African Stew Spices Up Chard

Rinsing chard (yellow stems) and beet greens (red stems) for the African pineapple stew.

It’s been several weeks since I last had a taste of that yummy African stew that Joyce introduced me to. The dish combines greens (of all kinds) with crushed pineapple, peanut butter, cilantro, onions and garlic. A very hearty main dish that’s substantial enough to pair with wild rice.

I recently discovered that the recipe is also included in the famous Moosewood cookbook by Mollie Katzen. You can find many variations of the recipe online.

Here’s one from a blog called “Fat Free Vegan Kitchen“:

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African Pineapple Peanut Stew

1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1-2 bunches kale (4-8 cups sliced)
2 cups undrained canned crushed pineapple, in juice (20-ounce can)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup chopped parsley
salt to taste
crushed skinless peanuts
chopped scallions

Prepare the kale by washing it and removing the large center stem from each leaf. Stack the leaves on a cutting board and slice them into one-inch thick slices.

In a large, covered wok or Dutch oven (non-stick preferred), sauté the onions for about 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic, and stir for another minute.Add the pineapple and its juice to the onions and bring to a simmer. Stir in the kale, cover, and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring a couple of times, until just tender. Mix in the peanut butter, Tabasco, and parsley and simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt to taste, and serve topped with crushed peanuts and scallions, over rice or other grain. (This makes about 4 servings.)

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I used the beet greens from the red beets of two weeks ago, in addition to the beet greens from last week’s yellow beets. To that, I added an entire bag of Trader Joe’s “a chard of many colors.”

If you look at beet greens, they look like chard. That’s because beets are related to chard. I just learned that from reading “The Edible Salad Garden” by Rosalind Creasy. I bought the book eight years ago. Now that I have my own house and am settling down, I’m finally in a position to put the book’s material into practice.

So colorful and beautiful. The chard and beet greens sit ready for stewing.

Authentic Arugula

Lifeless arugula from Trader Joe's languishes at the front of photo. CSAs arugala, in the back, promises more flavor and freshness. Trader Joe's new "wild arugula" product (not shown) is just as good as that from the CSA.

Trader Joe’s has very literally come up to the plate with REAL arugula flavor. It’s the taste I fell in love with when I first experienced arugula in the early 1990’s while visiting my sister in Manhattan. Since then, the herb’s popularity has exploded. The explosion introduced mass-produced varieties that would have never gained my affection. After all, who could fall in love with a coarse, cardboard-tasting salad green?

Trader Joe’s new “wild arugula” product takes me back to those days of first discovery, which included the novelty and excitement of the Big Apple and Bloomingdale’s.

My husband first brought the wild arugula home to eat with the pizza margherita we ordered for the evening. Since our trip to the Balkans, we’ve been eating all pizza topped with fresh arugula. I was skeptical, especially because we had just enjoyed wild arugula as part of our pricey brunch at the W Hotel in Westwood (yes, out on the pool deck that you often see in the popular series “Entourage”). The verdict? Surprisingly on target with flavor and texture. Two thumbs up for Trader Joe’s new wild arugula!