RECIPE: TOFU AND ESCAROLE SOUP

Don't be fooled into thinking that a great-tasting homemade soup needs long, slow cooking to prepare. This satisfying soup is ready in just 15 minutes.

·       2 tsp. olive oil

·       1 small onion, finely chopped

·       6 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced

·       7 cups vegetable broth

·       5 cups chopped escarole

·       1 9-oz. pkg. mushroom tortellini or tortelloni, cooked (I substitute a lb. of tofu that I press for 20 minutes)

·       grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1.    In large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes.

2.    Add broth and bring to a simmer. Add escarole and cook 2 minutes. Add cooked tortellini and heat through. Serve hot, sprinkled with Parmesan if desired.

RECIPE: Sauteed Escarole with Garlic and Cannellini Beans

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, sliced

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds escarole, trimmed, cut into bite-size pieces, rinsed well, and spun dry

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

  

Directions:

In a large skillet start the garlic in cold oil over moderately high heat, stirring, until it is golden. To the skillet add the escarole, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Saute the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute. Cook the mixture, covered, over moderately low heat for 4 minutes, or until the escarole is tender, stir in the cannellini beans. Heat through.

RECIPE: Stovetop chicken with lemon, escarole, and white beans

2 ½ lbs bone in chicken pieces (whatever parts you want)

1 lemon, thinly sliced

¼ to ½ an onion, in bite size pieces

1 15-oz can white beans (cannellini)

1 brunch escarole

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Toss lemon slices and onion with salt and pepper and set aside.

Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Heat a few tablespoons oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat, and add chicken, skin side down.  Press the chicken down to the heat to get browning and crispy skin! Cook for 5-8 minutes, until golden brown, then flip, and cook for another 9 or so minutes on the other side until the chicken is fully cooked. (Internal temperature should be 165 degrees.)

Take the chicken out of the skillet and put on a plate.  Add your lemon and onion to the skillet and let it cook 4 or so minutes, until both the onion and lemon have caramelized a bit.  Add the beans and all of their juices to the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and start adding the escarole (a bit at a time) to wilt it.

Once the escarole is wilted, add the chicken back to the skillet for a minute or two until flavors are melded and it’s all warm.

Eat and enjoy!

Tip- you can leave the chicken out and just make this a side dish (or vegetarian dish).

TIP: The 6 Biggest Salad Mistakes—and How to Avoid Them

Salads are supposed to be light, bright, and full of life—but too often, they hit the table flat, limp, and soggy, with all the good stuff sunk at the bottom of the bowl. There are a number of reasons this happens, and now that spring is upon us, we want our readers to enjoy the crunchiest, most satisfying salads ever. So we asked assistant food editor Claire Saffitz and test kitchen contributor Alfia Muzio to identify the most common mistakes people make when tossing up a salad. (And, honestly, this writer learned a thing or two about salad-making.) Here's their awesome advice, below:

1. Go with What You Know

There's a whole world of greens outside of arugula, mesclun, kale, and romaine. Browse your farmers' market or grocery aisle to find seasonal leafy greens for your salad base, like mâche, dandelion greens, microgreens, baby kale, chicory, and escarole. You'll be amazed how much flavor and texture they'll add. And, dear God, please stay away from iceberg (unless you're making a wedge).

2. Just Wash n' Toss

A soggy salad is a sad sight—so dry those greens! We're big proponents of the salad spinner—one of the few single-purpose kitchen items that are absolutely worth it—but if you don't have one, try this trick: Line a plastic shopping bag with paper towels, throw in your greens, and knot the bag. Then take the bag by the handle and give it a couple good, hard spins in the air. Your greens should come out (mostly) dry. You may proceed.

3. All Greens Need Is Dressing

Nope! Once they're in the bowl, you need to give your greens some undergarments before they get dressed. After you've dried them, season your naked greens with salt and pepper. (This is, incidentally, Bobby Flay's approach, too.) Think of it as another opportunity for flavor—then you won't have to over-season your dressing to compensate. Speaking of seasoning your dressing: Mustard, lemon juice, and olive oil alone do not a dressing make. Like every layer of your salad, it's important to season your dressing to taste.

4. Any Dressing Will Work

There's a lot to consider when it comes to dressing your greens. First, and most important, you need to ask yourself: Did I match my greens to my dressing? Delicate arugula won't hold up to bold, creamy Caesar dressing. Kale overpowers a light balsamic vinaigrette. Like wines, match the bold with the bold, and the light with the light. Second, try to strike the perfect balance of dressing and salad. Overdressing your salad makes it a soggy mess, while underdressing will leave something to be desired. Add dressing little by little—tasting as you go—to make sure you get the perfect amount.

