Well, I didn’t want to say “salad” or “lettuce” because that would immediately limit your ideas on what you should and shouldn’t use and grow, when the whole point is to open your mind right up when it comes to the beautiful and tasty things you can incorporate into your cooking.
RECIPES
ROSE-GERANIUM-STEWED BLUEBERRIES WITH CREAMED RICE PUDDING
SPINACH, MUSTARD GREENS & BAKED RICOTTA CHEESE
THE MRS’ SWISS CHARD & FETA PIE
Everyone, and I do mean everyone, can grow their own salad leaves. If you have an entire acre or just a window box, there is no excuse for not growing a few different varieties, and you’ll see just how much they will enliven your salad-eating experience.
The first recipe I have included in this chapter tells you to go to your garden and pick yourself a beautiful fresh salad. But what exactly should you pick?
For example, when we think of lettuce leaf we think … What? Iceberg? Well, it’s boring, but it’s a start. How about romaine, arugula, English spinach, Belgian endive, mustard greens, mache, cresses, Swiss chard, oak, mesclun, mizuna, frisée or romaine? I could go on and on.
And it’s not just about lettuce. How about some of the softer herbs and flowers as well? A little bit of mint or basil can really lift an arugula and red oak salad and give it a wonderful perfume. Then there are parsley and chervil, lovely little herbs with a clean, fresh flavor that complement rather than overpower other leaves. Sorrel adds a lovely lemony flavor, but it can be quite tart so use sparingly, as you would lemon juice.
If you want a splash of color, forage in your plot for some flowers. Cooking with flowers has come back into vogue of late, but it’s an ancient practice that stretches back thousands of years. A fellow called John Evelyn wrote a wonderful book, in 1699, that highlights around 35 different plants, herbs and flowers that can and should be used in the making of “sallets,” as they were then called. He called for the leaves of beets, celery and fennel to be utilized not just the bulbs, and he recommended a simple dressing of sweet herbaceous “oyl,” finest vinegar and salt and pepper. More than 300 years after it was written, it couldn’t be more relevant, and I couldn’t agree with old John more.
Nasturtium flowers are a classic, and a favorite of mine, to add to salads because they are so vivid and their warm bite adds a wonderful peppery taste to a dish—not unlike watercress. But there are so many flowers you can use. Beautiful, purple borage flowers have a wonderful mild cucumber taste. Then there are pansies, violas or violets, even hibiscus and rose petals.
You can use the flowers from various herbs, too, like chive, basil, thyme, mint, sage, rosemary and marjoram. Remember, though, that the flowers will often be stronger and more pungent in flavor than the leaves, so taste first and use your judgment as to how much of these to add.
And there is one more thing that is definitely worth trying. The Italians have been onto it for aeons, and if you venture into any Italian wholesaler or butcher worth their salt, you’ll find there is usually a section devoted to seeds. There’ll be zucchini and herbs, lots of basil, tomatoes and more than a dozen different leaves. These are the ones I really encourage you to try. Anything from the treviso family, like Belgian endive or radicchio, in small amounts, really lifts a salad.
And don’t be scared to wilt and warm salad leaves. A fellow called John Burton Race started a restaurant called L’ortolan in the UK, which went on to achieve two Michelin stars. One of the signature dishes was their salad. When a salad was ordered, he would dress it and then flash it in the oven, just for 5–10 seconds to release the flavors. The leaves were still crisp, but warmed ever so slightly. Think about the difference between eating leaves fresh from the garden, warmed by the sun when their flavor is so intense and compare that to leaves eaten cold, straight from the fridge. Try it.
And let’s not forget the harder flowery herbs that can be used in all matter of things. Think beyond your usual rosemary and thyme to herbs such as pineapple sage, rose geranium and lemon verbena, all of which, fresh or dried, make a splendid herbal tea. I have included a recipe for rose-geranium-stewed blueberries with creamed rice pudding (see recipe) simply because it is delicious, and you can infuse rose geranium into a liquid to poach anything or replace it with any floral herb.
