seed to table
Rice nests with Roasted spicy GReens
growing food can be compared to creating art. Sowing tiny, intricate seeds into rich, dark brown soil is just the first layer on the canvas. to witness these tiny miracles emerge as bright colorful sprouts reaching for the sun is astounding. in the spring, farmers’ fields across the Midwest begin to resemble patchwork quilts. gorgeous greens are among the first crops to emerge. there is something unmatched about harvesting greens on a cool spring morning just after the sun kisses the horizon. while damp knees are pressed into the earth and the smell of dew is still in the air, greens are harvested leaf by leaf with a sharp blade. typically, the young, tender leaves are added to delicate salad blends. they can also be grown to full size and harvested to be used as braising greens. Lost in many salad mixes are vibrant and sophisticated spicy greens. Mizuna mustard, Japanese in origin, is the most common spicy mustard green found peppered into gourmet salad blends. Mustards are in the plant family brassicaceae alongside cabbage, pak choi and kale and the origin of the mustard plant can be traced to the himalayas. Mustard greens have been cultivated in microclimates all over the world and have been used as food and medicine since ancient times. biting into freshly picked mustard greens is like tasting wasabi for the very first
written by Crystal Stevens PhotograPhy by Jennifer Silverberg
time, in a sort of nutty-spinach meets tangy-horseradish kind of way. Spicy greens are highly nutritious and chock-full of antioxidants when eaten raw and those available locally include mizuna mustard, ruby streaks purple mustard, scarlet frills, osaka purple mustard, Southern frills, red choi and tatsoi. ruby streaks purple mustard has a delicate texture with narrow, frilly oak-shaped leaves, and is a beautiful deep purple hue, making an elegant garnish. osaka purple mustard produces a large oval-shaped leaf, that when held up to the sun, shines deep maroon. osaka packs a powerful punch and makes a mean spring roll wrapper. Southern frills mustard has bright green ruffled leaves and adds an indescribable texture to any fresh or cooked dish. tatsoi, also referred to as spinach mustard, has circular leaves and long stems. baby red choi has oval, dark purple leaves and lime green stems. the colors of tatsoi and red choi perk up plates while imparting a neutral flavor and arugula pales in comparison to a bite of zesty mustard greens.
Spring Rice Nests with Roasted Spicy Greens and Baked Tofu These colorful spring rice nests showcase the elegant, ruffled edges of spicy greens. serves | 6 | Roasted spicy GReens
1/8 3 2 1 1
cup extra virgin olive oil tbsp toasted sesame oil tbsp sesame seeds tsp soy sauce lb mixed spicy mustard greens (baby asian greens such as pak choi also work)
Baked tofu
three rivers Community Farm will have salad greens, mesclun mix, baby kale, spinach, radishes and baby beets at the Schlafly Farmers’ Market this spring.
Crystal Stevens is a farmer at La Vista CSA Farm on the bluffs of the Mighty Mississippi River in Godfrey, Ill., where she farms with her husband, Eric. They have two children. Crystal is an advocate of integrating creativity into sustainability through writing, art, photojournalism and seed-to-table cooking. Find more of her work at growingcreatinginspiring.blogspot.com, which she created to launch her forthcoming book, Grow Create Inspire.
1 14-oz package tofu, cubed or sliced into rectangles 1 tbsp smoked paprika 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp soy sauce Rice nests
2 cups brown rice 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp fresh grated ginger splash rice wine vinegar Roasted Spicy Greens (recipe below) 2 carrots, shaved Smoked Tofu (recipe below) 1 handful pea shoots, washed 3 tbsp black and white sesame seeds
| Preparation – Roasted Spicy Greens | Preheat oven to 375ºF. in a large bowl, combine first four ingredients. add greens and toss until evenly coated. Lightly oil a large sheet pan. roast greens on sheet pan for about 10 minutes, until greens on the perimeter have crispy edges. if cooked too long, their flavor will become charred and unpleasant.
| Preparation – Baked Tofu | Preheat oven to 425ºF. Lightly oil a large sheet pan. in a medium bowl, toss all ingredients together until tofu is evenly coated and transfer to sheet pan. bake tofu for roughly 10 minutes on each side or until golden.
| Preparation – Rice Nests | Preheat oven to 400ºF. Lightly oil a baking sheet and set aside. Cook rice according to package directions, adding garlic, ginger and rice vinegar to the water. when rice has cooled to the touch, prepare 12 small to medium rice balls using an ice cream scoop. Push your thumb or a spoon into the center of each ball to create a nest. warm nests in the oven for 5 minutes. top nests with roasted spicy greens, shaved carrots, baked tofu and pea shoots. garnish with sesame seeds, Sriracha or sweet chile sauce and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.
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apRiL 2014