5. Where Are Those Salad Tongs?

The best tool you can use for mixing salad is: Your hands. Bear with us, here: A salad should be light and airy—even if it's made with hearty greens and a creamy dressing—and handled with a gentle touch. Using your hands to toss allows air to get into your mix and incorporates your ingredients in a more distributed way. Here's our preferred way: Drizzle your dressing along the walls of your bowl, then lightly toss your greens until the dressing is evenly distributed. No bruised or crushed leaves here!

6. Toss It All Together!

Sometimes, it's best to leave some ingredients out until the last minute. We like adding in some of the heavy ingredients for the toss—like nuts, seeds, tomatoes, peas, and other bulky add-ins that sink to the bottom—then topping the salad with the rest post-toss. Your guests will get to see everything that's in the salad, and it's easier to get a little bit of everything when there's stuff on top. Also, toss your greens in dressing before adding herbs: their delicate flavor will shine through much more when they're the outermost layer.

RECIPE: TOFU AND ESCAROLE SOUP

6 Servings

30 minutes or fewer

Don't be fooled into thinking that a great-tasting homemade soup needs long, slow cooking to prepare. This satisfying soup is ready in just 15 minutes.

·                                 2 tsp. olive oil

·                                 1 small onion, finely chopped

·                                 6 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced

·                                 7 cups vegetable broth

·                                 5 cups chopped escarole

·                                 1 9-oz. pkg. mushroom tortellini or tortelloni, cooked (I substitute a lb. of tofu that I press for 20 minutes)

·                                 grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1.                             In large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes.

2.                             Add broth and bring to a simmer. Add escarole and cook 2 minutes. Add cooked tortellini and heat through. Serve hot, sprinkled with Parmesan if desired.

RECIPE: Escarole with Kalamata Olives

1 head Escarole

4-6 anchovies packed in olive oil

2-3 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup or more Kalamata Olives, pitted and roughly chopped

Dry white wine/red wine/stock or a mixture

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt, Pepper, Red Pepper

Lemon and Parmesan (optional)

1. Tear escarole from head and rinse thoroughly.

2. Sautée 3-6 anchovies with extra virgin olive oil until anchovies begin to melt. Omit this step if desired.

3. Add sliced or chopped garlic and sautée until fragrant.

5. Add roughly chopped kalamata olives and sautée until fragrant.

4. Add escarole and season with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper.

5. Add 1/2 a cup or more of dry white wine, dry red wine, stock or a mixture of the two. Cook greens on low until soft.

6. Finish with a squeeze of lemon or Parmesan cheese and serve.

Alternate: Serve as bruschetta with grilled bread. Substitute cannellini beans for olives and serve with short pasta.

Escarole and Beans

Escarole and Beans

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 large heads escarole
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 (16 ounce) cans cannellini beans, undrained
• 3 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Toss in escarole, turning to coat with oil. Season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes, or until tender.
2. In a separate skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Stir in garlic. Pour in beans with juices, and simmer until creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in escarole and parsley; simmer 10 minutes more.

Escarole with sausage and white beans-feeds a crowd!

1. escarole with sausage and white beans
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 Italian sausages (about 3 pounds), casings removed
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped prosciutto (about 2 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1 large head escarole, chopped (about 10 cups)
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 4 15-ounce cans Great Northern beans, rinsed, drained
• 1 cup chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sauté sausage until cooked through, breaking up with back of spoon, about 6 minutes per batch. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to bowl, leaving drippings in pot. Reduce heat to medium; add onion to pot and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add prosciutto and sauté 1 minute. Mix in garlic and crushed red pepper. Add escarole and sauté until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add wine and cook 2 minutes. Add beans, stock and sausage and simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to large bowl. Top with grated Parmesan, if desired.

easy escarole!

saute escarole in olive oil and garlic. Finish with a drop of pepper, salt and freshly ground pepper!

TIPS: Escarole

Escarole is a variety of endive whose leaves are broader, paler and less bitter than other members of the endive family. Like radicchio, kale and chard, escarole is a hearty green that thrives late into the growing season. The heart of an escarole head is less bitter because the leaves haven't gotten as much sunlight. High in folic acid, fiber, and vitamins A and K, escarole can be eaten raw or gently cooked.

Storage:

Wrap unwashed escarole in paper towels and store in an unsealed plastic bag in the refrigerator for 4-7 days.

Washing:

Fill a large bowl or dishpan with cold water.  Add greens and swirl around vigorously. All the dirt and sand will sink to the bottom.  Lift greens out of basin and into a salad spinner or colander.  Spin greens to dry or drain as best you can and dry on towels.

