by Lynn Greene
Going green easy with variety of salad fixings
While
we are busy complaining about the cost of everything from
gas to groceries, it’s sometimes helpful to look at the
wide variety of foods we have available to us and be thankful
for that.
The variety of greens available sure beats eating dandelions
—although you can eat them, too, if there are no pesticides
present. And, they’re free!
Garlic mustard is another food that can be picked for
free, since it’s labeled a nuisance. The town of Geneva
goes all out to try to control garlic mustard by hosting
a festival and a recipe contest each spring. Properly called
an herb, garlic mustard is another example of the diversity
of ingredients available locally just outside the door.
All greens can be eaten raw, but some are best cooked
lightly. Steaming or a quick stir fry are my preferred
cooking methods, since they retain the color and nutrients
in greens.
For cold salad, my favorite is the Caesar salad which
is named for the chef who created it (not the Roman ruler).
Caesar Cardini created the concoction of romaine lettuce,
croutons, shaved Parmesan cheese and a tasty dressing in
his restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico in 1924. It became popular
in Hollywood, and now is considered an American classic.
In 1948, the Cardini family trademarked the original recipe
and now they sell a variety of dressings -— all available
on your supermarket shelves.
The original dressing for the salad included anchovies
and a coddled egg which is pretty much what we would consider
to be a raw egg nowadays. That’s a problem because of the
risk of salmonella, so you may want to skip making the
dressing and pick up a bottled Caesar dressing at the store.
They are pasteurized and perfectly safe. Try the Cardini
brand; it’s not only authentic but good.
Caesar salad
Makes 2 dinner salads
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 cups Romaine lettuce, hearts and tender leaves only
1/4 cup croutons
1/4 cup Caesar salad dressing
Make sure all ingredients are cold. Combine all ingredients
and toss to coat the romaine with the dressing. Serve on
chilled plates.
Stuffed garlic mustard leaves
— Recipe courtesy of Garlic Fest
20 medium garlic mustard leaves
5 wooden spoonfuls of cooked sausage
4 wooden spoonfuls of cooked rice
2 Tbsp. chopped garlic mustard leaves
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Mix rice and sausage and stir well. Add chopped garlic
mustard leaves and lemon and toss. Put a teaspoon of this
mixture on a medium leaf of garlic mustard. Hold leaf together
with a toothpick. Serve on a plate.
Garlic mustard scallion cakes
— Recipe courtesy of Garlic Fest
I cup garlic mustard, chopped
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1 pkg. flour tortillas
2 eggs
2 tsp. sesame oil
oil for frying
Mix scallions and garlic mustard.
Beat together eggs and sesame oil. Brush one side of a
tortilla with egg mixture. Sprinkle on scallion/garlic
mustard mixture.
Brush egg mix on another tortilla and place on top of
first tortilla with egg side down. Repeat until all tortillas
are used.
Stack and separate cakes with wax paper. Cover with plate
and weigh down with cans to seal tortilla (about 15 minutes).
Heat oil in heavy pan. Brown cakes on both sides (approximately
2 minutes total). Drain on paper towel. Cut into wedges
and serve.
Steamed greens
Wash the greens thoroughly and place in a large skillet
with the water that is clinging to them. Cover. No additional
water or oil is necessary. Cook on high until the greens
are slightly limp. Serve as a side vegetable. Use mustard,
beet, collard or turnip greens, spinach or kale.
—Lynn Greene is senior editor for CSI Media, which publishes Walworth County Sunday. Contact her at lgreene@communityshoppers.com. |
