Cheesy Greens and Beans on Toast

Think of Cheesy Greens and Beans on Toast the way you do scrambled eggs: a 5-minute meal that’s simple comfort food nonpareil, as appropriate for dinner as it is for breakfast, lunch, or anytime in between. Despite being in the nascent stages of the spring produce growing calendar, there are lots of delightful gems at the farmers market right now; and it’s easy to make this dish seasonal despite lacking the asparagus, peas, and ramps we so wistfully crave but aren’t due for another few weeks. 

As I’ve mentioned in Indian Tofu with Lambsquarters 3 years ago, Lani’s Farm at the GrowNYC Greenmarket offers an abundance of obscure and delicious dark leafy greens that just beg to be chopped, sautéed and wilted in a trifecta of olive oil, garlic, and hot red pepper flakes. The best part about this tried-and-true recipe is that it’s foolproof, allowing you to dabble in some Japanese varietals that may seem, at first, too foreign to buy. Last week, I encountered tatsoi, a marriage of spinach and bok choy, yu choy (bok choy's cousin), ashitba, pak choy, wasabi mustard greens, and Chinese broccoli, to name a few. 

Seemingly less exciting are the scallions and radishes that have been around since winter, but they somehow propel this dish forward into spring. (Plus, I never tire of the radish’s bright violet and magenta hues, sometimes swirled with white, like a bowling ball, or cotton candy ice cream).

I don’t think a ton of work needs to be done to sell this recipe. Garlicky sautéed greens, spicy cubed radish, and creamy white beans are stacked a top thick, toasted sourdough with lots of melty Parmesan cheese; the first bite is a soul-warming gift. There are lots of options for substitutions, as this should be a pantry recipe—something you keep in the back of your head for late, harried dinners or a day when you have time to go visit the farmers market or the grocery store, but not both. Whatever the reason, this recipe is your bridge to warm weather, and all the delightful flora that comes with it (I see you, magnolia, hibiscus and tulips!) as we wait for the local harvest calendar to catch up to the season and our vernal-yearning mindsets. 

Cheesy Greens and Beans on Toast
Makes 2 toasts + 1 ½ cup side of greens

Ingredients:
1 bunch dark leafy greens, roughly chopped (stems too)
2 scallions, minced (leeks, onion or shallot work, too)
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 radishes, diced
¾ cup canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp chicken broth (optional)
2 tsp coconut aminos, 1 tsp soy sauce, or dash of salt to taste
½ tsp hot red pepper flakes
Parmesan cheese (2 tbps to ¼ cup, depending on desired level of cheesiness)
Red or white wine vinegar
2 slices of toasted thick bread, such as sourdough

Directions:
1. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add garlic and chili flakes, stirring frequently to ensure garlic doesn’t burn, about 2 minutes. Add scallions and radish, cook for 2 more minutes.
2. Add greens to pan. Cook for a few minutes until greens begin to wilt a little. Add chicken broth (if using) and coconut aminos/soy sauce/salt. Stir frequently, until greens are uniformly cooked through and wilted down, a few more minutes. Stir in beans, cook for 1 more minute.
3. Remove from heat and taste greens, add more salt, or hot red pepper flakes, if desired. Stir in cheese, and drizzle with vinegar. Spoon a top toasts until they are piled high.

Fava, Farro, Artichoke and Salami Salad

Joshua McFadden is the vegetable whisperer.

His cookbook Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables celebrates vegetables in such a deliberate, intuitive way that I wouldn't be surprised if McFadden had sprouted out of soil himself. Beyond seasonal cooking—which merely scratches the surface of his vegetables' potential—McFadden transports his readers along the journey of their lives. The first asparagus of spring? Raw please, but once you're in the heart of the season, best to cook through. Same goes for artichokes, and so on. Each chapter of Six Seasons commences with a specific vegetable's uncooked devising, slowing adding heat and novel flavors as the weeks go on. For example, Raw Asparagus Salad turns into Asparagus, Nettle, and Green Garlic Frittata, which turns into Asparagus, Garlic Chives, and Pea Shoots with an Egg. Each and every vegetable is treated in this progression.

Joshua McFadden is the vegetable whisperer, and after owning Six Seasons for a month I feel fluent in his language.

