By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, Intuitive Cooking Expert, and Award-Winning Cookbook Author
For the last 13 weeks I’ve had the honor and opportunity to create recipes with the beautiful food grown by urban farmer Billy Anthony at the Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm at South Mountain, located about a half mile from my home in Phoenix, Arizona. I’ve been visiting The Farm since 2005 and always love the beauty of the seasonal produce, flowers, and herbs growing.
This Winter I’m loving the variety of greens growing at The Farm; some mild, some grassy, and some spicy. It’s fun to mix and match with the greens to create a simple side dish.
Let’s take a look at the beauty of The Farm this Winter.
The Farm at South Mountain. Soil & Seed Garden. January 2019 Morning.
The Farm at South Mountain. Soil & Seed Garden. Beautiful edible flowers.
Now, let’s take a look at The Farm’s Winter CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)
The Farm at South Mountain Winter CSA
Specialty Greens Di Cicco Broccoli Orange Sauté RECIPE
In awe of the beauty of the greens and di cicco broccoli grown by urban farmer Billy Anthony at the Soil & Seed Garden. With fresh sage and navel orange, this dish is simple, warming, sweet, savory, and delicious.
Mise en Place…
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
- 1 bunch di cicco broccoli
- 3-4 stems Hon Tsai Tai
- 3-4 stems Purple Orach
- 5-7 fresh sage leaves
- 1 navel orange, juiced and zested
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch sea salt
Mise en Place: Greens & Di Cicco Broccoli Navel Saute
SIMPLE STEPS
- Pre-heat sauté pan on medium.
- Add oil to coat bottom of the pan.
- Add sage leaves to the pan and cook for about 1 minute.
Fresh Sage in the Saute Pan
- Add broccoli leaves, florets, and stalk to pan and sauté for a minute.
- Add Hon Tsai Tai to pan and sauté for a minute.
Add greens one by one, and gently saute for about a minute.
- Add Purple Orach to pan and sauté for another minute.
- Squeeze orange juice and a pinch of sea salt onto the greens.
- Sauté all greens for another minute.
- Plate with orange zest and raw greens.
- Enjoy!
Greens & Di Cicco Broccoli Orange Saute
GET TO KNOW: Di Cicco Broccoli, Hon Tsai Tai, and Purple Orach
Di Cicco Broccoli. Beautiful Italian heirloom small (3-4”) bluish-green broccoli. Great raw or lightly sauted.
Di Cicco Broccoli, Soil & Seed Garden, The Farm at South Mountain
Hon Tsai Tai. Chinese specialty with purple stems and budded yellow flowers. Mild mustard taste which works well raw in salads or gently cooked in sautés or soups.
Hon Tsai Tai, Soil & Seed Garden, The Farm at South Mountain
Purple Orach. Beautiful deep purple mountain spinach, with large, spade-shaped leaves. Adds color and beauty to salads and sautés.
Purple Orach, Soil & Seed Garden, The Farm at South Mountain
TOP 5 TIPS TO SAUTE GREENS PERFECTLY EVERY TIME
- Choose a variety of greens. Different shapes and colors. Some mild, some bitter.
- Pre-heat the saute pan prior to adding the oil.
- Add a pinch of salt when sauteing to bring out the flavor in the greens.
- Add citrus – orange, lemon, or grapefruit – to add contrasting acid to the dish.
- Only cook greens for a few minutes. Enjoy them with a little crunch.
Purchase Melanie Albert’s award-winning cookbook, “A New View of Healthy Eating: Simple Intuitive Cooking with Real Whole Foods”
COOKING CLASSES AT THE FARM AT SOUTH MOUNTAIN IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA
Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.
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