Carrie Fehr

Kitchen Garden Food

Tag: Winter Greens

Mac N’ Greens

Mac N' Greens

There’s nothing like steaming hot macaroni, spiked with sautéed greens piled high like Mount Everest, to ward off the winter chill.  This twist to the classic Mac N’ Cheese, is a healthier kid-friendly version that is soul-satisfying comfort food at its best.  If you like, add some sharp cheddar cheese to the macaroni, or throw in a handful of sultanas to counterbalance the bitter greens, and for a little crunch, top it with toasted breadcrumbs.  Sublime.

Mac N’ Greens

Ingredients:

4 bunches of assorted greens, such as dinosaur kale, rainbow chard, broccoli rabe, or collard, stems removed, leaves thinly sliced into strips

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

¾ pound macaroni, cooked and drained

Salt

Parmesan, 2 ounces or 1 cup finely grated

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan, add greens, garlic, and a pinch of salt.  Sauté over medium-high heat, about 5-7 minutes until soft.

Add the macaroni to the greens and combine.  Add a generous pinch of salt and Parmesan to the macaroni and greens.  Taste and adjust  seasoning.

Related articles:

The New American Classroom:  Farm to School Cooking

Winter Greens

Winter Greens

IMG_0878Love is Green:  From the wildly diverse Brassica clan, to the vast palette of mustards, cabbages, and leafy greens, our harvest yield this month is overflowing with a cornucopia of Winter Greens that is so compelling, it draws students into cooking class like a magnet.  Since Valentine’s Day is around the corner, it is an auspicious time to share our feelings of love and how it relates to our nature’s bounty.  Our opening question begins with, “What color is love?”  “Red, purple, pink, even black,” are a few of the excited responses from students, and quickly we learn that love can have different meanings.  It should come as no surprise to anyone, that I am, in fact, deeply enamored with Winter Greens, and so quite predictably, the color of love to me, means green, which is a natural and perfect springboard into our lesson— Love is Greens.

Greens get its due. Highlights to our lesson lead off with the waxy broad leaf Collard Green, once considered a poor man’s food, have tufted rosettes of leaves supported by a sturdy upright stem which can grow up to 4 feet, is in sharp contrast to the colorful stems of the gorgeous Rainbow Chard that make it remarkable and as true to its namesake, and undeniably rules as the beauty queen of greens!  Dinosaur Kale with its deeply ridged green leaves is a jewel of nutrition that is unusually rich in nutrients and regarded as a super food.  And not to be outdone, Broccoli Rabe with its feathery leaves, clustered flower buds, and nutty-bitter nuances, pairs nicely as a counterbalance of flavor in a mixed bunch of greens — is arguably the best topping on pizza, ever.  Students enjoy preparing the featured Collard Greens, Rainbow Chard, Dinosaur Kale, and Broccoli Rabe in this Mac N’ Greens recipe.