Spring Farmer's Market Dinner

I turned some of the tasty greens I bought at the Brackendale market from the Good Time Farmers into a very simple, light and satisfying meal. The story is here. I used fresh fava beans (not at all local, but organic), which are a bit time consuming to prepare from fresh but totally worth it. It takes 15-20 minutes to pod the beans, cook them and then take off the second pod. Their pods are very cushy and almost insulated. It is as if they are sleeping in a sleeping bag. You could use canned beans for the job. Edamame will also substitute.

Any dark leafy greens will work as well. Try to get the younger more tender kale and chard or use spinach. Basically use whatever is green, fresh and tasty. The tender greens are a bit sweeter and less bitter than their elders. I only had 1/2 a cup of brown rice so I added 1/2 a cup of arborio rice to make a full cup. I always make at least a cup of rice so I have leftovers for breakfast. I wasn't sure how this experiment would turn out. I really liked it; it was slightly sticky, which I liked. Finally I almost added shallots to this recipe, then I decided against. I kept the flavours light, fresh and simple. Nothing overpowering. Spring Farmer's Market Dinner for Two 1/2 cup brown rice 1/2 cup arborio rice 1 tsp powdered kelp 12 Fava beans 1 tsp Himalayan crystal salt 1 tsp lemon zest 1/2 a lemon, juiced 4 tbsp plain, organic, non-homogenized yogurt a pinch of Himalayan crystal salt 1 tbsp butter 2 handfuls of fresh tender greens a few sprigs of Italian parsley 2 tbsp soft goat cheese Cook the rice like you would cook brown rice; 1 cup rice to 2 cups water and kelp, boil, turn down to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Soak it all day or overnight if you remember to plan ahead, otherwise rinse it well. Take the fava beans out of their pods. Place ice and cold water in a small mixing bowl and set aside. Boil a small pot of water and add 1 tsp of salt. Add the beans to the boiling water and cook for one minute. Drain and put in ice water for a couple minutes then drain. Now pinch off the end of each bean and pop it out of it's second pod. Once you do a few it will be easy. In a small bowl mix lemon juice, yogurt, lemon zest (save a pinch for garnish) and a pinch of salt. When the rice is done heat a skillet to medium and add butter. Add greens, parsley and fava beans to the skillet and cook for just a few minutes. The greens are best when slightly wilted yet not overdone. Place a scoop of rice in each bowl. Top with greens and beans and drizzle on yogurt sauce. Crumble on goat cheese and garnish with a sprinkling of lemon zest. So fresh and yummy, enjoy!