Ingredients:

9 cups fresh spinach

2 Tbsp olive oil

3/4 cup water

crushed red pepper

salt and pepper to taste

3 tortillas, slices of toast, or toasted English muffins

~1/2 cup shredded or shaved Parmesan or Swiss cheese

6 eggs

Preparation:

1.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add spinach and toss gently to coat.  Add watter and let saute, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted and tender, 4-7 minutes.

2.   In a separate pan, prepare eggs any way you prefer, I like over easy for this recipe.

3.  Season spinach with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to taste.

4.  Divide spinach equally over each tortilla, toast or English muffin.

5.  Top spinach with sprinkle of cheese and two eggs.

Serves 3

A cold noodle salad is perfect for a hot summer day.  This recipe can be made ahead of time and refrigerated, which allows the flavors to permeate the noodles and mizuna leaves.   Better yet, you can just boil extra noodles while making spaghetti then save the extra pasta for this dish.

-Ellen

Ingredients:

8 oz dried whole wheat spaghetti

1 1/2 c of mizuna leaves, destemmed

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

1-2 scallions / green onions

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp low sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 tsp minced ginger

1 tsp rice vinegar

1/4 cup water

2 tsp sesame seeds

Preparation:

1. Boil the noodles according to package instructions, usually about 7 minutes.   If you have leftover noodles from a previous meal those will work perfectly, just pull them out of the refrigerator.

2. While the noodles are boiling, roughly chop or tear the mizuna and cilantro leaves and set aside.  Chop the scallions into thin slices, using both the green and white parts.

3.  Whisk the remaining ingredients into a large bowl to make the dressing.

4.  When the noodles are done, drain and rinse with cold water to cool them off quickly.  Add the cooled, drained noodles to the bowl with the dressing.

5.  Toss in the cilantro, mizuna and scallions and gently turn until all the noodles are coated with dressing.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves 4-5 as a side dish

It was great seeing so many members on Thursday (June 3) and it was even better sharing the first sample of the season.  The following recipe is how I made the dish, but it really is just a jumping off point for your own creativity… or simply another way to use whatever you happen have in your pantry to supplement your produce share.

-Ellen

Ingredients:

2 c radishes, sliced small

1/2 c roughly chopped cilantro

15 oz can of beans, drained (any kind, I used Great Northern)

4.5 oz can chopped green chiles (or 1/4 cup fresh chiles)

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 head of Butterleaf lettuce

Preparation:

1. Mix all ingredients excpet the lettuce together in a large bowl.

2. Separate the lettuce leaves from the head, then wash and dry them in a salad spinner or by blotting with a towel

3.  Spoon the mixture into a lettuce leaf, wrap and enjoy!  The filling may get all over your hands, but that’s part of the fun of eating summer food!

The colors of rainbow chard are so vibrant and look beautiful in the garden and on your dinner plate.  This recipe is quick and easy and is my favorite way to prepare chard. The red pepper flakes can be omitted if you don’t like spicy food, and the chard will taste just as good.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

2 garlic cloves

8 cups chopped chard

1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth

Preparation:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

2.  Mince garlic cloves and add to the pan alomg with the crushed red pepper.  Sauté 30 seconds.

3.  Add chard and chicken broth, stir briefly and cover.  Cook for 8 minutes.

Arugula is spicy and flavorfull, making it a great base for this vibrant green dressing.

Ingredients:

1 cup arugula, washed

3 green onions, sliced

1 Tbsp brown or Dijon mustard

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 c water

1/4 tsp garlic powder

fresh cilantro to taste

pinch sugar to cut tartness, if desired

Preparation:

1. Place all ingredients except cilantro and sugar into blender or food processor.  Blend until smooth, addin more water if needed to make desired consistency.

2. If using cilantro, roughly chop or tear leaves into dressing.

3.  Taste and see if sugar is needed to cut some of the tartness.  Pour onto any fresh salad greens.

Makes about 1/2 cup of dressing, enough for about 4 salads

Crisp coleslaw is the perfect summer side dish, and radishes give it a slightly spicy kick.  Try it on a BBQ sandwich!

Ingredients:

1 head green cabbage

7-8 radishes

1/3 cup mayo (preferably canola)

1/3 cup vinegar, such as red wine vinegar

3/4 tsp salt, or to taste

1 1/2 tsp dried dill

juice from one lemon

Preparation:

1. Slice the cabbage and radishes into thin strips

2. Combine all ingredients into a large bowl or leftover container.

3. Refrigerate for at least and hour before serving to allow flavors to combine.  Coleslaw is even better if served the next day.

Serves 9-12

Pesto has an endless variety of uses, such as:

-sandwich spread

-pizza sauce

-dip

-pasta sauce

Ingredients:

3 cups spinach leaves, washed and torn

2 cups mizuna leaves, washed and torn

1 cup chicken broth (water or vegetable broth can also be used)

1-2 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

juice from one lemon, about 3 Tbsp

1/3 cup whole almonds or walnuts (optional)

Preparation:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Adjust seasoning to taste.

As a pasta sauce, the above recipe serves 3-4

Pesto is such a versatile sauce, feel free to play with the ingredients and come up with new variations!  Mizuna leaves give this pesto a tangy flavor, but any leafy green can be added to change the flavor.  Basil and olive oil are also good additions.  This sauce pairs especially well with aged cheeses such as Parmesan, Romano, and Asiago.

Spinach                1 lb.

Cilantro                 1 big handful

Plain Yogurt          1 cup

Chop cilantro and mix into yogurt.  Wash spinach and pour on the yogurt dressing.

Cilantro and spinach are ready so early in the spring that these flavors are often times my first of the season.

The yogurt and cilantro complement each others’ pungency