Wizard Recipes

Tender baby spinach is often available in bags, prewashed and ready to eat; figure on 4 ounces per serving. Larger leaf spinach, often sold in bulk, can be curly or smooth, depending on the variety; buy about 6 ounces per person (you will remove the stems). In either case, avoid leaves that are yellowed, soft, or flimsy.

To store: Line a large plastic bag with paper towels, place the spinach inside, poke a few holes in the bag, seal, and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

To prepare: Fill a cleaned sink basin with cool water, add the leaves, stir a few times, then let stand for 5 minutes so the sand and grit sink to the bottom. If using baby spinach leaves, take them for a spin afterward in a salad spinner or dry them well between paper towels. If using larger leaves, remove them from the water, do not dry, cut out the fibrous stems, and roughly chop the leaves.

To braise: Heat some canola oil, olive oil, or bacon fat in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add some minced garlic; cook for 15 seconds. Add the spinach, then a large splash of water, broth, or white wine, or a combination of any two. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 minutes.

To steam: Do not dry the leaves; place them in a skillet heated over medium heat, grate a little nutmeg over the top, cover, and steam for 2 minutes, tossing occasionally.

To serve: Season with salt and pepper and toss with balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, or finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Okra

Look for short, oblong, bruise-free spears with distinct tips. Plan on 5 to 6 ounces per serving.

To store: Seal in a plastic bag and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

To prepare: Wash well. The caps of larger spears can be tough and should be removed.

To stew and serve: Slice the spears in half the short way. Place in a pan with canned diced tomatoes, chopped onion, minced garlic cloves, stemmed thyme, red pepper flakes, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 15 minutes.

To grill and serve: Toss the whole spears with a generous amount of olive oil and a good splash of vinegar in a large bowl; refrigerate overnight. Prepare the grill for high-heat cooking; generously oil the grill grate. Salt the okra and place directly over the heat, cover, and grill until lightly browned and marked by the grate, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes.

To fry and serve: Cut the spears into 1?2-inchthick rounds. Toss in a large bowl with yellow cornmeal until thoroughly coated. Heat about 1?2 inch melted solid vegetable shortening, lard, or canola oil in a large skillet until waggly over medium- high heat.

Add the okra, reduce the heat to medium, and cook about 2 minutes, until the pieces on the bottom are browned. Turn gently with a metal spatula, placing the browned pieces on top and the less-done ones underneath; continue  cooking until uniformly browned. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain; salt well while hot.

To pickle and serve: Place about 11?2 pounds okra spears in a large nonreactive bowl. Bring 1 quart (4 cups) white wine vinegar, 2 cups water, 1?4 cup salt, and 1?4 cup jarred pickling spice to a boil in a large saucepan. Pour over the okra, cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate for at least 48 hours or up to 1 week.

Spinach is a leafy vegetable that grows in a dark-green rosette about 8 to 10 inches across. The leaves may be flat or curly, depending on the variety. Cooked spinach has a pungent, earthy flavor and can have a mushy texture; raw spinach is milder and crisp.

Varieties

Spinach comes in two basic types: savoy (curly leaf ) and flat (smooth leaf ). Savoy has crinkly dark-green leaves. Flat-leaf spinach has unwrinkled, spade-shaped leaves and a slightly milder taste than savoy.

A third type that is increasing in popularity is the semi-savoy, whose slightly curly leaves provide some of the texture of savoy but are easier to clean. All varieties have the same appearance when cooked.

Origin and botanical facts

Spinach probably originated in southwest Asia or the western Himalayas, but wild varieties also grow in North Africa and Iran. The leafy vegetable was first cultivated by the Persians. Its cultivation reached China in the 7th century A.D. and Europe in the 9th century, when it was introduced to Spain by the Arabs, who named it.

Today, spinach is grown and enjoyed in many parts of the world. Spinach is an annual plant that requires cool, damp weather and rich, moist soil. Spinach seed can be planted in early spring or in autumn, depending on the variety.

Hardier types will survive the winter in well-drained soils and can be harvested until spring. More tender varieties are planted in spring, as early as February, for summer harvest.

Spinach is ready to be harvested about 6 weeks after planting, when the largest leaves are 6 to 8 inches long.

Uses

Spinach leaves that are crisp and bright to dark green are best. The leaves can be refrigerated in a plastic bag for 3 days. Spinach can be served raw or cooked.

The flat-leaf variety, with its slightly milder flavor, is generally preferred as a raw salad green. Spinach should be cooked very quickly, either by steaming or by sautéing with a minimum of liquid, just until the leaves wilt.

The leaves also can be added to soups, casseroles, and stews. A variety of seasonings, such as lemon juice, soy sauce, horseradish, tomato sauce, or nutmeg, add flavor to spinach dishes. Chopped, seasoned spinach also makes a flavorful stuffing for mushroom caps or a filling for savory pastries.

