A Pair of Confessions

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

I have two confessions to make.  First, while I dearly love my CSA, I find the first (and last) weeks rather challenging.  By challenging, I mean that the variety of vegetables is rather narrow, consisting largely of greens.  I know greens are good for me, and that, as one of my CSA members pointed out, a little bacon can do wonders.  However, at some point, you start craving variety –in texture, flavor, and even simply color. 

Second – and this only seems unrelated – while I love Mark Bittman and his cookbooks and columns, I find some of his recipes too simple.  I know he is called “The Minimalist” for a reason, but sometimes I think the more accurate title would be “The Incompletist.” 

These two confessions came to a head one recent Sunday when my wife and I were faced with a refrigerator full of kale, swiss chard, spinach, and green onions.  Knowing that the greens would soon be headed for the compost (and feeling extraordinarily guilty about that), we turned to Bittman’s The Best Recipes in the World.  Not surprisingly, given the encyclopedic nature of the book, we found a solution: croquettes.  The fried texture, coupled with the cheese, provided welcome relief from all of the simple, sauteed greens we’d been eating lately.  The recipe seemed simple enough, but we were forced to make several adjustments as we went. 

Early- and Late- Season Croquettes

2 lbs. leaves of mixed greens (Spinach, Kale, Swiss Chard, etc.)
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup cow’s milk cheese, grated (I would use a raw-milk cheddar)
2/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs, plus extra
Salt and Pepper
Oil or butter

1.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Salt the water and then add the greens.  If you are using a mix of greens, add them in order of coarseness (i.e., start with kale, end with spinach).  Cook until just wilted, no more than a minute or ninety seconds.  Drain thoroughly, gently pressing the leaves against the sides of the colander.  Allow the greens to cool, and then roughly chop.
2.  In a mixing bowl, combine the greens, onion, eggs, cheese, pepper, and approximately half of the breadcrumbs.  If the mixture is too wet to form cakes, gradually add more bread crumbs until it is possible to mold the mixture.  Form small patties, roughly the size of a small hamburger, and set aside.
3.  Put a plate in the oven and set the oven to low heat.  Over medium heat, cover the bottom of a cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan with oil or butter.  Add a few of the cakes to the pan, being careful not to overcrowd it.  (The amount of cakes you add depends on the size of the pan.)  Cook for approximately five minutes, or until browned, flip the cakes and cook an additional five minutes to brown the other side.  Remove the cakes to the plate in the oven and continue with the next batch.  Repeat until cakes are cooked.