Brown Rice, Ramp, and Feta Risotto with Spinach and Beans

My kids were so keen on my first brown rice risotto that I had to try another one. You can make just ramp feta risotto part of this as a side dish, or add the spinach, beans, and optional pine nuts for a meal - either served over the risotto or stirred in. This was inspired in by in-season ramps and spinach, plus a nice big block of feta from Upinngil Farm.

Olive oil
1 large shallot, minced (optional)
1 1/2 cups short grain brown rice
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, warm
1 bunch ramps, thinly sliced (stalks and leaves, about 2-3 cups total)
3-4 ounces crumbled feta
6-8 ounces spinach, stemmed and chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans
1 cup pine nuts, lighted toasted (optional but good)
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a little olive oil in the pressure cooker. Add the minced shallots, if using, and saute for about a minute. Add the rice and saute over medium heat for a minute or two, until partly translucent. Pour in the warm stock. Cover and lock the pressure cooker and bring to pressure. Cook at high pressure for 15 minutes. Release pressure. Stir risotto. If needed, simmer for up to several additional minutes, stirring frequently, until the risotto reaches the desired consistency,

While the risotto cooks, heat a little more olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the ramps and saute for about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Also while the risotto cooks, saute the spinach in olive oil and add the beans until heated through.

When the risotto is ready, stir in the ramps and feta. If desired, stir in the spinach and bean mixture; otherwise, serve mounts of risotto in bowls or plates and top with spinach and bean mixture. Sprinkle pine nuts on top.

Serves 4-5.

Creamy Gorgonzola Barley with Spinach

Spinach is pretty plentiful now that spring is here. This creamy side dish, which has a texture somewhat like risotto, is strongly flavored by the Gorgonzola. It would go well alongside a grilled steak. Alternatively, add some cooked beans and call it a main dish. A food processor makes quick work of finely chopped the spinach.

1 cup pearl barley
3 cups water
10 ounces spinach (or so), stemmed and chopped very fine
2-3 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola or similar blue cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the barley and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, mostly covered, until the barley is tender and all the liquid is absorbed, about 20-30 minutes. Stir in the Gorgonzola until it melts and is evenly distributed, then stir in the spinach. Finely chopped, it should wilt quickly in the heat of the barley. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4-6.

Greek Spinach Frittata

This savory frittata, full of flavor, is excellent for dinner as well as brunch or lunch. Use fresh oregano if you can get it, and of course scapes while they are in season. Substitute dried oregano and a couple cloves of garlic at other times of year. Bacon makes a nice accompaniment for this, but you won't miss it if you don't have it. Be sure to use an oven proof skillet for this.

4-5 ounces spinach, stemmed
8-10 eggs
2-3 tsp finely chopped fresh oregano (or 1/2 - 1 tsp dried)
3 ounces feta
Salt and pepper to taste
3-4 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped garlic scapes

Lightly steam the spinach, then chop well.

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the oregano, feta, and salt and pepper.

Preheat the broiler.

Heat the olive oil in an oven proof skillet (10 inches is a good size). You want a generous quantity of oil to prevent the frittata from sticking, so don't skimp. Add the scapes and saute over medium high heat for 1-2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and pour in the egg mixture. Make sure everything is well distributed in the pan, reduce heat to low-medium, and cook until the egg is well set around the edges.

Finish the frittata under the broiler. 3-5 minutes should be enough; check after 3 to see whether it is done in the middle. If you still have liquid egg, continue to broil, checking every minute or two for doneness. Serve warm or hot.

Serves about 4.

Parmesan Spinach Bulgur

Sneak some spinach-y goodness into a nice whole grain side dish. I served this warm, but it could work cold, too.

1 cup bulgur wheat
2 cups water or chicken stock
4-5 ounces spinach, stemmed
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the bulgur and water or stock in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat until tender. Drain off any excess liquid if needed.

While the bulgur cooks, lightly steam the spinach (I find one minute on high in the microwave in a covered glass bowl is about right) then puree it or chop it very finely.

When the bulgur is cooked, stir in the spinach and Parmesan, then add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4-6.

