Put 1 Tbs. soy sauce, 2 tsp. garlic, 1 tsp. ginger, broth, hoisin sauce & cornstarch in a bowl; stir with a whisk. Heat oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tsp. garlic & crushed red pepper; stir-fry 30 seconds. Add mushrooms & onions, cabbage stir-fry 3 minutes. Add broth mixture & spinach; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until mixture is thick. Serve over rice. Serves 5. [You could also do vegetables in this order, but cook sauce in separate sauce-pan and combine at very end to avoid over-cooking vegetables].

Spiced Squash, Lentil, and Spinach Salad

--loosely adapted from Bon Appetit
 
From Katherine Deumling of Cook With What You Have

This is my idea of a perfect fall/winter dish.
 
Ingredients
 
¾ cup French green lentils
2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 teaspoon olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups spinach, torn or roughly chopped
2-3 ounces feta or soft goat cheese, crumbled
1 – 1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar

Directions
Preheat oven to 375ºF.  Place squash on a baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons oil, cumin, paprika, and salt.  Roast 20 minutes.  Turn squash over.  Roast until tender, about 10 minutes.  Cool.
 
Meanwhile cook lentils in boiling salted water until tender but firm, about 30 minutes.  Drain and rinse under cold water.  Drain again.
 
Combine lentils, squash, and oil from baking sheet with spinach, half of goat cheese, mint, vinegar, and 1 tablespoon good olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle remaining goat cheese over. Serves 6-8 as a side.

"Creamy" Spinach Curry

From Martha Stewart

"This recipe recalls the popular Indian dish saag paneer. Its use of tofu instead of paneer, an Indian cheese, makes it lighter and more convenient."

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons safflower oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
• 14 1/2 ounces vegetable broth
• 6 bunches flat-leaf spinach (about 3 pounds), trimmed, washed, and chopped
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 package (12 1/2 ounces) extra-firm tofu
• 1/2 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
• Cooked brown rice, for serving

Directions

Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer spinach until soft and liquid is mostly evaporated, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and gently stir in tofu and yogurt; serve over rice.

Spinach Salad with Grilled Eggplant and Feta

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons chopped marjoram or oregano

1 (1 1/4-pounds) eggplant, trimmed and cut into 8 (1-inch-thick) rounds

10 ounces baby spinach

1 cup crumbled feta (1/4 pound)

1/4 cup pine nuts (1 ounce), lightly toasted

Directions

Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over hot charcoal (high heat for gas); see Grilling Procedure . Whisk together oil, lemon juice, garlic, marjoram, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl.  Brush both sides of eggplant slices with some of dressing. Season with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Oil grill rack, then grill eggplant, covered only if using a gas grill, turning occasionally, until tender, 12 to 15 minutes total. Cut into pieces. Toss spinach with enough dressing to coat and season with salt and pepper. Add eggplant, feta, and pine nuts and toss again.

·Eggplant can be grilled, in batches if necessary, in a lightly oiled hot grill pan over medium-high heat.

Tarragon Chicken with Fall Vegetables a la Chris

Chris, Bryan, and I just made this delicious dish using many CSA items. Here's what we did... 

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• 4-5 carrots
• 3 cups spinach
• 1 head broccoli
• 2 tablespoons butter plus half stick of butter
• 1 cup white wine
• 3-4 cups chicken stock
• 1 tsp *marmite optional (Chris favorite new ingredient- get some and use it in stews and soups)  
• Tarragon, preferably fresh, but we use dried
• Salt to taste 
• Rice of choice 

Directions 

Cut chicken breasts into four strips, brown each side in saute pan with butter, 3-4 minutes per side, salt while cooking. Reserve chicken breasts. Cut carrots in 1 inch cylinders. Using same pan, add chicken broth, 1 cup white wine, 1/4 cup sherry vinegar, 1/2 tablespoon marmite, cook for 5 minutes until slightly reduced.  Add carrots to broth, cook for 5-6 minutes until barely tender, add salt while cooking. Add broccoli florets, allow contents to steam for three minutes, careful not to overcook. Remove from heat. Begin roux in new saute pan. Melt butter, add 2 tablespoons flour, stir constantly to prevent clumps for at least 3 minutes. Pour roux into vegetables. De-glaze roux pan with 1/2 cup white wine, stir and scrape, add contents to roux and vegetables.  Turn combined contents to low, add chicken, mix cover and cook ON LOW for 3-5 minutes until just bubbling. Add spinach to mixture until just wilted. Serve over white or brown rice.  

