Raab and Carrot Salad

Try different raabs, or a mixture of raabs, in this lovely salad, such as the sweet green cabbage raab (my favorite, at right) or Nash’s red kale raab (middle) to add vibrant color.

1 to 2 bunches raab (1 pound)
1 pound thin carrots
1 tablespoon sweet sherry or sweet vermouth
1 tablespoon cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground hot pepper
2 tablespoons peanut or corn oil
1 tablespoon Asian (dark) sesame oil

Lightly steam the raab until barely tender. Remove from pan and allow to drain and cool. Steam carrots whole until they lose their raw crunch but are not cooked through. Let cool.

In a small dish, mix sherry, vinegar, honey, salt and hot pepper to taste, stirring to blend. Add peanut and sesame oils.

Line up the raab on a cutting board. Slice at a sharp angle to form long oblongs, 1/8 inch thick; add to dish. Cut carrots the same way and add to dish. Toss with dressing. Season to taste and chill.

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Posted on April 10, 2014

Roasted Purple Broccoli Parmesan

Purple sprouting broccoli is a special type of broccoli that produces small, broccoli-like heads on long, sweet stems in the spring.

1 bunch purple sprouting broccoli, trimmed
2 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking tray with parchment. In a shallow baking dish or bowl, combine the olive oil, Parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the purple sprouting broccoli and toss to coat.

Place the broccoli in an even layer across the prepared baking tray. Roast in the oven until desired tenderness is reached, and until the edges are slightly crispy, about 10 to 15 minutes. Keep an eye on them, as they crisp up quickly.

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Posted on April 3, 2014

Six Tips for Cooking Dried Beans

Don’t shy away from any great legume just because it’s dried. Here are some preparation suggestions, thanks to The Kitchn.

Need some inspiration for your bean dishes? Try diana fava beans, the smaller and rounder sibling to the more typical lima bean-shaped windsor fava bean. They’re super tasty!

1. Use as little water as possible. Don’t let the beans get soggy or ultra-soft, because that dilutes their rich pot liquor, the incredibly flavorful liquid that comes off as they cook. Cook them slowly over low heat, only adding water if they start to dry up. Add enough water to just cover the beans, bring them to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook, uncovered, as low as you can.

2. Don’t mess with the beans. Some people add bacon, ham or garlic. However, well-grown heirloom beans have incredible ranges of flavor, nothing like canned beans. Try a couple pots of beans with just salt and pepper. You’ll be surprised at what you taste.

3. Don’t forget the salt! Beans need some salt. They have immense natural flavor, but they need some salt to bring it out, and they absorb quite a bit before it starts show through. Add a teaspoon of salt to the cooking water and more to taste in the last half hour of cooking.

4. Soak the beans. Rinsing dried beans then soaking them overnight in clean water will reduce the cooking time for most beans, although good fresh dried beans are less in need of a soak.

5. Cook dried beans for the right amount of time. Cooking time depends on the bean, but usually you’re looking at about 2-4 hours. Cover with water and simmer on an evening when you’re doing other things. Refrigerate and eat over the next several days.

6. Fresh beans need less cooking time. Freshly hulled beans will cook in about 45 minutes or less.

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Posted on March 29, 2014

No-Guilt Bean Dip

Nash’s grows kidney beans? That’s right! Get kidneys along with a variety of other legumes and grains at the store or our farmer’s markets.

Makes about 5 cups

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 cups cooked Nash’s dried corn, cooked until very soft
1 32-ounce can chopped tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1-3 tablespoons salt (to taste)
6 cups cooked kidney beans, cooked until mushy

In a large Dutch oven or sauce pan, heat oil on medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened and just turning golden. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add corn and tomatoes and cook until excess liquid from tomatoes has simmered away. Stir in spices, brown sugar, and one tablespoon salt.

Stir in beans, using the bowl of your spoon to smash the beans against the bottom and sides of the pan. Continue stirring and smashing until the beans are as mashed as you like. Leave some of the beans still whole for the texture if you like. Taste and add salt and other seasonings as needed. Serve with thinly sliced pieces of toast, vegetable sticks, pita chips, or tortilla chips.

We thank The Kitchn for this great recipe.

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Posted on March 29, 2014

About Cabbage Raab

We get pretty excited about raabs, especially cabbage raab, at this time of year.

In the spring, we are all getting just a little tired of root vegetables, even if they are delicious. Just in time, the brassicae send up their flowering heads and they are sweet and oh, so tender. We call these shoots “raab,” not to be confused with broccoli rabe, which is actually a variety of broccoli in and of itself.

One of the sweeter raabs that we have at Nash’s is from green cabbage. Other raabs come from various kales, Brussels sprouts, arugula, mizuna and collards. But the cabbage raab seems to put all its natural sugars into its growth in the spring.