Nutrient composition

Raw spinach is high in vitamin A (betacarotene) and a good source of vitamin C and folate. Cooked spinach is high in vitamin A (beta-carotene) and folate and is a good source of vitamin C, riboflavin, vitamin B6, calcium, iron, and magnesium.

Although spinach is a good source of iron and calcium, oxalic acid (a chemical that is present in the leaves) inhibits the body’s absorption of these nutrients. Absorption of iron can be increased by eating spinach with a fruit or vegetable that contains vitamin C.

‘April is the cruellest month’ wrote TS Eliot, but after a winter that seemed to last forever, the arrival of spring seems anything but mean-spirited now that brighter colours and flavours are breaking through - including wonderful wild garlic.

Cockles are small, edible bivalves. Traditionally sold with winkles and whelks, cockles have been a popular British seaside snack for many years. They were also sold by vendors outside London pubs who, in the absence of scales, used a pint glass as a measure. They’ve been sold by the pint ever since.

Live cockles in their shells are available from some fishmongers. Cooked and shelled cockles can be bought in jars, preserved in brine or vinegar. They can be used in seafood pie or tossed in a salad, eaten raw or steamed until their shells open, like mussels. Use them in soups, risotto and paella or stew them in a tomato sauce for pasta.

• Penclawdd cockle chowder
• Cockles with smoked chilli broth
• Penclawdd cockle chowder
• Cockles, laverbread and Welsh bacon

Crab

Crabs produce both white and brown meat. The sweet white meat comes from the claws, while the rich brown meat comes from the body, including the liver, which is considered a delicacy. Fans of crab say that this crustacean has sweeter tasting white meat than lobster has.

Male crabs tend to have larger claws and more white meat. However, the females can come with coral - a flavoursome red roe. You can buy a crab live and boil it yourself, or alternatively ask your fishmonger to kill it for you, or buy it ready cooked.

Crabmeat is great in pastas, salads, soups or soufflés. It goes well with cream, butter, lemon and chilli. Cooked crabmeat can be bought in cans too, which is useful for adding to pasta or making quick crabcakes, but the flavour is not as good as the fresh version.

• Dressed crab
• Crabcakes with a tomato, crab and basil dressing
• Crabcakes and mayonnaise
• Crab, saffron and leek quiche
• Individual crab soufflés

Lettuce

Lettuce was first cultivated as a medicine. Wild lettuce contains an active element with a mild sleep-inducing effect. Lettuce is now widely used in Asian and Western cookery. Cooked lettuce has long been popular in Asian kitchens - it is often stir-fried or blanched in China. It also makes a handy serving container for spicy minced meat salads in Thai or Korean cooking.

Cooked lettuce is becoming trendier in Europe - it all started with petit pois á la Française, the traditional dish of cooked peas and finely sliced lettuce. These days, chefs are adding it to risotto or grilling stuffed lettuce halves with cheese.

• Lettuce with oyster sauce
• An extraordinary way with lettuce
• Korean beef in lettuce Risotto with lettuce and spring onion
• Fish pie with petit pois á la Française

Spinach

Spinach is featured in cuisines all over the world. Full of vitamins and iron, its health-giving properties are well known, but it’s generally loathed by young children - in spite of Popeye’s attempts to promote its virtues.

Young leaves are best because older leaves can be tough. Spinach has a distinctly earthy flavour; the leaves can be enjoyed as a side vegetable or as salad, or they can be incorporated into a wide range of dishes including soups, pies, omelettes, soufflés or quiches.

• Mediterranean filo pastry pie
• Buttered spinach
• Spinach, mushroom and ricotta quiche with sautéed spinach
• Quesadillas with spinach and goats’ cheese

Spring lamb

Lamb is associated with spring in many cultures. In Christian cultures, it’s the roast to serve on Easter Sunday. Lamb is available all year round but spring lamb has small, slender bones with pink, rosy coloured flesh that is meltingly tender and more subtle than darker-fleshed summer or autumn lamb. Choose joints and cuts carefully; go for lean pieces and avoid any with yellow or crumbly fat.

• Roast leg of lamb with garlic and rosemary
• Spring lamb with spinach and feta rolls
• Spring lamb stew with ricotta dumplings
• Spiced spring lamb with black-eyed beansg

Wild garlic

In the UK, wild garlic (Allium ursinum) has many peculiar identities - ‘bear’s garlic’, ‘devil’s garlic’, ‘gypsy’s onions’ and ’stinking Jenny’ are just some of them. It’s no surprise that this seasonal ingredient is called so many names - it gives off an incredibly pungent smell in the wild. Unlike common cultivated garlic, it’s the leaves that are eaten rather than the bulbs. The taste is more delicate too, similar to the flavour of chives.

