Silvia Lehrer’s Cooking Column

Green is everywhere with the sweet smell of lush, freshly cut lawns and the joy of tiny green buds appearing on trees and shrubs. Emerald green is the birthstone for the month of May and my birthdays in May, too – is anyone listening? We read much about the greening of America, in products to clean our homes, at food co-ops and in eco-friendly clothing. However you choose to save the planet, here are recipes to cook at home that get my vote for healthy eating.
Inspired by a recipe for roasting asparagus in a paper bag, I roasted the vegetable in a parchment paper envelope to steam in its own delectable juices of olive oil, lemon zest and lemon slices – yum. I know the aversion some folk have for broccoli rabe because of its characteristic bitterness. Maria Tennariello, Dan‘s Papers Shop Til You Drop fashion writer, provided me with her mom’s broccoli rabe family recipe and I’m delighted to preserve it. It’s assertive punch is tamed by the sweetness of sautéed onion and tomato with a crunchy breadcrumb topping. This leafy green vegetable is low in calories – about 40 per cup, is an excellent source of vitamins A and C, a good source of potassium and low in sodium. My case is made! And verdure saltate – sautéed greens – has to be the ultimate “greens” recipe with several green vegetables in one delicious dish.

ASPARAGUS EN PAPILLOTE
Roasting is my favorite technique for cooking asparagus. Wrapping the vegetable in parchment holds in the fruity oil and lemony seasonings.
Serves 4-6
1 pound medium asparagus
3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse (kosher) salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Grated rind of 1 lemon
1 lemon thinly sliced
Parchment paper
1. Break each asparagus where they naturally bend and discard ends. Trim the points of each spear with a paring knife as they harbor sand. Rinse the vegetable and dry with paper towels.
2. Cut a square of parchment paper to cover the length of a baking sheet. Fold the paper in half. Open the paper and place the asparagus in a single layer alongside the crease. Season with olive oil, salt and pepper, lemon rind and lemon slices to cover. Fold over the top paper to cover the asparagus then cut the corners of the parchment so that you have a heart-shaped package. Starting at the fold, crimp along the edge overlapping the fold as you go along. Can be done ahead to this point.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Bake for 8 minutes. Turn off heat and let package sit in closed oven for 2-3 minutes longer. Open the package along the edges and then slide out the ingredients with a rubber spatula to a warm serving platter, keeping all the seasonings intact. Serve at once.
BROCCOLI RABE WITH TOMATO AND BREAD CRUMBS
This leafy, sparsely budded vegetable is as popular today as spinach. Here its assertive punch is tamed by the sweetness of the onion and tomato.
Serves 4-6
1 large bunch broccoli rabe
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 Bermuda onion, thinly sliced
2-3 garlic cloves cut into paper thin slices
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3-4 anchovy fillets
Coarse (kosher) salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
1/4 cup coarse toasted breadcrumbs
1. Trim broccoli rabe of its heavy base stems, rinse in a colander and soak in fresh cold water for 10-15 minutes. Transfer to a steamer over simmering water in a large pot and put in the broccoli rabe. Cover the pot and steam about 2 minutes, no longer. Remove from heat and drain.
2. Heat two tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet and put in the onion and garlic. Saute the mixture for a few minutes, add pepper flakes and puree the anchovies into the mixture. Put in the steamed broccoli rabe, season lightly with salt (anchovies are salty) but season well with freshly ground pepper to taste, and toss everything to mix. Cook for another minute or two to heat the vegetable through.
2. Transfer to a warm serving platter, top with remaining diced tomato, remaining oil and breadcrumbs. Serve hot.
VERDURA SALTATE
The ultimate “greens” dish, Italian style.
Serves 6-8
1/2 pound green beans trim and halve on the diagonal
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 pound escarole, trimmed, washed and spin dried
1 pound loose spinach, trimmed, washed and spin dried
1/4 pound arugula, trimmed, washed and spin dried
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram leaves
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Grated peel from 1 large lemon
1. Blanch green beans in a large saucepan of boiling water until tender but still firm to the bite, about 3-4 minutes. Drain and quickly refresh under a spray of cool water. Dry on a clean kitchen towel. Can be prepared ahead.
2. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for 20-30 seconds, being careful not to brown. Add escarole and cook two minutes until barely tender. Add spinach and arugula and cook until leaves are wilted, about two minutes, stirring occasionally. Add green beans and marjoram and stir until heated through. Season with salt, pepper and grated lemon peel. Stir to mix and serve at once.