You might think that this produce pedestal would go hand and hand with elitist recipes, but surprisingly, it's quite the contrary. McFadden values simplicity and staples. You'll scarcely find more than a handful of salt, pepper, bulb, olive oil, and citrus or vinegar—maybe some herbs, as well—dressing up the main ingredient. Therefore, it's his focus on perfecting these aforementioned accoutrements that make each recipe nonpareil.  Preparing farro? Toast the grains in a smattering of quality everyday EVOO to realize its true nutty undertones. Mincing scallions? Soak them in an ice bath while chopping other ingredients to temper their oniony bite. Using the same tricks repeatedly throughout the book helps ingrain them into your memory—I doubt I'll add raw scallions to any dish moving forward without an ice bath first.


McFadden also loves creating "tension" in his recipes—that is, opposing flavors and textures to construct depth in a dish. In this Fava, Farro, Artichoke and Salami Salad, earthy farro contrasts with the vivacity of fresh herbs. Cubed meaty salami adds peppery pinguidity to mellow fava beans and artichokes. Is this another agreeable spring farro salad or a deconstructed Italian club? Tension = ruminative eating. Chew on in it for a bit.


I combined two of McFadden's recipes into one here. He has a separate salami, farro and herb salad for both fresh favas and artichokes, but because I was so excited for the spring arrival of both ingredients, I married them. Don't fret if you can't get these ingredients fresh, though. Pre-cooked favas and jarred artichokes work just fine.

Fava, Farro, Artichoke and Salami Salad (from Six Seasons)
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
2 ½ lbs fava beans in their pods
4 artichoke quarters, poached or jarred, chopped (Trader Joe’s jarred grilled artichokes are out of this world)
2 cups cooked and cooled farro (recipe below)
¼ lb salami, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices and then into ¼-inch dice
½ bunch scallions, trimmed (including ½ inch off the green tops), thinly sliced on an angle, soaked in ice water for 20 minutes, and drained well
Red wine vinegar
¼ tsp dried chile flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
½ cup loosely packed mint leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil
4 oz pecorino fresco, cut into ¼ inch-thick slices and then into ¼ inch dice (optional)

Directions:
1. Shell, blanch and peel the favas.

2. Put the farro, favas, artichokes, salami, pecorino (if using) and scallions in a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup vinegar, the chile flakes, 1 teaspoon of salt and lots of twists of black pepper, and toss. Let the salad sit for about 5 minutes so the vinegar soaks into the farro.
3. Add the parsley and mint and toss. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Drizzle on a glug of olive oil, toss, and taste again—adjust as needed. Serve at room temperature.

Toasted Farro
Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
½ teaspoon dried chile flakes
1 cup farro
4 cups water
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons kosher salt

Directions:
1. Put a nice glug of oil into a large skillet that has a lid and heat over medium heat. Add smashed garlic and chile flakes and cook slowly to toast garlic so it's beginning to get soft, fragrant, and nicely golden brown, about 3 minutes.
2. Add farro and cook over medium heat, stirring more or less constantly so grains toast evenly, for 3 to 5 minutes. They will darken slightly and become quite fragrant.
3. Add water, bay leaf, and salt and bring to a boil. Cover, adjust heat to a nice simmer, and cook until farro is tender but not so much that it has "exploded" and popped fully open--it will be mushy if cooked that long. Depending on your farro, this could take 15 to 30 minutes or even a bit longer.
4. Drain farro well. If you're using farro warm, you're all set. If you want to use it cold, such as in a salad, dump it onto a baking sheet, toss with a tbsp of olive oil, and spread it out to cool.

Asparagus, Pea and Goat Cheese Frittata

Locavores, rejoice. After an interminable wait, spring’s signature produce has finally arrived. Cue major farmers market kvelling over Saturday's visit to Abingdon Square Greenmarket, where ramps, fiddlehead ferns, rhubarb, grape tomatoes, and the king of them all, asparagus, were brightly displayed in ravishing novelty. It’s even the season for eggs—fowl egg-laying is triggered by lengthening daylight come Spring.

Cup of Jo—one of my favorite lifestyle blogs —is conducting a recipe series this month featuring the best of seasonal produce, so I tackled their very first featured recipe: Asparagus, Pea and Goat Cheese Frittata. Normally, I shirk away from frittatas, as this egg preparation tends to be a saturated fat surfeit that's way too rich for my palate. Indeed, the original recipe called for plenteous amounts of oil, butter, and heavy cream in addition to fat-rich eggs and goat cheese. But I was not to be deterred! I eliminated (most) of these extra fat sources and added a healthy dosage of asparagus for a result that was spot on spring-lite: fresh veggies stole the spotlight instead of being overshadowed by their artery-clogging peers, with a tinge of buttery goat cheese folded into the fluffy eggs for a wholesome finish.

