Baby veggies on greens

Baby veggies on sautéed greens with carrot sauce

I love to cook with organic foods. Having my own garden makes it easy. This year, I am trying to extend my garden past October by growing winter-hardy greens, lettuces, spinach and more.

I enjoy using my garden produce to make many of my favorites but sometimes I challenge myself to create something different. It's like my own Iron Chef competition against myself.

Here's my latest challenge. What do I create from these veggies: Tuscan kale, baby carrots, baby rutabagas, Swiss chard, onions and cilantro?

Answer: Baby Veggies on Sautéed Greens with Carrot Sauce

Here's what you need for two servings:

6 baby rutabagas (mine were really little)
6 baby carrots (ditto here on being small)
2 small zucchinis (yellow and green, if possible)
bunch of kale and Swiss Chard (probably about 1/2 bunch of each, if purchased)
1 onion
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 T. olive oil
salt and pepper
carrot sauce recipe (below)
Optional: 2 servings of quinoa
Vegan: add 2 T. of seed or nut butter, such as sunbutter or tahini
Non-vegan: add roasted whitefish such as black cod

Here's what you do:

Scrub and wash all your veggies. Trim off the tops of the baby veggies but leave a nice green stem. Cut onion into thin slices. If baby carrots or rutabagas are large, cut lengthwise into smaller pieces and peel. Leave skins on small carrots and rutabagas. Cut zucchinis into matchstick pieces. Steam the carrots, rutabagas and zucchinis until tender. Sautee the greens in the olive oil with 1/2 of the onion slices. Season with salt and pepper and stir in seed or nut butter of your choice for the vegan option.

If non-vegan, season your fish with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Cook on the grill until done.

To serve, place greens on plate. (Or start with optional quinoa first.) Arrange veggies on top. Spoon on the carrot sauce. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Carrot Sauce:

Here's what you need:

1 carrot, peeled and steamed
1/4-1/2 cup reserved liquid from steamed carrot
1/4 tsp. garlic granules
Juice of 1 lime
1 T. sunbutter or your choice of seed or nut butter
salt and pepper
1 tsp. cumin
Optional: 1/2 tsp. ginger, chopped cilantro
1/2 onion, sautéed

Here's what you do:

Steam your carrot. Reserve some of the carrot broth. Sautee the onion. Place everything in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add more carrot broth to thin.

XOXOXO from Bailey, our adopted fur kid

What shall I make next with my veggies? What are you cooking from your garden?

Recipe submitted to: http://www.rickiheller.com/2013/09/wellness-weekend-september-5-9-2013/#more-20578