Easy Braised Collard Greens and Chili-Roasted Carrots

Don't let "easy" make you think "quick". I had a couple of false-starts after finding this recipe on The Kitchen because I failed to notice the amount of chopping and the decent amount of braising time. I will say this, however: MAKE THIS.

My husband developed a taste for collard greens in Pensacola last summer and hasn't looked back. We've tried collards at every imaginable opportunity since then. This recipe has gotten the official stamp of approval. Even after Blue Smoke in Manhattan (I know. Why would there be good collard greens in Manhattan, but it's Blue Smoke!), if I may say so myself, we liked this recipe better.

I give partial credit to the recipe I started with (10 cloves garlic, wine, good broth and chili flakes? Yes, please.) and the rest to the Niman Ranch bacon I used the first time. Subsequently, I also tried this recipe with medium-slice deli ham and was very pleased with the results. (Trust me, though - try it first with the bacon.)

After classifying this dish as a Southern-style stir fry, I was also able to serve it as a main dish with a generous bowl of rice. In order to round out the meal, I improvised some Chili-Roasted Carrots with a sad little bag of baby carrots left in the crisper. They had a smoky sweetness that complemented the collards well and so, my friends, today you get two recipes for the price of one.

Braised Collard Greens (adapted from The Kitchen)

• 1 bunch collard greens (usually 1 1/2 - 2 pounds)
• 10 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• Red pepper flakes, to taste
• 1/4 pound bacon, ham or other smoked pork (try smoked turkey even if you don't eat pork...)
• 1/2 cup wine (any wine is fine - I always used some sort of leftover white wine)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Cut and trim the tough stems away from the collard leaves. Stack the leaves, roll tightly and slice into ribbons. Wash the ribbons thoroughly and set aside to drain.
2. Cut the bacon (or other smoked meat) into 1-inch pieces.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large high-walled skillet or extremely wide pan over medium heat,  add red pepper flakes and bacon. Cook until bacon is getting crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.
4. Add the onion and garlic to the skillet with bacon grease and turn the heat to low. Cook them slowly, stirring frequently, until soft and golden (about 10 minutes). Don't let them get too dark, althoug a nice caramelization is nice. 
5. Add greens and bacon to the skillet, stirring until wilted. Add wine and chicken broth and season with a little salt and pepper. Bring to a low simmer, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes over low. (This keeps the collards a bit al dente, if you will, so cook longer if you like them with a softer texture)
6. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with broth over rice. 

Chili-Roasted Carrots

• 1 bag baby carrots
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven (try the toaster oven - less energy use, cooler kitchen) to 450F.
2. Combine all ingredients in baking pan covered in foil (the foil will save you a huge headache later). Toss well to make sure carrots are completely coated.
3. Roast for 20-25 minutes.  Enjoy!

Sausage and Leek Pasta, or New Experiences with Local Pork

The last couple of weeks have been intense in Forager land, with excitement happening as far away as Mexico and, of course, right here in Brooklyn.  I'm back on track on this spring day that feels like summer to tell you about a recipe that was born out of a winter day that suddenly turned into spring.  

I love spring! It offers up brief baths of sunshine in the coldest days of winter and, for a couple of weeks, plays hide and seek as well.  On one of the first beautiful spring days, I hit the Grand Army Plaza Farmers' Market to take advantage of the textile recycling and see what was on offer.

In poking around the booths, I found Bradley Farm , based in New Paltz, NY, with beautiful pork sausage on display.  I loaded up on onions for the Tigress Can Jam and got some late winter butternut squash and greens.  These seemed like the perfect ingredients for a last cold weather casserole, until spring came out from hiding in full force, screaming for something lighter - less squash, more leeks.

I went with a recipe from Lidia Bastianich using sausage, leeks and campanelle.  I've actually not made one of her recipes before and can't imagine why I never did.  The recipe was simple, flavorful and really beautiful.  I found tricolor vegetable radiatore at Trader Joe's that mimicked the campanelle just enough to catch the sauce and bits of sausage.  It also called for just a small amount of sausage which stretched a pricey and amazingly tasty product a long way. 

Sausage and Leek Pasta (adapted from Lidia Bastianich)

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2/3 lb sweet Italian sausage (casings removed), crumbled
• 2 large leeks, trimmed, light green and white parts cut into 1/2-inch pieces, washed well, and drained
• 1/2 small white onion, minced
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 cups frozen young peas
• 1 cup homemade or low-salt chicken broth
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lb. campanelle or other shaped, dried pasta
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving if you like

1. Heat large pot of salted water for the pasta.
2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage, breaking up the lumps, until golden, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the leeks and cook, stirring, until soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the onion and cook for 1 minute.
4.  Add 1 Tbs. of the butter, the peas, and the broth. Heat to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, cover the skillet, and set aside; keep warm.
5. Meanwhile, cook the pasta, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot over low heat. Add the sausage and leek sauce to the pasta and toss well. Remove the pot from the heat, add the remaining 1 Tbs. butter and the grated cheese; toss well.
6. Transfer to a warmed serving platter or individual bowls. Serve immediately, with more grated cheese on the side, if you like.

Pork Banh Mi Meatball Sandwiches

Bon Appetit says that 2010 is the year of the meatball.  I say, what year isn't? But I do appreciate the number of twists on the traditional Italian meatball or the Chinese lion's head meatball that I generally think of when I hear the word. 

One take on the meatball that they offered up recently was the Pork Banh Mi Meatball.  Before you say that Banh Mi is so 2009, just remember that now we're talking meatballs.  A refreshing twist, then, on both the meatball and Banh Mi. 

This recipe caught my eye even before the Tigress Can Jam started, but it immediately popped into my head the other day when I wanted to come up with more uses for my Vietnamese Carrot and Daikon Pickles.  Let's face it, this dish is what my pickles were meant for in the first place!

The complete recipe in the link above shows you a quick way to achieve a similar result in case you don't have jars of Vietnamese pickled vegetables crying out for a spicy meatball sandwich.  I haven't given it a try, but I'm sure they will do. 

I made a double batch of these meatballs and they kept very well in the fridge, feeding us for at least 6 meals.  Next time around I'll try freezing them.  I meant to do that this time, but they were so good that we just kept eating them! I ran out of bread part way through, but these were equally excellent in a bowl of rice with pickled vegetables, cilantro and sriracha. 

Also, I skipped the mayo mentioned in the original recipe because I am a no mayo sort of lady.  That may be banh mi blasphemy.  I just used extra sriracha since that can never be wrong, but you may want to check out the original recipe if you're into that whole mayo thing.

Pork Banh Mi Meatball Sandwiches (adapted from Bon Appetit)

• 1 lb ground pork
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp sriracha
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp fresly cracked black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt or coarse kosher salt

• 4 individual baguettes or sections of baguette
• Vietnamese Carrot and Daikon Pickles
• Fresh jalapeno or other chili slices
• Fresh cilantro sprigs

1. Gently mix all ingredients before baguettes in a large bowl.  Roll tablespoon-sized amounts of meat mixture into meatballs.  (Can be made 1 day ahead.  If so, place on large baking sheet, cover and chill.)
2. Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add half of meatballs.  Saute gently until brown and cooked through, turning frequently.  Be careful not to over-brown.
3. Cut each baguette or baguette section horizontally in half.  If using hot chili mayo, spread over shell.  If not, add as much sriracha as you might be able to stand - a good drizzle will do. Arrange jalapenos, then cilantro on the bottom of the bread. 
4. Add 1/4 of the meatballs to each baguette.  Top with carrot and daikon pickles.  Enjoy!