Brassicae raabs are thought to detoxify carcinogens and are useful in many forms. Almost all parts (stems, roots, flowers, leaves and seeds) can be used as food. They are crunchy and much sweeter than you would imagine.

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Posted on March 28, 2014

Pork and Cabbage Raab Stirfry

Cabbage raab is as beautiful to the eye as it is to the taste.

Several slices bacon or pork belly
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bunches cabbage raab (or other raab), bottom ends trimmed
Dash olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Cayenne to taste (optional)
Brown rice or cooked whole grains

Cut several slices of bacon or pork belly into small pieces and sauté with garlic in a frying pan until the bacon starts to brown. Remove and set aside.

Wash raab and trim off the bottom ends. Cut the rest—stalk, leaves, florets and all—into 1-inch pieces. Add a little olive oil to the pork drippings and sauté the raab until it starts to wilt. Cover and let it cook for a few minutes more until tender.

Remove from heat and stir in pork and garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste, and a little cayenne if you like a bit of a kick. This tastes great on a bed of brown rice, or on cooked whole grain, like triticale or rye berries.

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Posted on March 28, 2014

Sauteed Cabbage Raab

Use either green cabbage raab or red cabbage raab for this tasty seasonal dish.

3-4 slices bacon or pork belly, cut into small pieces
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bunches cabbage raab, washed and ends trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

Saute bacon or pork belly with garlic in a frying pan until the bacon starts to brown. Remove and set aside.

Cut raab (stalk, leaves, florets and all) into one-inch pieces. Add olive oil to the pork drippings and saute raab until it starts to wilt. Cover and let it cook for a few minutes more until tender.

Remove from heat and stir in pork and garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste and a little cayenne if you like a bit of a kick. This tastes great on a bed of brown rice or on cooked whole grain, like triticale or rye berries.

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Posted on March 21, 2014

Chioggia Beet Slaw on a Bed of Grilled Leeks

Chioggia beets are happy, candy-striped beets that add a smile to your slaw.

Chiogga Slaw
1/4 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
5 candy-stripe (Chioggia) beets, julienned or grated
1 medium carrot, julienned or grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whisk yogurt, lemon juice, and orange zest and juice in a medium bowl. Add beets and carrot and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Grilled Leeks
12 medium leeks, trimmed to about 7 inches, split length-
wise to within 1 1/2 inches of the root end
Olive oil for grilling

Tie the leeks in 4 bundles with kitchen string and put them in a kettle of boiling salted water. Boil them for 6 minutes or until they are just tender and drain them in a colander. Refresh the leeks under cold water and discard the strings. Brush the leeks with the oil and grill them on an oiled rack set 5 minutes on each side or until they are golden. Transfer the leeks as they are grilled to a platter and keep warm.

Vinaigrette
4 teaspoons dijon-style mustard
3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup minced assorted fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all vinaigrette ingredients. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the leeks and top with chioggia slaw.

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Posted on March 14, 2014

Raab Frittata

Which raab is your favorite? Try this frittata with kale raab, cabbage raab, brussels raab, arugula raab, and any other raabs that come you way, and let us know which is best in the comments below!

1 small onion, chopped
1 bunch raab, stems and florets/leaves separated and chopped
2 tablespoons fresh basil (or 1 tablespoon dried basil)
6 eggs, scrambled
3/4 cup grated cheese
Pepper to taste
Frittata sauce (see below)
Fresh tomato, chopped

With olive oil in skillet, saute onion and raab stems with basil until tender. Cover and stir occasionally. Add chopped raab leaves and florettes. Replace lid. When the saute has shrunk, add eggs and stir quickly, then press evenly in pan. Cover and turn heat down very low. Top with cheese and sprinkle with pepper. Cut with pie server when egg is cooked and serve with sauce (see below) and fresh tomato.

Frittata Sauce
1 cup yogurt
6 cloves garlic, minced fine
1/4 cup parsley
1/4 cup cream (optional)

Mix together and serve generously on frittata with fresh tomato.

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Posted on March 14, 2014

Chickweed Pesto (and Other Chickweed Recipe Ideas)

Chickweed Pesto
1 1/2 cups chickweed
1 1/2 cups basil leaves
3-4 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup melted butter

Puree everything together in a food processor until it forms a paste. Store in glass jars in the refrigerator or freeze. I store (and freeze) mine in small pickled artichoke jars. Substitute for pesto in any recipe or add as a complement to veggie dishes, pasta, egg dishes, etc.

Bonus: More Chickweed Ideas
I freely add chopped chickweed and its slender stems in soups, stews or hot veggie dishes. Fresh, raw chickweed tips are great in salads or as a lettuce substitute in sandwiches.

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Posted on March 14, 2014