Valley Bounty, April 27: Spring Greens

Abundant local greens are one of the best signs of spring. Farmers’ markets are opening across the Valley, and they will be packed with spinach, mesclun, arugula, and baby lettuces, kale, chard, and Asian greens. Start with a green salad, then consider greens on pasta, poached eggs with greens, or sautéed greens (try them with garlic, or with raisins and pine nuts, or sesame oil and sesame seeds).

Web extras

Find your local Farmers’ Market here. Remember that this page is packed with information—you’ll find the market’s opening day listed under the regular day of the week and time. You can sort the list by proximity to your zip code (at the bottom), or by day of the week, payment method, or by whether or not the market is open in the next week (all in the left-hand column).

Recipes

Sauteed greens and poached eggs is one of my favorite breakfast and lunch options. I slice up an onion and cook it slowly until it’s brown and sweet, then add whatever greens I have and cook until they wilt. You can add a little liquid—water, wine, balsamic vinegar—so they steam. Make a hole in the greens and drop in an egg, then turn to low and cover the pan. I like it when the greens are a little burnt and crispy on the bottom and the eggs are cooked through but still soft. As the season progresses you can add all kinds of things to this dish—asparagus, tomatoes, summer squash.

Here are some more recipes for greens from local farms:

• Asian Flavored Vinaigrette from the Kitchen Garden

• Greens and Pasta from Brookfield Farm Recipes

• Sesame Sauté with Pea Tendrils, Leeks, and Bok Choy  from Red Fire Farm