Soba Noodles with Greens and Beans
8 ounces soba (buckwheat) noodles
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon sambal chili paste
4 tablespoons tamari
½ cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1-2 leeks, washed well and sliced thin (about 2 cups)
8 ounces fresh spinach, washed and roughly chopped
¾ cup cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
Cook the soba noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
In a small bowl whisk together the garlic, ginger, sambal, tamari, and vegetable broth. Set aside.
While noodles are cooking, heat a large skillet with the sesame oil over medium-high heat.
Add the leeks and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until soft.
Add the sauce, spinach, and black beans and continue cooking until the spinach is wilted.
Add the noodles, toss together and serve hot.
Pear and Spinach Salad with Caramelized Onions and Blue Cheese
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 cups baby spinach leaves
1-2 pears, cored and thinly sliced (Bartlett and Bosc are both great options)
1 ounce blue cheese, crumbled
A pinch salt and pepper to taste
In a skillet heat the olive oil until it just begins to shimmer.
Add onions and cook over a low heat stirring often until onions take on a deep golden color and begin to caramelize, which could take 20 minutes or so.
Remove from pan and set aside.
Once you have washed the spinach, just leave the water on it and add it to the skillet. Cook until just wilted which only takes a couple of minutes.
Add salt and pepper to taste and a bit more olive oil if it seems too dry.
Plate the spinach and top with sliced pears, onions and cheese.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves 4.
Spinach Soup
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1 small carrot
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups chicken stock
½ cup parsley leaves
2 bunches young spinach (about 1 ½ pounds)
2 sprigs fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons crème fraiche
Peel the onion and garlic, and slice thin.
Peel the carrot and dice fine.
In a large pot, stew the onion, garlic, and carrot in the olive oil, covered, until soft and translucent.
Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes.
Prepare a large bowl half filled with ice, and a smaller bowl, preferably stainless steel, that will fit inside it and rest on the ice.
Wash the parsley and spinach and add them to the pot with the chicken stock and other vegetables.
Shut off the heat and allow the soup to stand, uncovered, for 5 minutes, no longer.
Immediately purée the soup in a blender and pour it though a medium-mesh strainer into the bowl in the ice bath.
Stir the soup slowly with a spoon or spatula until it has cooled to room temperature and then remove it from the ice. Quick cooling preserves the color of the soup.
Chop enough tarragon to make about 1 tablespoon and stir it into the crème fraiche. To serve the soup, reheat it to just below a boil and garnish each bowl with a teaspoon of the crème fraiche.
Serves 6.
Breakfast Casserole with Spinach and Feta
Olive oil spray
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
6-ounce bag baby spinach
24 large eggs, beaten
2 cups 2% milk
½ cup heavy cream
12 ounces Feta cheese, crumbled
3 scallions, chopped
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
Black pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 9 x 13 x 3-inch Pyrex deep baking dish with oil.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and shallots and cook until soft, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl whisk the eggs, milk, heavy cream, Feta, scallions, tomatoes, salt and black pepper.
Mix in the spinach and shallots and pour into the prepared dish.
Bake until the center is solid and cooked through, about 1 hour 20 minutes.
Open Hands Farm 