Market Matters- Red is the New Greens

Winter is the height of the season in Southern California for many of the greens we all love.

Kale, Spinach, Rapini, Chard, Mustard, Pea Tendrils. You see them this time of year at the market. They are so beautiful, like masterful Baroque still-life paintings of the Dutch Golden Age.  The intensity of detail of these greens can almost be off putting. Intricate shapes, complex gradations of color; thick, lush and vibrant. Cooking with them just makes you feel like an artist.

But if you are able to look past all the variations of green greens, you might notice another type of green entirely. And that green is RED!

You may be familiar with Red Leaf Lettuce. It?s a pretty alternative to the Green Leaf Lettuce you find in your local supermarket. Aside from its striking red blush, it tastes fairly similar to its more common green brother. Though, I swear it gets all black and slimy much quicker than the green guy.

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But unlike green/red leaf lettuce, there are greens at the Farmers Market now that not only differ in their stunning red chromatics?but you will find they have a whole other flavor palate to boot. Perhaps it?s the coloration. I have researched this and cannot find a definitive answer. But, especially among the so-called bitter greens, the red varieties are often milder; sometimes noticeably sweeter. And I mean sweet like honey.

Some say that the autumn leaves that turn red (as opposed to yellow or orange) have a higher sugar content.  I have noticed that deep red beets have a very high sugar content too (sweeter than yellow or orange). Red Life-Savers are sweeter than the green or yellow ones too ? I am sure of that. Do you think it's the same for m&m's?

For this week?s Market Matters  from the Hollywood Farmers Market. I have decided to pick up my favorite of these red beauties and prepare a nice brunch to enjoy on the terrace this sunny Sunday in February.

Green Spinach I know you know. But its red veined cousin is an entirely different creature. It is sweet. Almost dessert sweet. It has a honey taste with nutty spinach undertones. It?s quite remarkable.

I?m not going to sit here and try and explain its flavor. It?s too hard for me. Honey and Nuts-- those are my best descriptors. Besides tasting should be a personal experience all your own. I encourage you to have that experience.

I am a big fan of red spinach. You may have never knowingly tried Red Spinach, but now that you have read this I hope you keep your eyes peeled for it. I have noticed it is used frequently in Indian Foods, so you may have had some as an ingredient in a curry or something. Or you may know it by it?s other common names: Malabar Spinach, Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Vine Spinach, and Malabar Nightshade.

I am using it this week in a recipe I am calling Soft Boiled Eggs with Red Spinach on Toast. It was inspired by Chef John Ash, who does a much more complex version with fennel bulb, watercress and hazelnuts. I am sure his is crazy delicious. But I like to think that the red spinach has more than enough great taste to justify the simplicity I brought to my version. You can have this one the table in 15 minutes!

In case you haven't figured it out this is another great Eggs Benedict stand-in. It's a much lighter version of that classic too. You can't have too many of these recipes in my opinion. We are replacing the fatty ham with the luscious full-mouth taste of walnut oil. I promise you won't miss the meat.

As I said earlier, I used red spinach, which can be hard to find. But it's so much sweeter and nuttier it really defines this dish, so I hope you can get your hands on some. Though regular spinach would be fine. As would most any tender young flavorful green.

Soft Boiled Eggs with Red Spinach on Toast serves 4 CLICK here for a printable recipe

Place the eggs in a small sauce pan and fill it with enough cool water to cover about 1/2-inch. Bring the pan to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 1/2 minutes exactly. This will produce an egg with its white set and its yolk, quite runny. The yolk and squeezed lemon is the sauce in this dish, so do not over cook the eggs. Gently peel them trying to keep the egg in tact. I like them warm for this dish, but you may store them in the refrigerator, covered up to one day.

Add the walnut oil and a big pinch of salt and pepper to a large bowl. Clean and dry the spinach then remove all the thick stems and tear the leaves into big chunks. Add the spinach to the bowl and toss to get it well coated in the oil.

Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat and saute the spinach until it begins to wilt, about 2 minutes. Toss in the lemon juice and adjust seasoning. Remove from the heat and cover the pan a few minutes while you begin to plate the dish.

Place a toast on each of 4 plates. Top each one with 1/4 of the wilted spinach and o peeled, whole soft-boiled egg. Sprinkle each plate with some parmesan and additional salt and pepper. Place a few lemon wedges along side for spritzing. Serve warm.

SERIOUS FUN FOOD

Greg Henry