General Cooking Tips:

Escarole is most often used in soups and salads.  Escarole has crisp leaves with a rather sharp, bitter taste, and should be mixed with other greens when used in salads. The inner leaves are more tender and less bitter. Escarole also pairs well in salads with fruit (pears, apples, figs, etc), and strong flavored cheeses.  You can also saute escarole and combine it with pasta and roasted vegetables.

 

 

RECIPE: Escarole and Radish Salad with Vinaigrette

Difficulty Level: EASY

Ingredients:

3 anchovies

1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
5 tablespoons olive oil
Small bunch radishes
1/2 large head escarole

1. To make the vinaigrette, chop the anchovies finely and put them in a medium bowl. Add the vinegar, a good pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper and whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly to emulsify the dressing. Set aside.

2. Scrub the radishes under running water and trim off the tops and tails. Slice them into thin matchsticks (you should have about 1 cup julienned radish). Put in a large salad bowl.

3. Clean and dry the escarole and slice it into 1/2-inch ribbons (you should have about 5 cups). Add to the salad bowl.

4. Toss about two-thirds of the dressing with the salad, taste and add more if you like. Serve immediately.

RECIPE: General Greens Tip

Easy Tip: 

Sautee your dark greens -- kale, collards, escarole -- at the beginning of the week and use it all week for quick and easy weeknight meals, like a whole wheat pizza, frittata, or panini.

 

 

 

Submitted by Erin Hotchkiss

RECIPE: Warm Shrimp and Escarole Salad

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons drained capers, chopped
8 radishes, trimmed, quartered
1 1/4 pounds large shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 head of escarole, torn into large pieces (about 10 cups)
3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add anchovies and cook, mashing with the back of a spoon, until anchovies dissolve and a paste forms, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and capers; cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant but not brown, about 1 minute.

Increase heat to medium-high. Add radishes and cook, tossing often, until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add shrimp; cook, tossing occasionally, until just cooked through, about 4 minutes.

Add half of escarole and toss until beginning to wilt, about 1 minute. Add remaining escarole and toss until wilted, about 1 minute more. Remove from heat.

Add Parmesan and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper; toss to combine.

Submitted by Judy Plows

RECIPE: Escarole Salad

2 anchovies packed in oil, minced

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

¼ red onion minced

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

4 cups bite-sized pieces escarole

 

Blend first 5 ingredients in a blender until smooth.

With blender on a low speed, add olive oil in a gentle stream and blend until completely emulsified.

Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Toss dressing with escarole and serve immediately.

RECIPE: Roasted Vegetable Salad with Sherry Dressing

Ingredients

For the vegetables:
2 TBSP vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, quartered
1 small onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 small carrots, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 small celery root, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the salad and dressing:
1/2 lb. hardy greens (spinach, kale, or escarole), stemmed if necessary
1 tsp chopped fresh marjoram
1 tsp chopped fresh sage
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
About 1 oz. shaved or grated Parmesan cheese


Roast the vegetables:
Heat the oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, toss the oil, garlic, onion, carrots, potatoes, sweet potato, celery root, salt, and pepper to coat the vegetables well. Spread them out in one layer on rimmed baking sheets and roast, stirring frequently, until tender and brown, 25 to 30 min.

Make the salad and dressing:
When the vegetables are almost finished, put the greens in a large stainless steel mixing bowl; set aside. (If you don’t have a stainless bowl, see below.) In a small bowl, whisk the herbs, vinegar, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle half the dressing (reserve the rest) over the greens and set the bowl over a burner heated to medium. With tongs, toss the greens in the bowl over the heat just until the greens begin to wilt.

(If you don’t have a stainless bowl, heat half the dressing, reserving the rest, in a small saucepan and toss it with the greens in a mixing bowl off the heat.)

Add the hot cooked vegetables to the greens and toss well. Distribute the salad among four plates, top with the Parmesan, and drizzle on the remaining dressing or pass it at the table. Serve warm.

RECIPE: Greens and Bulgur Gratin

From Gourmet

Serves 4 as a main course or 6 as a side dish

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coarse bulgur

2 pounds assorted greens such as kale, collard, escarole, spinach, Swiss chard, and/or mustard greens

6 large garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 1 ounce)

6 ounces chilled whole-milk or part-skim mozzarella, grated coarse

For topping

1/2 cup fine fresh breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon olive oil

Procedure:

1. In a heatproof bowl pour enough boiling water over bulgur to cover by 1 inch. Cover bowl with a plate to trap steam and let stand 20 minutes. Drain bulgur in a large fine sieve, pressing out excess liquid, and transfer to a bowl.