Noodles with Spinach Peanut Sauce

This is a great dish for hot weather. I have made peanut noodles before, but I wanted to try the idea of getting some vegetables worked right into the sauce, and this worked really well. Plus my kids loved it. You can dress it up by adding tofu, meat, and raw vegetables if you like - later in the summer I'll be adding snap peas, carrots, and eventually red peppers.

1/2 lb spinach, stemmed and washed
2 stalks green garlic (or substitute scapes or garlic cloves)
2-3 Tbsp ginger root, coarsely chopped or grated
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup canola or peanut oil
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1 Tbsp honey or brown sugar
Salt to taste
1 lb linguine or other noodles

Lightly steam the spinach, then immerse it in a bowl of cold water to cool it off.

Combine the spinach with the green garlic, soy sauce, oil, vinegar, peanut butter, and honey or brown sugar in the blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside (chill if you like).

Cook the noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water. Drain when done, then rinse with cold water until thoroughly cooled. Drain again.

Combine the noodles with the sauce in a large bowl. Serve cold or room temperature.

Serves 4-6.

Spinach and Edam Quiche

It's springtime (even if the weather thinks it might be summer), and that means greens and eggs are plentiful. If you like, you could substitute shredded or sliced asparagus for the spinach in this recipe - just steam it lightly first. And if Edam doesn't suit you, swap in goat cheese or Swiss instead. I used Chase Hill Farm's Dutch Gold cheese, which is much like an Edam.

5 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups cream or milk (or a combination)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 lb spinach, washed and stemmed
1 9-inch unbaked pastry shell, prepared in the pan
Olive oil
2 ounces Edam, sliced or shredded

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the eggs and cream or milk in a medium bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Lightly steam the spinach (I do this in a covered bowl for 1 minute in the microwave). Pour of excess liquid and chop finely.

Lightly oil the bottom of the pastry shell. Spread the cheese over the the bottom, then the spinach. Pour the egg mixture over the cheese and spinach. Swirl around gently to mix the ingredients.

Carefully transfer the quiche to the oven. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until cooked through. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature.

Serves about 4.

Spinach Pesto Pizza with Feta

Each summer, with my son's help, I make a bunch of basil pesto and stash it in the freezer in quantities packaged just right for pizza (1/2 cup) or a pound of pasta (1 cup). I welcome its blast of flavor every time I pull a package out of the freezer. Here it makes a nice base for fresh local hoophouse spinach and local feta cheese. You can optionally add chopped canned artichoke hearts here - not local, but delicious with these ingredients.

1 14-inch pizza crust
1/2 cup basil pesto
4 ounces well chopped fresh spinach
1 cup artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped (about half a can) (optional)
2-3 ounces crumbled feta
1 ounces shredded mozzarella

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Spread the pesto over the pizza crust. Spread the spinach over it, then strew the feta and artichoke hearts (if using) over the spinach. Top with mozzarella.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, until crust done and cheese begins to brown.

Serves 3-4.

Chicken Spinach Pizza with Chili Peppers

Using some nice hoop house grown local spinach and pickled jalapenos from our garden. You can skip the chicken if you like, but it does play nicely with the greens and chilies.

1 14-inch pizza crust
Olive oil
3 ounces spinach, washed and finely chopped
1 cup diced cooked chicken
2 Tbsp chopped pickled chili peppers (or to taste)
3 ounces shredded mozzarella

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly paint the pizza crust with olive oil.

Spread the spinach over the pizza crust, then distribute the chicken and the chili peppers over it. Be sure to spread the chilies evenly so you don't get an overly hot bite. Top with mozzarella.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the crust is done and cheese begins to brown.

Serves 3-4.

Garlic and Chard Frittata

This is simple and satisfying. Don't be surprised by the large amount of chard that goes into it - it really cooks down. Feel free to substitute spinach. You could also substitute a bunch of green garlic for the mature garlic at this time of year.

Olive oil
1 head garlic, peeled and minced
1 lb bunch of chard, chopped (stems finely chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste
10 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes, then add the chard (you may need to do this in batches). Saute until the chard is tender, another few minutes. Drain off excess liquid, then add salt and pepper to taste.

Use a 10-inch ovenproof skillet to cook the frittata. Either clean out the one you used to cook the vegetables and then oil it, or use a fresh one, coated with olive oil.

