The fresh garden flavors of summer are here, finally!

We started off with a wet, cold May and June but everything is starting to become more green and bountiful in July.

Look for early summer greens in the produce department including  rainbow chard, spinach, kale, and  mustard. Also, don’t miss placing other green veggies such as sugar snap peas and green beans in your side dishes too!

However, how do you make these flavorful greens exciting to eat? To find out, come to the Garden Fresh Flavors Greens Class Demo this Saturday, July 9th near the hotbar in Valley Natural Foods  from noon-3pm. Cooking instructor, Michele Licata, will be sampling some of her tasty and inspiring summer dining recipes featured in her July 15th Garden Fresh Flavors: Green Class. Sign-up for this class at the customer service counter or by calling 952-891-1212 ext. 221 for details.  Cost is $35 for members and $38 for non-members.

Save $3.00 on this Michele Licata Class or another others in her Garden Fresh Flavors Series this summer at Valley Natural Foods–including her Peas n’ Beans class this Friday.

Keep in mind that Michele’s classes are chalk full of food, recipes and lots of sampling! Come hungry and be prepared to eat hearty! Fun recipes include Pea and Lettuce Soup, Chard with Green Olives, Currants and Goat Cheese and Spanikopita (spinach pie). You will definitely get your money’s worth of food and lots of food for thought. See an entire listing of all her classes in the June-September edition of Valley Natural Foods’ Education Booklet, available online.

Just as a reminder–it is recommended that you include these cruciferous  green vegetables into your diet 2-3 times a week because of the fantastic health benefits they offer such as providing many antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer nutrients. They are excellent sources of a multitude of vitamins including A, C, K, beta-carotene, iron and omega-3 fatty acids.

So if you are looking for something green and leafy, don’t reach for the iceberg lettuce. Eating more leafy greens such as those mentioned above will definitely give you more vitamins, minerals  and bang for your buck!

Join us at our demo kiosk anytime between 3:00-5:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 20 for a taste of this dish!

Eat like a king or queen tonight!  We have a new, fresh way to combine healthy greens, wild salmon and forbidden rice! The salmon is cooked in coconut milk and flavored with traditional Thai spices, Kaffir lime leaves and ginger. Your choice of greens, such as kale, collards, mustard, dandelion or swiss chard are in in our simple Garlicky Braised Greens recipe, a recipe suitable to make even for the inexperienced cook. If you are not familiar with greens, start with kale, as it has a milder taste. Serve the salmon and greens alongside black forbidden rice, which was once truly "forbidden" as it was considered the Emperor’s rice and no one else was permitted to eat it. 

Thai Salmon and Garlicky Braised Greens
Serves 2 (large portions) or 4 (small portions)

For the fish:
2 small shallots, chopped
1 large lime, halved
2 kaffir lime leaves
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp. slivered ginger root
13.5 oz coconut milk
1/2 C. vegetable or chicken stock
2 Tbsp. soy sauce or fish sauce
1 small jalapeno, seeds removed and chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 lbs salmon filet, skinned and cubed
1/2 C. fresh basil (Thai, if possible), coarsely chopped

For the rice:
1 C. black forbidden rice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 Tbsp. onion, minced
1 3/4 C. boiling water
1/4 tsp. salt

To cook rice: In a 1 quart sauce pan heat the oil over medium flame, add onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes, making sure not to color. Stir in rice and coat with oil until rice is hot. Stir in salted boiling water. Simmer, covered with a lid, over low heat for 30 minutes, and let rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a 4-quart pot, combine the shallots, lime halves, lime leaves, garlic and ginger, coconut milk, chicken stock, fish sauce or soy sauce, and jalapeno and bell peppers. Heat to a simmer. Cut the salmon in 1-inch pieces, and when the peppers are tender, add the salmon cubes. Simmer gently for 3-5 minutes, cut a piece of salmon in half to test for doneness. Check to see if the broth needs more fish/soy sauce. Just before you take the pot off the heat, add the basil leaves. Scoop some forbidden rice in each serving bowl, and ladle stew over the top.

Garlicky Braised Greens with Balsamic Vinegar and Capers
Serves 2

4 cloves garlic, peeled
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. capers, drained
1 lb greens (kale, collards, mustard, dandelion or swiss chard)stemmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 tsp. salt
Black pepper to taste
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Use a heavy knife turned on its side to first crush each garlic clove, then slice each clove in half. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes, stirring until it begins to brown. Add capers, and continue stirring for another minute. Add greens, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of water. Keep the greens moving as they wilt, then turn the heat down and cover the pot. Let the greens cook for a few minutes. Just before serving, remove the cover and turn up the heat to cook off any remaining liquid. Remove from heat, stir in vinegar, and serve hot.

Colcannon, traditional fare in Ireland is a delicious dish; the cabbage, kale, leeks and potatoes provide a wallop of nutrients: Vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, minerals, protein and fiber. An old Irish Halloween tradition was to conceal charms in the colcannon that would reveal someone’s future, such as remain a bachelor or a spinster or become rich. Serve colcannon paired with a corned beef brisket (this week’s Fresh Meal Solutions) and you have the perfect celebratory meal for St. Patrick’s Day, for the Irish in all of us, at least for a day!

Colcannon

1/2 head of green cabbage, shredded
1 bunch dino kale, coarsely chopped
2 1/2 lb. baby potatoes
1 C. cream
1/2 C. salted butter
2 medium leeks, most green trimmed off
2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. salt

Wash potatoes well. Fill a large pot half full of water, add 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and boil until very tender. Take out potatoes with a slotted spoon reserving the water. Drain potatoes in a colander until dry, then mash in a large bowl. Add the kale and cabbage to the water and boil for 5 minutes (or until tender). Empty out pot into colander and let drain for a few minutes.

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Thoroughly wash leeks, chop them and add them to the pan. Sauté for 5 minutes, then add the cream. Add 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper and stir occasionally. Add kale and cabbage to the potatoes and mash. Stir in cream and leek mixture and mash.

Serve by making a small mound with an indent in the center and top with a small hunk of butter. Add salt and pepper to taste.