Microgreens

Perhaps you've been to a restaurant that offers a salad of microgreens or you've seen them sold in a farmers' market.  But do you know what they are?  And why would you want to eat these tiny versions of familiar greens and herbs?
Well, basically, microgreens are young greens like radish, arugula, lettuce, peas, herbs, etc.  But they're even younger than some of the "baby" vegetables we see--baby spinach, for example.  These greens are usually no more than 14 days old.

While similar to sprouts (like bean sprouts), microgreens are different.  According to this NPR article,

Sprouts are seeds germinated in water just long enough (usually 48 hours) to grow roots, a stem and pale, underdeveloped leaves. Microgreens, on the other hand, need soil and sunlight and at least 7 days to grow before you can harvest them.

Microgreens have been getting more and more popular because of their sweet and tender taste as well as their look--really, they are kind of cute, aren't they?

But now some studies show that these tiny leaves give us a huge nutritional package.  From the same article:

The researchers looked at four groups of vitamins and other phytochemicals – including vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta carotene — in 25 varieties of microgreens. They found that leaves from almost all of the microgreens had four to six times more nutrients than the mature leaves of the same plant. But there was variation among them – red cabbage was highest in vitamin C, for instance, while the green daikon radish microgreens had the most vitamin E.
 

While microgreens will not overtake the popularity of their full-grown versions, it's good to know that great things can come in little packages.  As little fresh fruits and vegetables as we Americans eat, any place we can find to get these nutrients into our bodies is a great thing.

So next time you see some of these tiny greens on your plate, don't just move them aside like some common garnish.  Munch them down and get as much nutrition from your meal as you can!

Pasta with Greens and Beans

Last week, I was fortunate to cook some dishes at Blooming Glen Farm using some of the great produce that they were offering in that week's share.  It's always fun doing these demos--cooking for folks who really enjoy good food, talking with people who appreciate the wonderful fresh local ingredients, giving them some ideas of how to use their goodies.

There were a lot of requests for recipes, so I thought I'd put them out over the next several days.

First a great way to use greens (I used chard, but it could be kale, collards, whatever).  This is a pasta dish that's really good for you and a complete meal in one dish.

Pasta with Beans and Greens from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites

Serves 4-6

 
Want to make it a little bit less healthy, but even more tasty?  How about adding a little bit of cooked bacon and/or some grated Parmesan before serving?

INGREDIENTS

1 cup onions, chopped

5-6 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 tsp olive oil
1 lb fresh greens, rinsed and chopped
3 cups cooked Roman, pinto, kidney or pink beans (or 2 15-oz cans, drained)
½ cup basil, finely chopped
1 lb short chunky pasta (ditalini, tubetti or orecchiette, for example)
Salt & pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon

1.      Bring a large covered pot of water to boil for cooking the pasta

2.      Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saucepan over low heat, sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil until golden, about 10 min.  Add the greens and 1 cup of water.  Increase heat to medium, cover, and cook for 5 min.  Add the beans and basil and continue to cook for 5 min.  Using a potato masher, mash some of the beans in the pan; add more water if the sauce is too thick.

3.      Meanwhile, when the water comes to a boil, add the pasta, stir, and cover until water comes to a boil.  Stir the pasta and cook, uncovered, until al dente.  Drain the pasta and toss with the beans and greens.  Add salt and pepper to taste and squeeze on some of the lemon juice.  Serve immediately.

Seeing Green(s)

Some of the best and often overlooked early veggies are the spring greens--everything from lettuce to arugula, from fiddleheads to chard, from watercress to collards. 

For some reason, people are scared of eating or cooking these healthy and delicious foods.  Not sure why.  But it is totally unfounded.  Spring greens are chock full of nutrients like Vitamin C & fiber and when prepared properly, are some of the tastiest things around. 

Check out my article on Bucks County Taste.  It gives tips on how to choose the best greens and gives 3 yummy and easy recipes that will change your mind about cooking greens.