Everybody say Jamaica! Jamaican Callaloo

One of the great things about getting a CSA farmshare, is that it exposes me to a variety of new foods I had passed by in the market (or that I had never even seen in the market), and keeps me from falling into the rut of cooking the same five things over and over again (one cannot live on black bean enchiladas and stir fry alone). Today's recipe is a great example. I had never seen callaloo before joining a CSA. It's pretty tasty, like a hardier spinach.

Callaloo is a green found in the Caribbean, as well as a type of stew made of the greens traditionally seasoned with thyme, onion, garlic, and scotch bonnet pepper. It can also include ham, lobster or crab. I made some adjustments based on what I had on hand (specifically subbing jalapeño for the scotch bonnet, and adding grilled shrimp)

I started with a recipe from a website on Jamaican Traditions

Quick and Easy Callaloo Recipe....

INGREDIENTS:

1 bunch freshly cut callaloo (six or seven stalks)

1/2 c coconut milk

1 onion chopped

1 ripe tomato chopped

1 jalapeño pepper seeds and membrane removed, diced

1/2 tsp thyme

1/8 tsp salt

1 tbsp butter or margarine

1 tbsp olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

Pluck the leaves off the stems, wash and dry

cook onions in oil and butter until soften

add rest of ingredients and bring to boil

simmer until leaves are tender

abt 20 min or so

I served it with grilled shrimp

Enjoy. Everybody say JAMAICA!

Futurama	Thursdays 10pm / 9c
Bureaucrat's Song
www.comedycentral.com
Futurama New Episodes Big Lake A New Comedy from Will Ferrell and Adam McKay

This is my third post in the Loving Local Blogathon to support the MA farmers market association. Please donate and help support the imporant work that they do to help increase access to locally grown fresh produce across the state and especially in urban areas.

Sometimes Simple is Best...italian stir fry

Today I got my farmshare. I got green peppers, lemon cucumbers, tomatoes (OMG, local organic seasonal tomatoes are light years away from other tomato-looking things you may have been eating before), eggplant, cantaloupe, and collard greens. I also got home stupid late from work today. Exhaustion being the mother of invention, I tossed together a simple supper:

1/2 onion diced

1 pepper 1 inch dice

2 cloves garlic minced

1 tomato 1 inch dice

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

6 frozen shrimp

1 pinch red pepper flakes

handful of basil sliced (chiffonade is the fancy word for it)

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup leftover rice

brown the onion and garlic

add the pepper and cook until begining to brown

add tomato, rice, red pepper and basil and cook until warmed through

in grill pan, cook shrimp flipping halfway through

add shrimp to onions and peppers and then serve

Om nom nom

Braised Collard Greens and Shrimp

Braised Collard Greens and Shrimp
Originally uploaded by kel h

Holy COW! was this a tasty supper

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
2 dashes Worcester sauce
1 bunch collard greens, chopped
2 cups vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil and butter. Saute the onions until slightly softened, about 2 minutes, then add the red pepper flakes, garlic and cook another minute. Add collard greens and cook another minute. Add the vegetable stock and spices, cover and bring to a simmer. Cook until greens are tender, about 30 minutes. I tossed in 5 frozen shrimp with about 10 minutes left. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

asian style kale and shrimp

asian style kale and shrimp
Originally uploaded by kel h

Ingredients:

3/4 pound (1 large bunch) kale*
2 to 3 teaspoons sesame oil
1 small shallot, minced (I used a garlic scape)
1 to 2 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup (2 thin) minced scallions, both white and light green parts
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger root
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds*, for garnish
Directions:

Wash the kale thoroughly to remove all grit. Discard the tough ribs, and coarsely chop the kale leaves.

In a large skillet or heavy wok, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the shallot, garlic, scallions and ginger root and cook for about 1 minute to release the aromas. Add the kale a bunch at a time and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until the leaves have softened a bit but the kale retains its shape. Remove from heat and add the soy sauce. Divide among individual plates, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, if using, and serve hot.

ABOUT COOKED KALE: Some people like their greens on the softer side. For this recipe, author Robyn Webb suggests two techniques to achieve that result:

After the 3 to 4 minutes' cooking time (but before the soy sauce is mixed in), add water, cover and let steam to desired texture. Continue the recipe with the soy sauce step as stated in the recipe directions.

The kale can first be plunged into boiling water and cooked for 3 to 4 minutes, then drained. Proceed with cooking the shallots and then add the kale as stated in the recipe directions.

NOTE: To toast sesame seeds:
Heat them in a dry skillet over medium heat or in a 325-degree oven, shaking the pan frequently, until lightly browned and fragrant, 4 to 8 minutes. Watch carefully; they burn easily.

I cooked some shrimp and tossed them in a bowl with half the kale

Quick post, quick meal, Lemon Butter Garlic Shrimp over pasta

This is something I make frequently when hungry and in a hurry
I'd show you a picture (since I made it for dinner, but I ated it)

Boil salted water and add...like half a box of spaghetti
Coat the bottom of a pan with olive oil and melt 2 tbsp butter
add 2 cloves chopped garlic
zest one lemon
cook as many shrimp as you feel like adding 3-5 per serving usually
Add greens (today I probably added about a cup or two of frozen kale. when I have it I add a bunch of arugala)
wilt the greens, add the juice of the lemon
drain the pasta and add to the pan with the shrimp and stuff
cook for a bit to combine everything, add a few table spoons of a cheese like romano or something.
serve it up