Place the chard mixture in the oiled pan, then pour in the egg. Cook over low-medium heat for 10-15 minutes, shaking periodically, until the frittata is mostly set. Turn on the broiler. Sprinkle Parmesan over the top of the frittata, then place it under the broiler for 3-5 minutes, until the top of the egg is set and the cheese is browned.

Serves about 4.

Polenta with Spinach, Blue Cheese, and Egg

That's right, Put An Egg On It! I often mix some quinoa into my polenta for an extra nutritional boost, but it's optional. Here that mixture is topped with tomato sauce and fresh spinach, blue cheese, and spring eggs from the farmer's market. I've done pizza topped with eggs, but this was the first time I tried it with polenta and I have to say I was quite pleased with the result.

1 cup polenta (coarse corn meal)
1/2 cup quinoa
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 1/2 cups water
Olive oil
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium onions, diced
1/4 lb spinach (or up to 1/2 lb if you want lots of it)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup tomato sauce
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
6 eggs

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Combine the polenta and quinoa in a large saucepan with the water and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the water is all absorbed and the polenta is nice and thick. Be careful not to burn yourself as bubbles pop.

While the polenta cooks, heat a little olive oil in a skillet. Add the garlic and onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until wilted, about another minute. Add salt and pepper to taste.

When the polenta is ready, grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. Spread the polenta in the pan, then spread the tomato sauce over it. Spread the spinach mixture over the tomato sauce, then sprinkle with blue cheese.

Make 6 shallow hollows in the vegetables and polenta. Crack an egg into each one. Bake the polenta for 10-15 minutes, until the egg whites are set and the yolks are still gooey. (Time may vary depending on the size and shape of your hollows and the size of your eggs.)

Serve hot. Serves 6.

White Bean Soup with Garlic, Rosemary, Sausage, and Greens

This is one of those bean recipes where cooking the beans from scratch really makes a difference. You could try throwing this together with canned beans, but don't - it won't really be worth it. The beans play a starring role here, and cooking them from scratch produces a flavor and texture you just can't get out of a can. My six-year-old declared it one of his new favorites, and for a dish containing visible greens, that's something.

This recipe calls for cooking the beans in the pressure cooker, which is quick, easy, and reliable. But you could also turn it around and do them in a slow cooker, just adding the sausage and greens at the end.

2 cups dry navy beans or other small white beans
1/2 cup pearl barley
8 cups chicken stock
1 whole head garlic, loose paper removed but not peeled
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus additional chopped rosemary for garnish if desired
2 Tbsp olive oil
Parmesan rind (optional)
1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 lb spinach, kale, or other greens, coarsely chopped
Salt and black pepper to taste

Soak the beans for at least 4 hours (overnight is okay). Drain and rinse.

Place the beans in the pressure cooker with the barley, chicken stock, garlic, rosemary sprigs, oil, and Parmesan rind if using. Lock the lid and bring to pressure. Cook at high pressure for 7 minutes, or according to the directions for white beans that came with your cooker. Let pressure release naturally - this may take as long as 20-30 minutes.

While the pressure releases from the cooker, cook the sausage over high heat in a frying pan. Brown it well, breaking it up into small pieces as you go.

When the pressure has completed released, unlock the cooker's lid and open it. Taste a bean to make sure they are tender (if not, simmer until done). Remove the garlic and let it cool enough to handle. Also remove the rosemary stems (the leaves can stay) and the Parmesan rind if you used one. Add the sausage and greens to the soup.

Squeeze the garlic out of its peels. Mash or quickly puree it, then stir it back into the soup. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper as needed. If desired, sprinkled a little chopped fresh rosemary over the soup upon serving.

Serves about 6.

Pureed Lentil Soup with Spinach and Bacon

Get the lentils started, then throw the rest of it together while they cook and it all comes together in about 30 minutes. I like this with the spinach, but it's also good without.

1 1/2 cups brown lentils
Chicken stock
Olive oil
2 medium-large onions, finely chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 cups chopped tomatoes (canned, or thawed if frozen)
1 cup chopped cooked bacon
1/2 lb spinach, stemmed and chopped
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the lentils and enough water to cover them by about one inch in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until tender.

