½ tsp corn flour
Method: Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry pak choi for 5 min, turning occasionally, until just wilted and tender. Meanwhile, whisk soy sauce and cornflour in a small bowl until smooth, then gradually whisk in 2fl oz water. Transfer pak choi to a serving dish. Pour soy mixture into the empty frying pan, bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Pour over the pak choi, season with freshly ground black pepper and serve.
Collard Greens and Shiitake Mushrooms
½ lb. shiitake mushrooms ½” piece of peeled ginger, grated finely and squeezed for juice 1 large clove of garlic, peeled cracked ¼ cup of sake 1/8 cup mirin (sweet Japanese cooking wine) 1 tablespoon “white” of light soy sauce 2 tablespoons of neutral flavored oil (grapeseed or canola) Reserved stems from shiitake mushrooms ½ “ piece of peeled ginger, crushed 1 small garlic clove, peeled and de-germed 4 drops “white” or light soy sauce 1 bunch of collard greens, stripped from stems 1 tablespoon neutral flavored oil
Remove and reserve the mushroom stems. Slice the mushrooms on the bias so you have large, fairly thin, slices. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a 10” pan, and when hot, put in the garlic clove. Cook until the oil is fragrant and the garlic just starting to color. Add the mushrooms, immediately toss to coat the mushrooms with the oil. Cook the mushrooms until they are all softened a bit. Drizzle in the sake, mirin, and soy sauce. Toss well. Add in the ginger juice. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Allow the mushrooms to cook gently. Meanwhile, bring a quart of water to a boil in a 2-quart pan, and add the collards. Bring them to a boil, and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer, then cook covered for 20 mins. or so. At the same time, bring 2 cups of water to a boil for the mushroom stem ‘tea.’ Put the stems, ginger, garlic, and soy sauce into a teapot or pan, and when the water boils, pour it onto the stems and company. Let steep until needed. Check the mushrooms, and if not quite tender but liquid is gone, add a splash of water and stir. Repeat until tender. If they are done but seem wet, remove the lid cook to reduce. When the collards are soft, pour out most of the liquid so only 1-2 tbls. of liquid remains. Strain the mushroom stem ‘tea’ into the pot and stir. Cook until the liquid is mostly gone. Drizzle the last of the oil onto the greens to coat. Stir the collards and mushrooms together in pan and re-heat if necessary. Serve over kasha or other whole grains like spelt berries. ~from highgroundorganics.com Serves 4.
BROWNED BUTTER PASTA with TATSOI
Serves 2
Your pasta of choice, preferably curved or with ridges
1/2 stick unsalted butter
Salt and pepper
Leaves of 2 to 3 bunches of tatsoi, rinsed
1/2 cup chopped sage
Freshly grated parmesan
Lemon wedges, optional
Cook pasta to al dente in salted water.
When pasta almost done, melt butter in a skillet. Swirl the butter in the pan as it foams. (At this point, remove pasta from the heat and drain well in a colander.) When butter begins to brown, toss in pasta and mix to coat with butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Add tatsoi and sage and cook until slightly wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Plate and serve immediately with grated parmesan and lemon wedges on the side.
Article source: http://greenedgegardens.blogspot.com/2013/12/week-1-newsletter-winter-2014.html
