We love this time of year when our gardens are bursting with fresh produce! And those of you lucky enough to have planted some of the bitter greens are reaping the rewards! We blogged about the health benefits of bitter greens last year (including the fact they have tons of vitamins and minerals, can reduce food cravings and are great for digestion and the microbiome). But what if you don’t love the bitter taste? Let’s look at some of the current Yard2Kitchen Organic Gardens plantings (Thai basil, kale, arugula, endive, and radicchio), and a few tips and recipes to make your bitters taste better!
General Tips
- Steam or cook the greens to reduce bitterness and enhance digestibility.
- Add fat, such as olive oil, bacon or other meaty drippings to help tame their flavor.
- Mellow the flavor with salt and acids (like vinaigrettes, vinegars, or citrus juices).
- Massage bitters such as kale to release bitterness. Just rub them between your hands until they look a little wilted and darker green.
Use Thai Basil for a restaurant-quality meal
- Thai basil has a mildly spicy licorice or anise seed flavor. It is often used to make a popular Thai restaurant classic, Thai basil chicken (pad krapow gai). The addition of the oil, and the heating of the basil helps blend the flavors with other ingredients to make a delicious meal that can be ready in less than 30 minutes. Thai Basil Chicken Recipe
Kale: the breakfast of champions (and Beyoncé!)
- Did you know that Beyoncé loves plant-based diets and is all about this kale breakfast salad recipe? Blanch the kale first to reduce the bitterness. Then add the sweet (maple syrup) and the citrus (lime, grapefruit, orange) to increase the “yum” factor and get your day off to a healthy start! Kale Breakfast Salad Recipe
Arugula meets its match with a fabulous dressing
- Sometimes a good dressing is all you need to mellow out the bitters. This salad recipe has a chunky cashew pesto made with sharp, pungent Västerbotten cheese that results in a unique and robust umami flavor. Arugula and Cashew Pesto Salad Recipe
Bring on the butter to tame the endive
- Endive makes a great little appetizer or side dish in this recipe. Sear the endives to mellow the flavor but retain some crispness, and then top them with a homemade balsamic butter, for further palate pleasing. Sauteed Endive with Balsamic Butter Recipe
Radicchio with pasta? Yes, please!
- Add some color and flavor to your pasta with radicchio! The fresh, crunchy, bright purple leaves add a unique and delicious bitter undertone that can be mellowed by soaking and cooking the vegetable. The addition of goat cheese and some parmesan also balance out the flavor for a delectable meal. Radicchio Pasta Recipe
So bon appetit! We hope this gives you some fresh ideas to try with your bitter greens this summer! And as always, if you have questions or are interested in having your own backyard organic vegetable garden, please Contact Us. We are currently taking orders for fall gardens.