While the lentils cook, heat a little olive oil in a skillet and saute the onions and garlic over medium-high heat for several minutes, until pleasantly browned. Add the onion mixture and the tomatoes to the lentils and continue to cook until the lentils are tender.

When the lentils are tender, puree the soup with an immersion blender (or do it in batches in a regular blender). Once pureed, stir in the bacon and spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted. Stir in the red wine vinegar and add salt and pepper to taste  Serve hot.

Serves 4-6.

Lentil Soup with Shiitakes and Spinach

Lentils form the base of many a nutritious winter soup, some adventurous, some traditional, all comforting. Here I took the shiitake mushrooms I was happily surprised to find at the winter farmers market alongside the fresh spinach and added brown rice and tomatoes, then gave it all a partial puree for a slightly chunky, porridge-y consistency. Perfect on a recent frigid night.

3 cups brown lentils
3 cups short grain brown rice
Chicken stock
Olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 lb shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and diced
3 cups tomatoes (canned or frozen; thawed if frozen)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 lb spinach, stemmed
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the lentils and rice in a soup pot and add enough chicken stock to cover generously. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until lentils and rice are both tender, 30-45 minutes.

While the lentils and rice cook, heat a little olive oil in a medium skillet, then add the garlic and onions and saute for 1-2 minutes over medium-high heat. Add the shiitakes and saute until tender.

When the lentils and rice are cooked, add the shiitake mixture to the pot along with the tomatoes and thyme and bring the heat back up until the soup simmers. Use an immersion blender to partially puree the soup (or do this in batches in a regular blender), then add the spinach and cook until wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves about 6.

Curried Beef with Root Vegetables and Spinach

This is one of those dishes that's even better the next day. Hearty and flavorful, chock full of vegetables, it's perfect for a cold November evening. Serve this over brown rice.

Canola oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp grated or minced ginger root
2-3 tsp garam masala
1 lb ground beef
Salt and pepper to taste
3 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 1/2 lbs potatoes, diced
Beef stock
1/3 lb spinach, stemmed and coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp corn starch for thickening (optional)

Heat a little canola oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the ground beef and brown thoroughly, then stir in the garam masala. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir well. Add carrots and potatoes, then add just enough beef stock to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted.

If desired, stir together thee corn starch and about 1/3 cup of the broth from the stew, then stir the paste back into the stew and simmer until it thickens to the desired consistency.

Serve stew over rice, preferably brown.

Serves 4-6.

Pasta with Creamy Spinach Rosemary and White Bean Sauce

Ah, spinach.  Available from local farms at almost any time of year now, and one of my go-to veggies at the point when I'm just tired of root vegetables but spring crops are not quite ready yet.  Also: versatile, nutritious, delicious.

1 lb pasta
1/2 lb spinach, washed
Olive oil
1 large shallot or small onion
1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 cups cooked white beans
1/2 cup cream
4-6 slices cooked bacon, chopped

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling.  While it cooks, prepare the sauce.

Lightly steam the spinach (I do this in a covered bowl in the microwave, about 1 minute on high).

Heat a little olive oil in a saucepan or small frying pan.  Add the shallots and rosemary and saute for 2-3 minutes.  Add the white beans until heated through.

Puree the spinach with the shallot and bean mixture until smooth, then return to the saucepan.  Stir in the cream and bacon.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it and toss with the sauce.

Serves 4-6.

Spinach Chorizo Risotto

Yes, I know chorizo is not Italian, but with this set of ingredients you really can't go wrong.  Use the smaller amounts of spinach and chorizo for a more rice-heavy risotto, the larger amounts for a risotto that is about equal parts rice and other stuff.

You can chop the spinach in a food processor with a few pulses, though you'll have to do it in batches and be careful not to turn it into puree.

Olive oil
1 large shallot or small onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 - 1 lb chorizo sausage (sliced in rounds or casings removed and sausage crumbled)
1/4 - 1/2 lb spinach, stemmed, washed and finely chopped

Heat a little olive oil in a pressure cooker.  Add the shallot or onion and saute for about 2 minutes.  Add the rice and saute for 1 minute or so, until it turns translucent.  Add the chicken stock and stir well.  Cover the cooker and bring to pressure.  Once it reaches pressure, cook for 7 minutes, then remove from heat and release steam.  Open the cooker and stir the rice.  If liquid remains, simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until it is absorbed.

