Notice a theme? This week I focused on using up and enjoying that bounty of greens we received: kale, arugula, spinach, and lettuce greens (and basil and thyme)! I intentionally chose three recipes this week that use greens somewhat interchangeably; each one can be made with a combination of pretty much whatever greens you happen to have handy. With such a mix of veg at this time of year, it’s a good idea to enjoy the more perishable ones first (greens!), as the hardier veg (squash, onions, carrots, potatoes, etc) are a bit more patient and can handle waiting longer before being consumed.
The baguette was a new recipe for me, and I’m quite pleased with the result. It uses up a lot of greens – I used spinach and arugula and it totalled one and a half bags (which shrank when cooked to about 2 cups). The lemon adds a vibrancy to the greens, and the eggs, cream, and cheese are well balanced so the ensemble isn’t too rich. It tastes great warm, and I imagine it will be just as good cold tomorrow.
You can add a good variety of veg to a potato hash – this time I added a bit of carrot, kale, and arugula, and seasoned it with thyme. My plan for the hash is to mix in some pesto and enjoy it for lunch tomorrow with feta, salad greens, and one of the salad dressing this post. Another great option is to create a couple of “wells” in the hash and crack an egg into each one. This makes it a fully one-pan meal! Great for brekkie, lunch, or dinner.
Pesto doesn’t need much of an introduction. I used a bounty of basil (the official last of the season!) and half a bag of arugula. I am using some of it immediately, and for the rest I am freezing in ice cubes to be able to enjoy later.
If you have any favourite ways to enjoy your greens – let me know! I’m always looking for more ideas. And more meal ideas for this week include…
More Magnificent Meal Musings:
- Greens Frittata
- Squash Mac and “Cheese” (ex. https://ohsheglows.com/2011/10/03/butternut-squash-mac-n-cheeze/)
- Veg “Poutine” with Mushroom Thyme Gravy, Spinach, and Feta
- French Onion Soup
- Lemon Arugula Pasta
- Fancy Toast with Mushrooms and Greens
Lemon and Greens Baguette
Ingredients
- 1 baguette
- 200 g approx. 5-6 cups torn up/chopped spinach, arugula, or kale
- 200 ml cream
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp prepared mustard
- ½ cup finely grated cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350F.
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Cut the baguette in half and hollow out each half, making sure to leave the crust intact on the bottom (you’ll be creating a kind of canoe).
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Rinse spinach and toss in a pan over medium heat for it to wilt (alternatively you can boil a kettle of water and pour the water over the spinach in a sieve). Remove from heat and let cool.
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Mix the cream, eggs, garlic, lemon zest, and mustard in a medium bowl.
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Squeeze out excess moisture from the spinach and add to the mixture along with half of the cheese.
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Spoon the mixture into your baguette boats and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Can be served fresh out of the oven, or cold the next day.
Potato and Greens Hash
Lots of potato and lots of greens – hard to go wrong!
Ingredients
- 4 potatoes, diced quite small
- 1 onion, diced in small pieces
- 1 carrot, diced in small pieces
- 3 sprigs thyme
- enough oil to coat pan
- 1/2 bag kale. arugula, or spinach, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup prepared pesto (optional – see recipe below)
- 2 eggs, optional
Instructions
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Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onions and allow to cook for about 5 minutes.
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Toss in the potato and carrot and cook until cooked through, about 20 – 30 minutes, depending on size of the pieces. I stirred the pan every couple of minutes. If the veg are cooking too quickly on the outside and not enough inside, then turn the heat down.
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Add thyme, greens, salt and pepper. Toss and allow to cook for a few more minutes. Taste and season accordingly.
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At this point you can add the optional eggs, by creating two wells in the hash and cracking them in. Cover and cook until desired doneness. I chose not to have eggs, and instead stirred pesto into my hash. It will be served cooled atop salad greens with feta.
Multi-Greens Pesto
Pesto is versatile, and a wonderful way to use different kinds of greens. In this recipe I use basil and arugula, but I could have also added some spinach or kale.
Ingredients
- 10-12 cups loosely packed greens (arugula, basil)
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup hemp hearts, more as needed
- 3/4 cup olive oil, more as needed
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (optional – I didn't use)
- salt to taste
Instructions
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Simply add all of your ingredients to a food processor or blender and pulse until fully incorporated. If you'd like to store for much later use, distribute the pesto into ice cube trays and freeze. Once fully frozen, you can pop them out and store in a freezer bag.