 *Marmite is a yeast extract that chemically hits the same flavor receptors as MSG; some say it has great umami- or a rich savory taste. Eat it on toast with butter or put small amounts to enrich stews, crockpot recipes, pot roasts or sauces. 

Spicy Stewed Potatoes & Spinach with Buttermilk (Aloo chaas)

Ingredients

• 1 pound russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 2 dried red chiles, such as Thai, cayenne or chile de arbol, stemmed
• 1 cup boiling water 
• 1/2 cup firmly packed fresh cilantro 
• 4 large cloves garlic, peeled
• 3/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1 tablespoon canola oil 
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric 
• 1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk 
• 1 tablespoon whipping cream 
• 8 ounces baby spinach   

Directions

1. Place potatoes in a medium bowl; cover with cold water to prevent browning. Place chiles in a small heatproof bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Set aside until they are reconstituted, about 15 minutes. Reserving the chile-soaking water, coarsely chop the chiles (do not seed).
2. Pile cilantro, garlic, salt and the chopped chiles in a mortar. Pound the ingredients to a pulpy mass with the pestle, using a spatula to contain the mixture in the center for a concentrated pounding. (Alternatively, mince the ingredients in a food processor.)
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the spice paste and cook, stirring, until the garlic is honey-brown and the chiles are pungent, 1 to 2 minutes. (Make sure to use adequate ventilation.) Drain the potatoes and add along with turmeric; cook, stirring to coat the potatoes with the yellow spice, about 30 seconds. Pour in the reserved chile-soaking water and scrape the pan to loosen any browned bits; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork-tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Whisk buttermilk and cream in a small bowl.
5. When the potatoes are tender, pile the spinach leaves over them, cover and cook until the spinach is wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the buttermilk mixture.

Spinach Florentine

Ingredients

• 8 oz. egg noodles
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup shallot, thinly sliced
• 1/2 bunch spinach, rinsed & squeezed dry
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Directions

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. In a skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add shallot, garlic, salt, oregano & pepper. Cook until shallot softens. Stir in spinach; cook, stir often, until heated through. In bowl, combine spinach mixture with juice, zest & reserved egg noodles. Serves 4.

Risotto Verde

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken broth, preferably bouillon-based
• 1 small onion, sliced lengthwise
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups kale, chopped and blanched
• 4 cups fresh spinach, chopped and blanched
• 2 cups wild arugula, chopped
• 1 cup fresh peas, boiled
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated and divided
• Salt and pepper, for taste

Directions

Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan, lower the flame and keep to the side. In a large  wok, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until golden, then add the rice and make sure it is completely coated in the oil. Cook for 3 minutes and then add the white wine, again making sure it's coated.

After, add ½ cup of broth at a time into the rice until it is completely absorbed and cooked al dente, reserving 1 cup of broth. Add in the kale and the spinach and cover with lid. After 3 minutes, add the arugula and the peas. Pour the remaining cup of broth, sprinkle a layer of Parmesan on top, no more then ½ cup, and cover with lid. After 4-5 minutes, remove lid and serve, adding Parmesan, salt, and pepper to taste.

Sauteed Greens with Cannellini Beans & Garlic

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1 large bunch greens (such as spinach, mustard greens, kale, or broccoli rabe; about 1 pound), thick stems removed, spinach left whole, other greens cut into 1-inch strips (about 10 cups packed)
• 1 cup (or more) vegetable broth or low-salt chicken broth
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed, drained
• 1 teaspoon (or more) Sherry wine vinegar

Directions

Heat 4 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and dried crushed pepper; stir until garlic is pale golden, about 1 minute. Add greens by large handfuls; stir just until beginning to wilt before adding more, tossing with tongs to coat with oil.  Add 1 cup broth, cover, and simmer until greens are just tender, adding more broth by tablespoonfuls if dry, 1 to 10 minutes, depending on type of greens. Add beans; simmer uncovered until beans are heated through and liquid is almost absorbed, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, and more vinegar if desired; drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and serve.

