Proof That Taste Buds Change

When I was younger there's no way I would've eaten greens.  Mustard greens, Collard Greens, Kale, Swiss Chard?  Forget about it.  I think I tried them, but did not like them.  I don't know what happened.  At some point I got bit by the "gardening" bug and haven't found much in that garden that I won't eat.  Green, leafy stuff of all types are coming in right now by the bushels.  Here's a typical daily basket of the good stuff that Tricia harvested:

I had a serious hankering for some mustard greens over homemade cornbread.  Not just any cornbread, but cornbread made with buttermilk and Anaheim peppers.  First you have to cook down some chopped mustard greens.  At first it looks like the skillet isn't big enough.

But that changes quickly as it starts to cook down.  We add a little bacon and some onions as it cooks.

Notice something in the bottom of the skillet?  Pot liquor.  This is the liquid left over when cooking down greens.  Not only is it good, it's good for you.  Filled with Vitamin A and C and iron.  If you spoon some of that over the cornbread and let it soak it all up, well, that's some mighty fine eating right there.  Here's a plate of the good stuff:

This is a better picture as you can see the cornbread under the pile of mustard greens.

This is simple, yet delicious, country food.  I would have never eaten this as a kid, but now?  I look forward to it.  The whole skillet was wiped out in two sittings.  Time to go to the garden and fill another basket!

A Satisfying and Hearty Meal from the Garden

The day started out warm and overcast with a little fog.  Soon it cleared up somewhat, but a front was on the way, bringing with it winds, darkened clouds full of rain, and cooler temperatures.  I decided to get out to the garden to get some things done and to harvest a few items.  First, I said hi to the dragonfly by the garden and sent him on his way to eat mosquitoes.

With cooler weather coming, I put my order in with the "kitchen" that some homemade cornbread with fresh mustard greens spooned over it would be hearty and delicious.  Tricia and the boys aren't crazy about mustard greens, so I just have a small patch growing.  The mustard greens are young and tender and should be ideal for cooking.

We picked a nice bundle of mustard greens and Tricia took them inside to clean them up and prepare them for supper.

I almost forgot.  I picked 3 vine ripened tomatoes, too.  They were beautiful and almost blemish-free.  The fall crop of tomatoes is always the prettiest, but I think we're going to run out of time and the first frost is going to claim the crop before many more ripen.  But we'll see what happens. 

Tricia cooked the mustard greens down.  I asked her to leave the stems on these.  The leaves are young so the stems should be tender enough to eat.  At the bottom of the pot is the pot liquor.  Pot liquor is the 'broth' left over from cooking down the greens and it is healthy for you.  I like to pour a spoonful over my cornbread along with some greens on top.

So that's just what I did.  The rain and cool weather blew in and a nice meal of rice & gravy with potatoes, carrots, and fresh roast from our Jersey bull we had processed, with sides of oven "fried" okra and then cornbread soaked in pot liquor with mustard greens on top hit the spot!

Here is the money-shot!

Bon appetit!

A Hankering for Some Good Southern Cooking

I've had a 'hankerin' for some good Southern cooking for a while now as I've watched our mustard greens get large and leafy.  Mustard greens served over some hot, fresh cornbread is a delicacy and will satisfy that desire.  So I asked Tricia to make some homemade cornbread and get the skillet ready and I'd do the rest.

I went to the garden and pulled a big bunch of mustard greens (along with a head of purple cauliflower), brought them inside and washed up the leaves.  Little bugs, dirt, worms and other critters like the mustard leaves almost as much as I do, so you have to make sure you've cleaned them up good.  Once cleaned, we strip the leaves off the stem.

Mustard greens cleaned and stripped from the stems

Once the skillet is nice and hot, we drop some butter in to coat the bottom of the pan and drop the greens in the skillet, adding some water to cook them.  Of course some salt and pepper is added as well.

Fresh greens in the skillet

I peeked in the oven as I smelled the rich, intense fragrance of cornbread that was wafting through the kitchen, beckoning family members to the supper table.  It was golden brown and done!

Homemade Cornbread

We all lined up at the stove top, cutting nice big slices of cornbread and putting a link or two of smoked sausage on the plate.  Some might put their mustard greens on the side, but I like to spoon my greens over the cornbread, allowing the pot liquor to saturate the cornbread.  Pot liquor is the broth of the mustard greens that is left in the bottom of the pot.  It is rich in vitamins and nutrients and borders on a sinful act, if you pour it down the drain.

Fresh mustard over cornbread alongside smoked sausage - Now we're talking!

I learned that some vitamins (like Vitamin C) and minerals in fresh greens are water soluble, meaning that cooking them leeches them out into the water that you cook them in.  If you throw it out, you are almost defeating the purpose of eating fresh greens. With that being said, you might get the idea that this is something you must eat because it's good for you.  Well, of course, but better than that - it's GOOD!  A delicious meal that satisfied my hankering - why, that's a little slice of heaven right there!