Leaves grow all year round and are great to grow from seed. If you live in a colder climate, start them off in small seed trays. You can also buy a small hotbox to start your seeds for around $20, so I don’t want to hear anyone say they can’t do it! They don’t take up heaps of space and are so diverse.
In summer they will tend to bolt, as everything does with a little water and sun, but especially leaves. The term “bolt” means that the plant will use all its energy to produce flowers and seeds and reproduce itself. To prevent this, keep cutting the middle stalks. This really is worth keeping an eye on as once they have flowered they will use all their energy in growing upwards, instead of producing lovely leaves for you to eat. Don’t worry about harming the plant—you won’t—but if it does bolt, the new leaves will be woody and not as delicate.
To store your leaves don’t use plastic bags as they will cause the leaves to sweat and start to break down really quickly. Wash them, then simply put into a container, covered with some damp paper towels.
Always remember to wash your greens three times. Fill two bowls with water. Drop the leaves into one, then into the other. Empty out the first bowl; refill it with clean cold water, then drop the leaves back in again. There is nothing worse than biting into a salad and getting grit between your teeth; it’s nice for people to know you’ve grown the salad yourself, but there are far more pleasant ways to let them know than with grit.
GO STRAIGHT INTO THE GARDEN AND PICK YOUR OWN SALAD WITH HOUSE VINAIGRETTE
This is quite simply the most tastiest salad there is. Just-picked leaves, herbs and flowers that have been sun-warmed have a miraculous flavor that seems to diminish as each hour passes from the time they were picked, even faster when refrigerated. Don’t despair if you don’t have a garden to grow your own leaves—you can try growing a few things from the list below on your balcony or windowsill. The leaves and flowers I grow and often pick include the following.
WILD ARUGULA LEAVES AND FLOWERS
PARSLEY
PURSLANE
BASIL
CHERVIL
SNOW PEA AND PEA TENDRILS
FAVA BEAN TOPS
VIOLA AND VIOLET FLOWERS
NASTURTIUM FLOWERS AND LEAVES
MIZUNA
MACHE LETTUCE
BABY SPINACH LEAVES
BUTTER AND CORAL LETTUCES
RADICCHIO AND BITTER LEAVES LIKE TREVISO AND DANDELION
BORAGE FLOWERS
MINT
BEET TOPS
RADISH SHOOTS
MARIGOLD FLOWERS
SORREL
I like to toss the leaves lightly with my house vinaigrette (see recipe), or you could try the tarragon emulsion too (see recipe.
ROSE-GERANIUM-STEWED BLUEBERRIES WITH CREAMED RICE PUDDING
SERVES 6
This dish has been a favorite from the day we opened at Pope Joan. I change the fruit to whatever is in season but I always poach the fruit with a little rose geranium, which gives it such a gentle perfumed floral fragrance that works stunningly with the rich creaminess of the rice pudding.
1 ⅓ CUPS FRESH OR FROZEN BLUEBERRIES
½ CUP SUPERFINE SUGAR
1 LEAF AND STALK OF ROSE GERANIUM
⅓ CUP ARBORIO RICE
½ VANILLA BEAN (SEEDS ONLY) 2 CUPS MILK
½ CUP SUPERFINE SUGAR
½ TEASPOON GELATIN POWDER
1 CUP HEAVY CREAM, GENTLY WHIPPED TO SOFT PEAKS
For the stewed blueberries, place the blueberries, superfine sugar and rose geranium in a 8-cup capacity saucepan and place over medium heat. Gently cook for 14–18 minutes or until the blueberries start to break, then take off the stovetop, remove the rose geranium leaf and stalk and refrigerate until needed.
For the creamed rice pudding, place the rice and 4 cups of water in a 8-cup capacity saucepan and bring to a boil, then take off the heat and strain. Put the rice back into the pan and add the vanilla seeds and milk. Place the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15–20 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked or all the liquid has been absorbed. Take off the stovetop and stir in the sugar and gelatin until dissolved. Spread over a tray and refrigerate until set.
Once set, using a spatula, fold through the whipped cream, then pour into a serving dish and place back in the fridge to firm up. This should take 30 minutes.