Cannellini Beans with Wilted Greens

Ingredients

• 2 C dried cannellini beans   
• 1 onion
• 6 C water or chicken stock 
• 1 carrot
• 1 large bunch chard, kale, spinach, or mustard greens     
• 6 cloves garlic
• 5-6 Tbs. olive oil          
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbs. chopped rosemary leaves             
• Salt and pepper
• Bouquet garni: celery, thyme, parsley, bay leaf                                           

Directions

Soak the beans overnight. The next day drain them and put them in a heavy-bottomed pot with the bouquet garni. Add the onion and carrot. Cover with water or stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, skimming off any foam that forms on the surface. Cook the beans until very tender, from 45 min. to 2 hours, depending on the age of the beans and how long they were soaked. Salt the beans generously, once they start to soften. When fully cooked, remove from heat. Wash, trim and chop the greens. Chop the garlic and saute in olive oil w/rosemary about 1 minute. Add the beans and about 1 C of their cooking liquid, and simmer about 5 minutes until some of the beans have crumbled apart. Add the greens to the beans, and stew together, uncovered, until the greens are wilted and tender. Add more of the bean liquid, if needed, to keep the vegetables moist and a little soupy. Taste for seasoning, and grind in some pepper. Serve with olive oil drizzled over surface.

Green Garlic and Spinach Fritata

Adapted from Katherine Deumling of Cook With What You Have

Ingredients

• 3-4 green garlic stalks, washed, trimmed and finely chopped
• 2 cups spinach
• 2 medium potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1⁄2-inch dice (optional—see headnote)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
• 6-8 eggs (or whatever you have or want to use)
• 2 ounces feta or fresh goat cheese (optional—can omit choose or substitute some Parmesan or even sharp cheddar)
• Tablespoon or two of chopped parsley (optional)
• Salt, pepper

Directions

Heat the butter and oil in a heavy sauté pan or well-seasoned cast iron pan or non-stick (if it’s heatproof and can go in the oven). Add the green garlic and a few pinches of salt to pan and sauté over medium heat until they soften about 7-8 minutes. If you are using potatoes, dice them small and sauté them with the green garlic and onion. Add spinach until just wilted. 

Set your oven to broil.

Lightly whisk the eggs until they’re just broken up—no need to get them frothy or really well mixed. Add a few generous pinches of salt and several grinds of pepper and crumbled feta or goat cheese and parsley, if using. Pour eggs over the vegetables and tilt the pan to evenly distribute the eggs. Cover and cook on medium heat for a few minutes. When the eggs begin to set around the edge take the pan off the heat and set under the broiler (uncovered) until the eggs are cooked and slightly puffed and golden.

Let sit for a few minutes before cutting and serving. It will come out of the pan much more easily that way. Serve with a slice of bread and salad for a light supper. 

Spinach Salad with Grilled Eggplant and Feta

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons chopped marjoram or oregano
• 1 (1 1/4-pounds) eggplant, trimmed and cut into 8 (1-inch-thick) rounds
• 10 ounces baby spinach
• 1 cup crumbled feta (1/4 pound)
• 1/4 cup pine nuts (1 ounce), lightly toasted

Directions

Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over hot charcoal (high heat for gas); see Grilling Procedure . Whisk together oil, lemon juice, garlic, marjoram, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl.  Brush both sides of eggplant slices with some of dressing. Season with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Oil grill rack, then grill eggplant, covered only if using a gas grill, turning occasionally, until tender, 12 to 15 minutes total. Cut into pieces. Toss spinach with enough dressing to coat and season with salt and pepper. Add eggplant, feta, and pine nuts and toss again.

·Eggplant can be grilled, in batches if necessary, in a lightly oiled hot grill pan over medium-high heat.

