greens, seeds and herbs oh my

This winter we've been cooking a lot of greens and eating lots of seeds and cold hardy herbs.  You can see Alchemy has been  harvesting. Her favorite thing to do on a sunny winter day is to gather various plants in her baskets and pretend to cook them in her own special way.  Here are a couple of recipes you might want to try this season.

Mediterranean style Collard and turnip green soup

1 cup of white or pinto beans, cooked

1 bunch of fresh greens, chopped

2 cups chopped onion

3 celery ribs, chopped

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

6 cups of vegetable or chicken stock

1 tablespoon olive oil

Fresh herbs such as thyme, oregano , parsley or cilantro

pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1. On medium heat , put oil in soup pot and add the onions. Give them a little pinch of salt.Next add in your celery, coriander, and cumin seeds. Let simmer , stirring occasionally until onions are transparent.

2. Add your crushed garlic cloves and pour over your veggie/chicken stock. 

3. Add bay leaves and beans.

4. Cook for 1/2 hour on low heat , then add your chopped fresh greens. Let these cook for another 20 minutes. 

5. Season with your favorite fresh herbs  and fresh ground pepper right before serving.

Carrot / Raisin salad with yogurt and seeds

5 freshly dug up carrots

1/3 cup yogurt

1/4 cup maple syrup or raw honey

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

handful of raisins

1. Shred carrots.

2. Mix maple/ honey , raisins, and yogurt and add to shredded carrots.

3. Toast sunflower and coriander seeds in olive oil in a skillet on medium heat until golden brown and aromatic. 

4. let cool a bit then add to carrot mixture.

These are healthy and tasty meals that really celebrate the cool season here in Texas. Enjoy!