belgian endive

This week we got the usual lot except some new items we tried were the collard greens and Belgian endive.

 Braised with butter.

 Chopped raw and thrown into our Red Quinoa Beetroot salad.

Hot & Spicy Johnsonville Sausages sauteed with collard greens, Belgian endive and linguine.

fiddlehead ferns

In our continuing quest to savour the taste of Spring from America, this week's shipment is all about seasonal green vegetables; organic lollipop kale, watercress, baby lettuce, and fiddlehead ferns.

Compared to local watercress, this batch from Sausalito, California tasted super fresh and pure. We wouldn't dare eat local watercress raw, but this was definitely great.

The baby lettuce looked and tasted as if it was picked right out of my backyard garden (hypothetically if I had one in HK) instead of having flown 7,000 miles to get here.

We were most looking forward to the fiddleheads, but unfortunately they were too delicate to ship and by the time we got them, they were mottled, brown, and bitter to taste. Such a shame, but at least now we know. Some things really just have to be eaten locally. And if you're reading this while in the US, check out this great recipe here.

wild about ramps

Spring in America signals the arrival of wild ramps. Their availability is very limited and season short-lived. Read New York Magazine's take on this season's crop.

They're quite fragile to ship so we had to trim away some of the leafy ends that were damaged by too much moisture in the packing.

A taste of Spring grass, garlic and onion added to buttered linguine.

They also make a great addition or substitution to Chinese leeks in homemade pork and ramp dumplings. Serve steamed, boiled or fried (like a pot sticker).

why is it called an artichoke...

 ...when it's not an artichoke? I never understood why another name for a sunchoke is Jerusalem artichoke when it has no relation to that place nor is it even an artichoke. But anyway, they're in season now and these are the ones I've seen in the supermarkets around town.

The batch we received weren't nearly as good looking. They were much smaller, mustier, and resembled ginger root that had been sitting on the wet market shelf too long. Perhaps it was because they were organic and didn't ship well all the way from California. Regardless, once they were peeled and cooked they were delicious anyhow. We sauteed some with butter, olive oil and sage until the edges were golden and crispy. They were starchy like a potato, but had a nice crunch inside. Great as a side dish. The remainder we turned into a soup with a recipe that was adapted from Thomas Keller. We substituted Kurobuta pork belly in place of Virginia-Ham Croquettes though.

beetroot

We love the look of candy striped beetroot. When it is sliced raw, the contrasting colours are very sharp and vibrant. This makes a dramatic addition to any salad.

After they're cooked however, the stripes are less obvious and the dark pink and white lines will bleed into one another to create a more even muted tone. We turned this batch into a fresh and healthy quinoa salad.

1 cup cooked red quinoa
4-6 roasted or steamed candy striped beets, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1-2 roasted eggplants, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup basil, torn into pieces
1/4 cup mint, coarsely chopped
1/4 Italian parsley, coarsely chopped

Combine the above ingredients. Toss in 1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper. Chill for 1 hour and serve.