Pork, Cabbage & Spinach Stir-Fry

Ingredients

• 1 pork tenderloin (3/4-lb.)(you can sub tofu, tempeh, chicken, beef etc. for pork)                               
• 4 cups sliced cabbage
• 3 tablespoons EACH soy & hoisin sauce                      
• 4 cups spinach
• 1/2 cup chicken broth                                              
• 5 cups hot cooked rice
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided                             
• 1-1/2 cups sliced green onions
• 1 Tb. teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger, divided        
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps                          
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or sesame)
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper                

Directions

Trim fat from pork [or other protein] cut into strips. Put pork, 2 Tbs. soy sauce, 2 tsp. garlic & 1 tsp. ginger in a bowl. Cover; marinate in refrigerator 2 hours. Put 1 Tbs. soy sauce, 2 tsp. garlic, 1 tsp. ginger, broth, hoisin sauce & cornstarch in a bowl; stir with a whisk. Heat oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tsp. garlic & crushed red pepper; stir-fry 30 seconds. Add mushrooms & onions, cabbage stir-fry 3 minutes. Add broth mixture & spinach; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until mixture is thick. Serve over rice. Serves 5. [You could also do vegetables in this order, but cook sauce in separate sauce-pan and combine at very end to avoid over-cooking vegetables].

Tarragon Chicken With Fall Vegetables A La Chris

Chris, Bryan and I just made this delicious dish using many CSA items. Here's what we did... 

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• 4-5 carrots
• 3 cups spinach
• 1 head broccoli
• 2 tablespoons butter plus half stick of butter
• 1 cup white wine
• 3-4 cups chicken stock
• 1 tsp *marmite optional (Chris favorite new ingredient- get some and use it in stews and soups)  
• Tarragon, preferably fresh, but we use dried
• Salt to taste 
• Rice of choice 

Directions

Cut chicken breasts into four strips, brown each side in saute pan with butter, 3-4 minutes per side, salt while cooking. Reserve chicken breasts. Cut carrots in 1 inch cylinders. Using same pan, add chicken broth, 1 cup white wine, 1/4 cup sherry vinegar, 1/2 tablespoon marmite, cook for 5 minutes until slightly reduced.  Add carrots to broth, cook for 5-6 minutes until barely tender, add salt while cooking. Add broccoli florets, allow contents to steam for three minutes, careful not to overcook. Remove from heat. Begin roux in new saute pan. Melt butter, add 2 tablespoons flour, stir constantly to prevent clumps for at least 3 minutes. Pour roux into vegetables. De-glaze roux pan with 1/2 cup white wine, stir and scrape, add contents to roux and vegetables.  Turn combined contents to low, add chicken, mix cover and cook ON LOW for 3-5 minutes until just bubbling. Add spinach to mixture until just wilted. Serve over white or brown rice.  

*Marmite is a yeast extract that chemically hits the same flavor receptors as MSG; some say it has great umami- or a rich savory taste. Eat it on toast with butter or put small amounts in richer stews, crockpot recipes, potroasts or sauces. 

Baby Greens With Roasted Beets & Fingerling Potatoes

From Gourmet 

Ingredients

For vinaigrette

• 1 1/2 tablespoons tarragon white-wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil

For salad:

• 2 medium beets (1 lb with greens; 14 oz without greens), stems trimmed to 2 inches
• 1 lb fingerling potatoes, scrubbed well
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4-5 C Salad Mix, or combo of baby greens, spinach etc.

Directions

Make vinaigrette: Whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified.

Roast beets and potatoes: Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 425°F. Wrap beets individually in foil and roast on a baking sheet in upper third of oven until tender, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Once beets have roasted for 30 minutes, toss potatoes with oil and salt in a small baking pan and roast in lower third of oven, shaking pan occasionally, until potatoes are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Carefully unwrap beets and cool slightly, then slip off and discard skins. 

Assemble salad: Cut beets into 1/3-inch dice and put in a large salad bowl. Cut potatoes into 1/3-inch-thick slices and add to beets along with all greens Add vinaigrette and toss gently to coat. Season, if desired, with favorite herbs.