Eat your leafy greens

Photo by Pille-Riin Priske on Unsplash

Leafy greens are quick and easy to grow. Plant seeds today and you'll be picking in 5-6 weeks, plant seedlings and you'll be picking in 3-4 weeks.

Leafy greens include things such as rocket, spinach, warrigal greens, bok/pak choy, mustard greens, chard and kale. Other greens you can include with your leafy greens when you cook are the leaves from a variety of vegetables eg sweet potato, nasturtium

Here are a few of my favourite leafy greens recipes.

Steamed/Wilted greens

This is one of my favourite ways to have leafy greens. I usually have it as an entree as it's a bit too flavoursome as part of your mains.

Wilt (in the microwave) or steam some greens. Top with sesame oil and soy sauce to taste.

Spinach Pie (Serves 2)

      Olive oil
      1 large onion, finely chopped
      1 clove garlic, finely chopped
      2 tablespoons lemon juice
      Bunch of fresh spinach or mix 2/3 spinach with 1/3 leafy greens
      1/4 cup ricotta or cottage cheese
      50g feta, crumbled
      1/4 cup chopped continental parsley (I often don’t put this in)
      1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
      1 egg, lightly whisked
      Pepper to taste
      1 sheet puff pastry
      Poppy seeds (optional)

 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Brush a small ovenproof dish with oil and drape the sheet of pastry over it to thaw.
2. Combine onions, garlic and lemon juice in a saucepan and cook, stirring, over medium heat for 4-5 minutes.
3.  Add spinach and cook 4-5 minutes.
4.  Cool. Stir in ricotta/cottage cheese, feta, parsley, mustard, pepper & mix until combined.
5. Add egg & fold through.
6. Cut pastry to fit your dish and keep the excess for the top of the pie.
7.  Spoon spinach mixture into dish. Cover with pastry, seal edges.
8. Lightly brush top with oil and sprinkle with poppy seeds.
9. Bake in pre-heated oven until top is golden (around 30 minutes).

Pesto

Pesto is usually made with basil but you can use any leafy greens. I actually prefer to not use basil as basil pesto discolours once the air gets to it. My favourite is nasturtium leaves - they give a nice peppery flavour. I also usually use peanuts as they're cheaper but you can use any nuts - with pine nuts being traditional.

I make a largish batch, bottle some and freeze the rest in ice cube trays - which are later popped into containers in the freezer. Pop a cube or two into stirfry or over pasta for a quick meal.

Here's a basic recipe, but I usually do it by feel and taste.

      4 cups of basil (or parsley or nasturtium) leaves firmly packed
      3 cloves of garlic
      1 cup peanuts, pine nuts or macadamias or a mix
      ¾ cup fresh Parmesan (grated or thinly sliced)
      ¾ cup olive oil
      ½ teas salt (or to taste)

1. Combine everything in a food processor and pulse for about 2 minutes until it becomes a paste of the consistency you like.
2. Spoon into sterilised jars that have a tight seal. (Soak in boiled water or baby bottle steriliser.) Or freeze in ice cube trays.

 

Buttery Rocket Pasta

Melt some butter in a saucepan. Add a couple of handfuls of rocket and wilt. Pour over pasta of your choice. Top with parmesan cheese.