You could even call this frittata a veggie-spiked Spanish omelet, as layers of potato are an instrumental addition to the veggies, cheese, and egg. Stacked in classic Spanish tortilla style, the sweet, buttery potatoes add true substance to the dish—you don't even need a slice of toast on the side for that carb fix. It also makes the frittata extremely versatile for any meal. While I ate it two days in a row for breakfast, it made a satisfying dinner the next few nights as well (and kept, in the fridge, like a gem).

Cooking time may vary: I shaved off about 10 minutes on the potatoes and forwent letting them cool, but noticed my eggs needed a bit more than the allotted 35-40 minutes to cook (stick a knife in the center and when it emerges cleanly, you are good to go). I acknowledge that this recipe is a time commitment, and other egg preparations could be completed with the same ingredients in a fraction of the time. But I promise: when you cut into that first slice of beautifully layered potato and egg pie, it is so worth it.

Asparagus, Pea and Goat Cheese Frittata (lightened up from Cup of Jo)

Serves 6

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 small yellow onion, cut in half and into medium slices
3 large russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1⁄8-inch thick
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
6 large eggs
2 Tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1⁄4 cup low-fat milk

Half a bunch asparagus, ends removed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup peas (if frozen, thawed)
1⁄3 cup crumbled goat cheese

Directions:
1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set aside.

2.In a medium sauté pan set over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for 6 minutes, until translucent and just starting to brown. Add 3 tablespoons of water and cook for about 4 minutes, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, until the water evaporates and the onions take on a uniform brown color.

3,Transfer the onions to the prepared roasting pan. Add the potato slices and toss well. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss with tongs. Cover the pan with foil.

4. Bake until the potatoes are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350F.

5. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, parsley and milk. Stir in the peas, asparagus, and half of the goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Coat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet set over medium-high heat with cooking spray or an additional tablespoon of oil. Add half of the cooked potatoes and goat cheese to the pan. Top with half of the egg mixture, spreading the veggies as evenly as possible across the pan. Add the remaining potatoes, followed by the remaining egg mixture, again spreading the remaining peas, asparagus and goat cheese across the tortilla. Cover with foil.

7. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 5 to 10 more minutes, until the tortilla is slightly browned and lightly puffed. Slice and serve directly from the skillet, warm or at room temperature.

Spring Quinoa Bowl with Asparagus and Peas

Although I could singlehandedly stage an all-night Talkathon with the amount I have to say about my love for winter root vegetables, these balmy 60 degree days have got me seriously craving some springtime fare. Signatures like peas, asparagus, and radishes won’t be available locally until the beginning of May, but this Spring Quinoa Bowl with Asparagus and Peas totally satisfies the yearning. (New mantra: if you can’t shop locally, shop for an ingredient list that can be exclusively filled at Trader Joe’s). Somewhere in between a salad and a grain bowl, this hearty dish showcases spring’s best produce offerings, plus a major protein boost from chickpeas and hard-boiled egg. Finished with a lemony-mustard vinaigrette, the bright, citrusy flavors create the perfect palate as we eagerly anticipate spring’s arrival.

 

Lunch? Dinner? Likely both, as this verdant bowl begs to be doubled or tripled, a big-batch dish for sure. Substitutions are highly encouraged: swapping is the name of the game here. Sick of quinoa? Try farro or orzo instead. Craving something nutty? Forget pepitas, and garnish with chopped almonds or toasted pistachios. Looking for an alternate protein source? Try subbing feta cheese for chickpeas, or shrimp for the hard-boiled egg. Mint would go beautifully instead of parsley. And because I just presented you with a trendy, whole-ingredient grain bowl: yes, sliced avocado would be a lovely addition too.

Spring Quinoa Bowl with Asparagus and Peas (adopted from Two Peas & Their Pod)

Serves 2

Ingredients:

For the bowl:

½ cup raw quinoa

6 oz asparagus (about 10 thick spears), trimmed

½ cup English peas

¾ cup chickpeas

4 radishes, sliced

¼ cup toasted pepitas

2 Tbsp parsley, chopped

2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

2 large handfuls of arugula (about 4 cups)

For the dressing:

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

1 Tbsp white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp Dijon mustard

½ tsp honey

Salt & pepper

Directions:

1.     Roast the asparagus. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Lay out a sheet of tin foil over a baking pan, and toss asparagus with 1 tsp olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake until just tender, 12 to 15 minutes (less for thin spears). After they’ve cooled, chop spears into 1-inch pieces.