2. Keeping each variety of green separate, tear greens into bite-size pieces, discarding stems. Still keeping greens separate, wash thoroughly by dunking in a sinkful of water and transfer to a colander to drain.

3. Put coarser greens (kale or collard) in a 4 1/2- to 5-quart kettle and steam in water clinging to leaves, covered, over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 4 minutes. Add delicate greens (escarole, spinach, Swiss chard, and/or mustard) to coarse greens and steam, covered, stirring occasionally, until just wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain greens in colander, pressing out excess liquid.

4. In a large heavy skillet cook garlic in oil over moderate heat,stirring, until softened but not golden. Stir in greens and bulgur and season generously with salt and pepper. Stir in Parmesan and remove skillet from heat.

5. Preheat oven to 400°F and lightly oil a 1 1/2-quart gratin dish or other shallow baking dish.

6. Spread half of greens mixture in dish and sprinkle evenly with mozzarella. Spread remaining greens mixture over mozzarella and smooth top with a rubber spatula. Gratin may be prepared up to this point 8 hours ahead and chilled, covered.

Make topping


7. In a small bowl with a fork stir together breadcrumbs and oil until crumbs are evenly moistened.

8. Sprinkle topping over greens mixture and bake in middle of oven 30 minutes, or until bubbling and top is browned lightly.

RECIPE: Bitter Greens with Sweet Onions and Tart Cheese

from The Vegetable Dishes I Can’t Live Without by Mollie Katzen

Note: I recommend a combination of kale, escarole or chard, and mustard greens to collaborate with the pungent flavor of the cheese.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

3 cups sliced onion (a sweet variety, such as Vidalia, if available)

3 large bunches fresh greens, stemmed if necessary, and coarsely chopped (about 12 cups)

Salt, to taste

Up to 1 cup feta cheese or ricotta salata, crumbled

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Procedure:

1. Place a large, deep skillet over medium heat. After about a minute, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the onions and sauté over high heat for about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and let the onions cook until very tender, about 10 more minutes.

2. Add the greens in batches, sprinkling very lightly with salt after each addition and turning them with tongs, bringing up the wilted ones from the bottom to the top of the pile.

3. When all the greens have wilted, stir in the cheese, and cook for just about 2 minutes longer.

4. Transfer to a platter and grind on a generous amount of black pepper. Serve hot or warm, on or next to pasta or grains, or by itself.

Submitted by Ann Tilley

Ann’s notes: This is one of our very favorite things to do with all the varieties of bitter greens we get from Chubby Bunny, plus it uses feta for those with the cheese share. Use caution salting the greens if you are using feta which can be quite salty. We have found this to be delicious using any kind of onions we have on hand including red onions.

RECIPE: Greek Country Salad

From Gourmet January 2001

Ingredients:

For dressing

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon honey

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

For salad

1/2 lb escarole (preferably pale inner leaves), chopped (4 cups)*

1/4 lb tender young mustard greens, trimmed and finely chopped (2 cups)*

1/2 lb dandelion greens, tough stems discarded and leaves cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices (2 cups)

2 oz baby spinach (2 cups)

1 cup watercress sprigs, trimmed

1/2 cup chopped fresh dill

1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion

Procedure:

Make dressing:
Whisk together lemon juice, salt, and honey in a large salad bowl and add oil in a slow stream, whisking until blended.

Make salad:
Add salad ingredients to dressing and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

(* Try substituting the lettuce from our shares for the escarole, and the komatsuna for the mustard greens!)

RECIPE: Wilted Winter Greens & Black-Eyed Peas

Adapted from Eating Well In Season

Serves 4 Ingredients: 4 ounces dried black-eyed peas (2/3 cup)

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 pound greens, such as collards, kale and/or escarole, trimmed, washed and sliced crosswise into ¼-inch-wide strips

½ tablespoon canola oil

1 ounce country ham or prosciutto, diced (about ¼ cup)

1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar, or to taste

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Soak peas overnight in cold water. Drain the peas, rinse well and place in a large saucepan. Add water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 45 minutes. Add salt. Let sit, covered, for ½ hour, then drain and rinse.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add ham (or prosciutto) and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Lower heat to medium; add the greens and cook, stirring constantly, until tender, 20 to 30 minutes, adding water as necessary to keep from sticking. Once greens are tender, add the reserved black-eyed peas and heat through.

3. Season with vinegar, salt and pepper and serve.

NOTE: This is really good with collard greens.

Contributed by Lisa Bretherick