Find us at Cafe Bocado in Pinetop EVERY Friday 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. with produce picked that morning!

A delicious way to use nutritious spring greens. This is a favorite recipe at Lodestar Gardens kitchens excerpted from one of our favorite cookbooks: Vegetables by Alice Waters

Chard, Spinach, and Escarole Pasta

Greens cooked this way make an excellent side dish without the pasta.

1 pound chard                1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

2 pounds spinach            1 cup red wine

1 large head escarole        1 pound linguini

2 large red onions            ½ stock or water

3 or 4 cloves garlic           2 tablespoons capers (++see note)

¼ cup olive oil                   salt and pepper

1 bay leaf

Stem the chard and the spinach, if necessary. Remove the core from the escarole and separate the leaves. Wash all the greens and cut into chiffonade. Peel and coarsely chop the onions. Peel and chop the garlic very fine. Put a pot of salted water on for boiling the pasta.

Heat a heavy casserole over medium to high heat; add about half the olive oil and the onions, bay leaf, and thyme; cook, covered, until tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover, and continue cooking about 5 minutes more, or until the onions are very brown, just short of burning.  Add the red wine and deglaze the pan, cover, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 3-4 minutes.

Put the pasta on to cook. Uncover the onions and add the garlic. After a minute or so, add the greens and the stock. Cook for 5minutes, add the capers and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Drain the pasta and add to the casserole with the greens. Pour a little olive oil over and toss well and serve.

++Note: Use either large salt-packed capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped, or brine-packed ones, leaving them whole if they are small.

This week we also feature great gifts for holiday celebrations:

• Kevin’s Kestrel Koffee fair-trade, freshly roasted.
• Black River Chocolate inspired by world-famous chocolatier and made weekly here in the White Mountains.
• Ra’s original ceramics – Lodestar Gardens Learning Center Ceramic Studio.
• Kathleen’s BEE Flags to decorate your garden area and herald the spring.

Check out our Lodestar Gardens Learning Center Summer Workshop Schedule
Our HOME page and Happenings drop down for registration information.
Enrollment is limited to 10 participants/session. Sign up now.