To serve, take the rice pudding from the fridge, spoon over some of the stewed blueberries and the juices. Kapow! There you have it.
SPINACH, MUSTARD GREENS & BAKED RICOTTA CHEESE
SERVES 4 AS A SIDE
This is the most simple and beautiful side to pork or beef, in fact, any main. I remember vividly the sublime taste and texture of a version of this I had for dinner at my friends’ Jill and Andrew from Glenhora heritage farm. Their version was made with all sorts of goodies from their market garden. At Pope Joan, I have done many a version at times but mainly with nettles and Swiss chard. So with that in mind, you can change the garden leaves to almost anything you have growing. Try it with the tops of beets, broad (fava) bean and pea shoots.
⅔ CUP OLIVE OIL
1 BUNCH ENGLISH SPINACH, LEAVES PICKED, WASHED, SPUN DRY AND ROUGHLY CHOPPED
10½ OUNCES MUSTARD GREENS, WASHED, SPUN DRY AND ROUGHLY CHOPPED
2 SHALLOTS, THINLY SLICED
1 GARLIC CLOVE, THINLY SLICED
¼ TEASPOON FRESHLY GRATED NUTMEG
1 PINCH OF CAYENNE PEPPER
1 BIG PINCH OF FINE SEA SALT
¾ CUP FRESH RICOTTA CHEESE
2 FREE-RANGE OR ORGANIC EGG YOLKS
¾ CUP LIGHT CREAM
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Heat a 12¾ inch diameter skillet over high heat. Add the olive oil and, when hot, throw in the spinach, mustard greens, shallot and garlic and cook, stirring or tossing all the time, until wilted. Take off the heat and mix in the nutmeg, cayenne pepper and salt. Pour into a large bowl and, using a wooden spoon, fold in the ricotta.
Whisk the egg yolks and cream together in a small bowl. Pour into the ricotta mixture and mix well. Transfer to an ovenproof baking dish (measuring 8 inches in diameter) and bake for 20–25 minutes or until the ricotta has puffed up. Take out of the oven and serve immediately.
THE MRS’ SWISS CHARD & FETA PIE
SERVES 4–6 (BUT WE MAKE IT FOR TWO AND EAT THE REST THROUGH THE WEEK FOR SNACKS AND LUNCH)
When I met Sharlee, this was one of the first dishes she made for me and it’s now a regular at our dinner table. It’s quite similar to spanakopita and the Swiss chard can easily be changed to spinach if that’s what you have growing.
⅓ CUP OLIVE OIL
1 BUNCH SWISS CHARD, WASHED AND ROUGHLY CHOPPED
½ TEASPOON FRESHLY GRATED NUTMEG
SEA SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
1 RED ONION, FINELY DICED
2 CUPS FETA CHEESE, CRUMBLED
1 TABLESPOON PINE NUTS
4 FREE-RANGE OR ORGANIC EGGS, BEATEN
5½ TABLESPOONS BUTTER, MELTED
10 SHEETS FILO PASTRY
2 TEASPOONS SESAME SEEDS
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil, Swiss chard and nutmeg, season with salt and pepper and cook for 2–3 minutes or until wilted. You may have to do this process in two batches. Remove from the heat and strain to drain the moisture.
Place the onion, feta and pine nuts in a large bowl and mix well. Add the Swiss chard and mix well to distribute the ingredients evenly. Add the beaten egg and stir to combine.
Take a pie dish (measuring about 9½ × 6½ × 2½ inches) and brush all over with the melted butter. Layer 2 sheets of filo lengthways in the pie dish and brush with the butter, then layer another 2 sheets of filo along the width and brush again with butter. Repeat this process so you have 4 double layers (and 2 sheets of filo remaining).
Spoon the Swiss chard mixture into the pie dish and spread evenly. Fold the overhanging filo over the filling to enclose, alternating between sides, brushing the top of the filo with butter. Place the last 2 sheets on top, tucking in the corners for a smooth finish, brush with butter and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Using a fork, prick the top of the pie several times and bake for 50–60 minutes or until golden. Take out of the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