The leaves can be eaten raw or lightly cooked. Be sure to wash them well - some recipes also call for blanching the leaves for a few minutes in boiling water. Wild garlic can be stirred into risottos or omelettes, added to soups or used in sauces to accompany meat and fish.

• Honey and za’atar-glazed spring lamb with salsify and wild garlic purée
• Roast best end of lamb with garlic fritters and a wild garlic cream sauce
• Steamed monkfish with wild garlic and ginger

Little secrets worth mentioning

-         green leafed vegetables held at room temperature can lose up to 20 % of the vitamin C content, so that’s why you should keep these in the fridge.

-         Canned vegetables represent a very healthy option because they are easy to conserve, do not have any fat added and maintain Vitamin E and B content. Beta carotene is best conserved when canned whereas most of vitamin C is destroyed.

-         See labels for vegetables cans regarding added sugar and salt.

-         Hydro soluble vitamins like C and B group dissolve in the water in which we boil our vegetables. It is best to use steam for cooking. Consume the water from the can in which the vegetables were conserved. It has all the nutrients that vegetables have lost in the process. Also consume soups

-         Use vinegar or lemon juice to sprinkle your vegetables not to go dark

-         Salt removes water from vegetables, so add it only before consuming these or they will just turn soft.

-         Cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage can be consumed raw (only Brussels sprout needs boiling).

-         Asparagus must be consumed exactly in the day in which you bought it. Only the tips can be eaten.

-         Red beetroot contains betanine, a pigment, which is used as an alimentary colorant

-         Beans, peas and soy beans must be left to soak in cold water up to 4 hours before cooking. In this manner you avoid bloating and indigestion

-         Champignons mushrooms can be eaten raw. All other types must be cooked.

-         To avoid vitamin C oxidation at metal contact, rip the salad leafs with your hands. Don’t cut it with the knife.

-         Do not cook spinach for more than 3-4 minutes in order to keep C and B vitamin. Choose fresh spinach salad.

-         Eat aubergines grilled or cooked with some lemon juice.

-         After washing, dry salad or spinach leaves to prevent oxidation.

Many strange-sounding names float around on lists of salad ingredients in fashionable recipe books these days. But not many of us are lucky enough to live close to a well-stocked greengrocer or supermarket with a full array of new-age baby greens.

Often even the produce manager of a large supermarket can’t tell you what you are holding in your hand unless it is next to the sign that labels it.

To help ease the confusion, here is a brief list of “new” ingredients, few of which are actually new. Their availability in quantity is new, thanks to the demands of innovative chefs and today’s eating trends. I have included old stand-byes, too, with alternative names. Names, by the way, vary somewhat in different part of the country.

1. Iceberg or head lettuce is the most popular though the least nutritional of all the salad greens and taste rather blah, like a piece from an iceberg. When you say lettuce, most people conjure up a picture of an iceberg lettuce head. It is easy to grow, easy to store, has a long shelf life and it transports well.

That makes it inexpensive, always available, crisp and crunchy. Ever discover a hidden head weeks after tucking it into the refrigerator? It may be a little brown around the edges, even slimy here and there. But the inside is perfectly crisp and usable.

2. Romaine or cos lettuce has broad, stiff, upright leaves. It is the hardiest of all the lettuces and has the strongest flavor, though it is still mild. Great by itself, it is also good mixed with the more delicate salad greens as it adds a firm, extra crunchytexture and sturdiness.

3. Butter head , bibb, Boston, limestone or butter crunch lettuces are very tender and mild buttery-flavored. They form small loose heads. The various names refer to varieties, but they are fully interchangeable in salads and are not much different in taste.

4. Red leaf and green leaf lettuces don’t form heads and don’t keep quite as long as iceberg lettuce. They, too, have a mild flavor, although more flavorful than iceberg. They add bulk and interest to salads with their slightly wavy-structured, attractive colored leaves.

5. Spinach is popular in salads because of its vivid, dark peacock green color. It stands out and contrasts well among the more subdued colors. Raw spinach has a very mild, almost bland, flavor compared to the cooked form of this vegetable.

6. The cabbage family includes a large number of mild to strong-flavored greens that you may use in small amount with other greens. White and red cabbage are the most common. Both stay fresh and crisp for a long time.

Red cabbage adds a most desirable red to fuchsia color to salads, and in mid-winter it may be the only salad ingredient with a reddish color contrast that doesn’t cut deep into your food budget.

The several varieties of oriental vegetables in the cabbage family, like bok choy and napa cabbage, are very mild, but crisp, beautifully-textured, attractive-colored and readily available.

7. Arugula, also called rocket or roquette, is a small-leaved green with spicy, tangy, unusual flavor that mixes well with any salad green. Some people find its flavor too aggressive-use it in moderation.