It was a late season for planting at Poison Ivy Acres but tonight, finally, it was time for one of the great pleasures of being a gardener. This evening I could walk into the veggie garden for the first time this year and say, “What’s for dinner?”
OK, yes, I could have asked that earlier in the spring but I wouldn’t have gotten an answer. Tonight, the answer was this: baby pak choi, baby Tuscan kale, broccoli leaves, arugula and nasturtiums. Yay!
The arugula and nasturtiums went into the salad, but the other greens were put into a stir fry. Since Dan needed some Italian-style comfort food tonight, however, that stir fry did not go in an Asian direction. Instead, I combined all the greens with garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper and garnished with Parmesan cheese.
Although people usually think of Asian seasons with stir-fry, the truth is that you can go into any direction. The seasonings alone make this dish lean Italian, Greek, Spanish, Mexican or Asian… or toward other cultural trations to the North, South, East or West.
I took roasted garlic, shallots, olive oil, and Prarm cheese and combined them with my greens. Tonight I could pick lots of baby pak choi, broccoli leaves and baby Tuscan kale.
I washed the greens and roughly chopped them. I also chopped the shallots.
The olive oil, garlic and shallots went into the pan first. You could add onions instead of the shallots.
You can use the green sof your choice. Stir fry over medium heat, tossing and stiring frequently. If they seem to be sticking to the pan, add some water or stock and stir as the greens get coated with the liquid.
Once the greens are fully wilted and tender, place them in a bowl and spinkle with the cheese. You could serve this over pasta or rice as well. You coud use it to stuff grilled mushrooms or peppers.
