Thursday, May 26, 2011

Mustard Greens and Mushrooms

I picked up some young mustard greens at the Ollin Farms stand at the farmers market. And here's a confession. I don't think I've ever eaten mustard greens before. I can guarantee that I've never cooked with them before.

I like mustard. Okay, to be truthful, I have a bit of a mustard habit. Take me to a store that has a big selection of mustard, and I can stand there agonizing over which one(s) I want to buy, just like some folks get all woozy and happy trying to pick an ice cream flavor.

And greens? I've loved spinach since I was a kid. Weird, right? I love all kinds of green things - broccoli, kale, lettuce, chard, asparagus, lime. Okay, maybe that last one doesn't fit. But you get the idea. I like mustard AND greens.

I have no idea why it took me this long to try mustard greens.

I got a fairly small bunch of young greens, so I knew this wasn't going to be a meal of greens. A quick Internet search for cooking directions showed that they're cooked pretty much like spinach or kale. Nothing fancy - just cook until they're as tender as you like.

I tasted a bit raw, and for sure it had a mustard taste. Not a big bite, probably because they were pretty young. They also didn't seem as bitter as some greens. I don't mind bitter, but I figured that the mildness would give me a little more leeway in my cooking.

I almost added lemon to the greens, but after tasting them, I thought that sour cream would make an interesting addition. It was a great decision. I could eat this as a main dish, but this time I served it as a side.

Mustard Greens and Mushrooms

1/2 medium onion, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 small bunch mustard greens, washed and sliced in 1 inch wide strips
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup sour cream (more if desired)
olive oil, for cooking

Heat the oil in a saute pan and add the onions. Cook, stirring as needed until the onions begin to soften. Add the mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid, and continue cooking until most of that liquid has evaporated again. Add salt to taste.

Add the mustard greens along with whatever water is clinging to the leaves. Cook, stirring often, until the mustard greens are as tender as you like. (Some people seem to like them with a bit of crunch, while others like them more limp. Taste them as you go to see when they're perfect for you.)

Add the sour cream and several generous grinds of black pepper. Stir to coat the mushrooms and greens with the sour cream. Serve hot.
Yum

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I've never had mustard greens. This looks so good with the mushrooms and creamy sauce :)

Post a Comment

I love to hear from you! Thanks for commenting!