While the rice cooks in the pressure cooker, cook the sausage.  When the rice is done, stir in the cooked chorizo and the raw chopped spinach until well combined.  Serve hot.

Serves 4-5.

Southwestern Spinach Pizza

Nice and green with a little tang and spice.  Don't skip the pickled peppers unless you really can't stand the heat - they are really good here.

To quickly steam spinach for an application like this, I rinse it well and put in a large microwaveable bowl with a plate covering and cook for 1-2 minutes on high.

1 14-inch pizza crust
olive oil
2-3 oz. shredded mozzarella
1/4 lb spinach, stemmed and lightly steamed
1/4 cup salsa (spiciness to your taste)
2-3 Tbsp sliced pickled hot peppers
2 oz. sharp cheddar, in small cubes or slices

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Lightly paint the pizza crust with olive oil.

Spread the mozzarella over the pizza crust, then top with the spinach.  Dab with salsa and sprinkle with hot peppers and cheddar.  Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the crust is done and cheese begins to brown.

Serves 3-4.

Spinach Apple Pizza with Dried Tomatoes and Gouda

I made this with some of the last local apples of the season (thanks Apex Orchards!), local spinach, dried tomatoes from my own garden, and Gouda cheese made by Upinngil Farm.

1 14-inch pizza crust
olive oil
1/4 lb spinach, lightly steamed
1 small apple, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 cup dried tomatoes, reconstituted in hot water and drained
2 oz Gouda, in small chunks
2-3 oz. mozzarella, shredded or in small chunks

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Lightly paint the pizza crust with olive oil.

Spread the steamed spinach over the oiled pizza crust.  Top with slices of apple and dried tomato, then sprinkle with the Gouda and mozzarella.  Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the crust is done and the cheese begins to brown.

Serves 3-4.

Pizza with Squash, Spinach, and Goat Cheese

Like the green salad I posted earlier this month, this recipe leverages the Caramelized Roasted Butternut Cubes my sister and I made at Christmas.  Do try them; it's a really excellent treatment for squash.

14-inch pizza crust
Olive oil
2-3 oz. shredded mozzarella
1/4 lb spinach, well chopped or cut into ribbons
1 1/2 cups Caramelized Roasted Butternut Cubes
2-3 oz. crumbled goat cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Lightly paint the crust with olive oil.

Sprinkle the crust with mozzarella, then cover with spinach.  Add squash for the next layer, then goat cheese.  Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the crust is done and cheese begins to brown.

Serves 3-4.

Leek Risotto with Apples, Spinach, and Blue Cheese

Sometimes a set of ingredients just speaks to me tells me what I need to do with it.  Such was the case here, with apples, spinach, and leeks in the fridge (I had to go out and buy the blue cheese, but the apples and spinach insisted).  Choose a blue cheese of your liking; I recommend erring on the side of mildness rather than pungency here.  You want it to be flavorful but not to completely overwhelm the rest of the dish.  I used a marvelous sheep's milk blue from Seabrook Farm in Vermont.  For the apples, choose ones that are nice and tart that will hold their shape well when cooked - I used Macouns.

Olive oil
3 medium-large leeks, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
3 medium-sized tart apples, peeled and diced
1/2 lb spinach, stemmed and well chopped
3-4 oz. crumbled or diced blue cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Make the risotto in the pressure cooker: Heat a little olive oil in the bottom of the cooker and saute about one third of the sliced leeks for 2 minutes or so.  Add the rice and saute for a minute or two.  Pour in the stock, bring the cooker to pressure, and cook for 7 minutes.  Release pressure.

While the risotto cooks, heat a bit more oil in a large skillet and saute the remainder of the leeks for 2-3 minutes.  Add the apples and cook over medium heat until tender but not soft (you don't want applesauce here).  Add the spinach and cook for a few minutes, covered, until it wilts.  Stir in the blue cheese and let it melt, then mix well.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve mounds of risotto topped generously with the apple and spinach mixture.

Serves about 4.