2.     Cook the quinoa. Rinse quinoa thoroughly under cold water, then place in a small saucepan with 1 cup of water. Cover pot and bring to a boil, then simmer until liquid is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

3.     Make the dressing. Combine the lemon zest and juice, vinegar, oil, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper together and whisk thoroughly. Adjust seasonings to taste.

4.     Assemble the bowls, dividing the ingredients equally between the two.  Start with placing the arugula in a wide, shallow bowl. Top with half the quinoa, asparagus, peas, chickpeas, radishes, and egg.  Drizzle the dressing. Top with pepitas and parsley before serving.

Turkey & Zucchini Burgers with Spring Onion & Cumin

Burger lovers and green veggie lovers, rejoice! In a rare display of connubiality, these two epicurean entities have joined together to create one deliciously verdant turkey burger. Be gone, obligatory thin, sad slices of iceberg lettuce and tomato; measly dollop of sautéed mushrooms and onion passing implausibly as an appropriate serving of vegetables. Finally, a recipe to show that vegetables have the ability to enhance, not hinder, a traditional carnivorous burger.

They've got the right idea across the pond. In Ottolenghi's Turkey & Zucchini Burgers with Spring Onion & Cumin, ample shredded zucchini, scallions, herbs, and spices breathe seasonally-appropriate vitality into the petite patties, little in size but certainly not in flavor.  Slather in ketchup, you will not: these viridescent burgers are accompanied by a rich, zesty yogurt-sumac dipping sauce, offering crisp acidity with the burger's flora. Another piece of brilliance by the Brits? They refer to zucchinis as courgettes.  Now, how much nobler does that make this burger sound?

I appreciated the recipe’s effort to keep the burger light; scant oil, absence of bread crumbs, and low-fat sour cream and yogurt all contribute to the dish feeling rich in flavor, only. (For those of you keeping Passover, this is a great recipe to make post-seder and keep for the week!) If you like tartness, I absolutely encourage you to invest in Sumac—it’s worth adding to your rotation of cooking spices—but the recipe definitely still works if you don’t happen to have it. Just make sure not to skimp on the added herbs and spices; these really give pop to the otherwise mild poultry meat.

Ottolenghi refers to the patties as “burgers”, but in reality, his suggested size is more like a meatball. The smaller surface area worked in my favor, because the cook time is minimal, and I was able to easily stuff 2 meatballs per pita-half, the insides of which I smeared with the yogurt sauce and then topped with Greek salad, like a falafel. While pairing with a carbohydrate like bread or bun is not essential, it certainly creates a hearty lunch or dinner—couscous or whole-grain rice are good alternatives, too.    

On the other end of the spectrum, halving the size of the meatballs (and adjusting cook time to match) makes then perfectly bite-sized for a crowd-pleasing appetizer. Stick each meatball with toothpick, and serve the dipping sauce in a bowl on the side. They won’t crumble or fall apart—in Jerusalem, Ottolenghi highlights the patties' portability.

So there you have it! A burger as green, vivacious, and exciting as Spring. Burger, meatball, or courgette-speckled spheroid; whatever you call it, prepare to be wholly satisfied with each bite.  

Turkey & Zucchini Burgers with Spring Onion & Cumin (from Jerusalem; amended slightly to skew towards the healthier)
Makes 12 to 16 meatball-sized burgers

Ingredients:

For the burgers:
1 lb ground turkey (I used Di Paola free-range, antibiotic-free white meat, but dark meat works too)
1 large zucchini, coarsely grated (about 2 cups)
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 large egg
2 Tbsp chopped mint
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp cayenne pepper
3-4 Tbsp neutral oil, like canola or sunflower, for searing

For the yogurt-sumac sauce:
½ cup sour cream* (preferably low fat)
2/3 cup Greek yogurt (preferably low fat)
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, crushed
1½ Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp sumac
½ tsp salt

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

*Option to omit sour cream completely and use ½ cup extra Greek yogurt instead.
Directions:

1. Make the yogurt-sumac sauce. Place all ingredients in a small bowl, stir well, and set aside or chill until needed.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the meatballs except the oil. Mix with your hands and then shape into burgers, each weighing about 1½ oz.
3. Pour 1-2 Tbsp oil into a large frying pan. Heat over medium heat until hot, then sear the meatballs in batches on all sides. Cook each batch for about 4 minutes, adding oil as needed, until golden brown.
4. Carefully transfer seared meatballs to a baking sheet lined with non-stick foil.  Place in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until just cooked through. Serve warm or at room temperature, with the sauce spooned over or on the side.