The Kitchen Table meets Turnip Greens

Looking for inspiration for our inagural class at The Kitchen Table we had several important priorities to meet. Our goal is to celebrate the art of cooking while learning new skills or new ways of preparing familiar foods. Keeping our selections seasonal and fresh actually makes the above priorities easier to reach.

The friends who will gather at The Kitchen Table tomorrow will work with one of the lowliest yet most nutrious foods in season now, turnip greens. Turnip greens like thier cousins, mustard greens and kale are nutrient dense and are an extremely healthy food to add to your diet. They are an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, phosphate, iron, calcium and folate.

To really celebrate the goodness of turnip greens we wanted to provide the class with the freshest possible produce. We went to Tracy Hansen's wonderful farm and picked our greens. Though Tracy can not advertise her produce as organic (too many governmental hoops to jump) she does not spray or use harmful artifical fertilizer in her garden. The greens in Tracy's garden are lovely. She has four different varieties all grown from heirloom seeds. If the only winter greens you have eaten have come from a large plastic bag in the produce section of WalMart or a restaurant offering you are going to wonder what you have been eating and calling it 'greens'. Freshly picked winter greens are amazingly good. Tracy sells her greens at the Bean's Creek Farmer's Market held every Thursday afternoon from 3-6pm) and  believe me they are worth the trip.

We prefer to  prepare  turnip greens simply in order to fully appreciate their taste. After the greens are washed we saute them for just a couple of minutes in a small amount of extra virgin olive oil until they are wilted down. The color is fantastic and the taste is wonderful. The greens are tender with a slight bite. Yummy.
The class will also work with plums, broccali and quinoa.


*Please call for information about upcoming weekly classes at The Kitchen Table. Tomorrow night's class is filled  but we will be cooking next week as well. Call early to make a reservation (728-5043). We would love to have you at our Kitchen Table.

The Kitchen Table is a culinary experience that celebrates  seasonal foods. We meet each Thursday evening from 7-9pm at the Munn house. Class space is limited to 5 students. The cost for class is $10. We are happy to arrange a special occasion class for you and your friends.