Recipe Links: Wisconsin Week 4, Chicago Week 2
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1. Turnip greens, 2. Cherry Belle Radishes, 3. Pink Beauty Radishes, 4. Spring Onions, 5. Garlic Scapes, 6. Curly Endive, 7. Bright Lights Chard, 8. Oregon Giant Snow Peas, 9. Sugar Snap Peas, 10. Parsley [Not Pictured: White Icicle Radishes, Leeks, Curly Cress
As temperatures rise ushering us into July, enjoy these tastes of spring while they're here! This week's greens, spring alliums, radishes, herbs, and peas offer that fleeting springtime freshness. My favorite this week is the garlic scapes; I can't get enough of their mild, fresh garlic flavor!
Turnip greens
Indian-spiced greens This recipe for Indian-spiced greens and peas offers a quick, flavorful solution to dinner. (In case you haven't read enough international recipes, cilantro is referred to as coriander outside of the Americas; this recipe calls for both the leaves and the seeds).
Turnip green pesto Further proof that you can make pesto out of just about anything...
Mashed turnips and potatoes with turnip greens Use up any turnip roots that come with your greens this week in this riff on colcannon. I'd up the potatoes to compensate for having fewer turnips than the recipe calls for.
Homemade pizza is another great alternative for turnip greens. Fry up some bacon, saute the greens in the fat, and add both to your favorite pizza base. (I like roasted garlic olive oil, some cheese, and a homemade hot sauce).
Radishes: Cherry Belle (Thursday shares and Chicago), Pink Beauty, and White Icicle (Wednesday shares)
Radish and pecan grain salad This salad rounds out the radishes' crisp bite with the deep, nutty sweetness of pecans. Although the recipe calls for a variety of herbs, I'm sure one or two would work just fine.
Spring pasta with ricotta, radishes, peas, and orange zest I whipped this up earlier this week using leftover ricotta cheese and a little zest from an orange I had lying around. I highly recommend it.
Add radishes to a potato salad like this one. Bonus: you'll already have the fresh herbs and onions!
Spring Onions
Orchiette with sauteed greens and scallion sauce Turn those spring into a sophisticated sauce to pair with pasta and sauteed greens! Lovely green flavors abound here.
Sweet braised whole scallions Braising those spring onions according to this scallion recipe will bring out a luscious sweetness. Use them as a garnish or a side dish. (I braised some with asparagus a while back to much the same effect).
The creamed chard recipe listed below would also be a great way to use those spring onions!
Garlic scapes OR Leeks
Garlic scape dressing This sprightly vegan salad dressing builds on the classic 1:3/1:4 vinaigrette ratio I discussed last week.
White bean and garlic scape dip White bean dip is a sensible appetizer for party or a simple addition to any home meal. It's healthy, affordable, and quite tasty. Using garlic scapes here will add a fresh garlic flavor without overwhelming the other components.
Leek and lemon soup This soup's vibrant green color is surely matched by its springtime flavor.
Curly Endive
Endive and avocado salad This simple and sophisticated salad sets creamy avocado against crisp, mildly bitter endive.
Citrus endive avocado salad Another, bolder endive avocado combination. This version harnesses the brightness of citrus to liven up the salad.
Bright Lights Chard
Swiss chard with currants (or raisins) and pine nuts A classic Italian dish that jazzes up sauteed greens. Try it as a side to grilled chicken or fish, or with a side of risotto or grains.
Farro and Swiss Chard salad with grapefruit vinaigrette I love the idea of a grapefruit vinaigrette, especially on this pretty bright lights chard.
Creamed chard and spring onions Creamed greens lightened up with a little spring onion--how could you go wrong? Cream and greens balance each other beautifully to make a dish that is neither too staunchly healthy nor too flabby and indulgent.
Snow peas: Oregon Giant, Sugar Snap
If you can stop yourself from devouring them raw, straight out of the bag, here's a few recipes to consider!
Sugar snap peas with lemon-chili breadcrumbs This recipe dresses up those snap peas, but only ever so slightly. Crunchy breadcrumbs add a bit of kick and lemony brightness to these springtime favorites.
Smokey grilled minty snap peas I'm intrigued by the idea of grilling snap peas and the idea to add a little mint to balance out the smoke flavor from the grill seems genius.
Lemon butter snow peas Crisp snow peas bathed in lemon and butter? I'm there.
Parsley (Thursday shares and Chicago)
Roberta's parsley cake Anyone fancy parsley for dessert?
Pasta with capers, garlic, and breadcrumbs Adding parsley to a simple pasta dish like this one perks up the flavors.
Parsley makes a great fresh addition to salad dressings, too. Or, toss a handful of chopped parsley straight into your next salad for a punch of fresh, grassy flavor.
Curly Cress (Wednesday shares)
Wild rice salad Another spin on a spring-time grain salad. The nutty flavor and chewy texture of the wild rice is balanced by the bite of cress and radishes in this recipe.
