Spring on the Island is ripe with sunshine, birds singing in the trees and flowers pushing up with blooms. It’s also the start of fresh leafy greens!
We are so lucky to have locally grown greens available to us nearly all year. However, spring greens are special. They are sweet and tender, full of flavour and so versatile. Here are some greens to keep an eye out for at the farmers’ market or a greengrocer with local food connections:
• Young leafy greens include kale, chard, mustard greens, arugula and more. Sauté young leafy greens with a bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt. They only take about five minutes to prepare.
• Flowering shoots from cabbage, kale or broccoli are tender and delicious. Serve them as an early spring substitute for asparagus. I like to braise them in a saucepan with a bit of butter and a few tablespoons of liquid. They will soften in less than 10 minutes.
• Spring nettle is a lot less stingy than older nettle. It often can be found in parks and public areas. Put on some rubber gloves and harvest your own. (For anyone in Victoria, check out the corner of Beacon Hill Park at Cook and Dallas.) Nettle needs to be well cooked to remove the sting. I recommend adding it to soups, stews, sauces or the risotto recipe below.
Here are two simple recipes that feature spring greens.
Pasta with Spring Greens
(Prep time: 20 minutes)
Pasta is my go-to for a quick weeknight meal. It’s perfect for using up whatever is in our kitchen. This simple recipe features greens sauteed in garlic. Feel free to replace the leafy greens with braised flowering shoots. I’ve included ground nuts/seeds in this recipe to add a bit of protein. When you mix it with the cheese, your kids might not notice.
1 box of pasta (454g)
4 cloves of garlic
3 cups of fresh greens (kale, spinach, cabbage shoots)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt, to taste
1⁄2 tsp ground black pepper
1⁄4 cup of Parmesan cheese
1⁄4 cup ground almonds or sunflower seeds
1. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. To save time, prepare the greens while the water boils and the pasta cooks.
2. Finely dice the garlic. Wash and chop the fresh greens into bite-sized pieces.
3. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan. Add the garlic and the greens to the frying pan. Sauté until the garlic is cooked and the greens are wilted, about five minutes.
4. Mix the Parmesan cheese with the ground almonds/sunflower seeds.
5. When the pasta is cooked, drain the water, then toss the pasta with the wilted greens. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
6. Serve the pasta with a sprinkle of the cheese and almond mix.
Spring Risotto
(Prep Time: 5 minutes, Cook Time: 30 minutes)
Risotto has the mystique of being fancy and complicated, but it’s actually a super simple one-pot meal. This recipe skips all the slow stirring found in other recipes. You only need to stir a few times during the cooking process to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. If you want to skip using wine, simply replace it with more stock.
1 onion
4 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
13⁄4 cup arborio rice
1⁄2 cup of white wine
51⁄2 cups of stock
1 bunch of spring greens
1 tsp fresh lemon juice (save the skin for zesting)
2 tbsp butter
1⁄2 tsp salt, to taste
Zest from one lemon
1⁄2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1. Finely dice the onion and garlic.
2. Heat the oil on medium in a large pot. Add the onion and garlic. Sauté for two to three minutes, until the onion starts to soften.
3. Add the rice and cook for another minute, stirring to make sure the rice is nicely coated in oil.
4. Reduce the heat to low and add in the white wine. Stir well, then add in all the stock and stir again.
5. Put the lid on the pot and cook for 20 minutes. Stir three to four times during the cooking process to prevent any rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
6. While the rice cooks, thoroughly wash and chop the greens into bite-sized pieces. The rice should be nearly done after 20 minutes. Stir in the greens and lemon juice at this point, and cook for five to 10 minutes longer, until the rice is soft and the greens are wilted.
7. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, lemon zest and salt. Taste it and add more salt as needed (the exact amount will depend on the saltiness of the stock).
8. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
