The Book of Greens – Jenn Louis

June 23, 2017 by
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The Book of Greens: A Cook’s Compendium of 40 Varieties, from Arugula to Watercress, with More Than 175 Recipes by Jenn Louis and Kathleen Squires is a compilation of more than 175 recipes for simple, show-stopping fare guaranteed to inspire you to reach for new greens at the farmers’ market, or use those that you are familiar with in new exciting ways.

The Book of Greens is organized alphabetically by type of green, each entry features information on seasonality, nutrition, and prep and storage tips, along with innovative recipes.   

The Dandelion Greens, Prosciutto and Olive Picnic Cake looks amazing and I’m going to try it with something instead of olives and maybe even later today as it has cooled off a great deal here in Colorado. (I don’t like olives – I’ve tried). Grilled Cabbage with Miso and Lime (I love miso), Pasta Dough with Tomato Leaves and Nori and Coconut Flour Buttermilk Biscuits with Sesame Shichimi Butter are other examples what this former Top Chef contestant has in store for you in this book. Jenn’s book Pasta by Hand is gorgeous – and so is this title. It isn’t one of those titles that will collect dust on your shelf. 

Update:  I made the loaf Saturday morning and while I couldn’t wait to cut it to get a beauty shot – because we were hungry – it is still incredibly delicious.

Special thanks to Ten Speed Press and the author for sharing the Mustard Green Pancakes recipe below. I’ve made scallion pancakes before and these give me so many wonderful ideas to mix the tasty morsels up a bit. Be sure to head over to our contest page to enter our giveaway – you want this book.

 

MUSTARD GREEN PANCAKES

 These aren’t like breakfast pancakes; they are like the scallion pancakes you might find in a Chinese restaurant. If you love the sharp, strong flavor of mustard, then you will love these. Or if you don’t want so much of a vegetal flavor, consider subbing in a milder green, such as spinach or chard. The dipping sauce drives home the Asian flavor.

MAKES 4 PANCAKES, SERVES 4
Pancakes

2 cups [280 g] all-purpose flour
1 cup [240 ml] boiling water
¼ cup [60 ml] toasted sesame oil
1 ounce [30 g] thinly sliced mustard greens (tender stems are okay)
¼ cup [60 ml] neutral vegetable oil Kosher salt
Dipping Sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onions (green parts only)
½ teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons sugar

Put the flour in a food processor. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in 3⁄4 cup of the boiling water. Process for 15 seconds. If dough does not come together, drizzle in more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it just comes together. Transfer to a work surface and knead a few times to form a smooth ball. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
 
Divide the dough into four even pieces and roll each into a smooth ball. Working one ball at a time, roll out into a disk, about 8 inches [20 cm] in diameter. Using a pastry brush, paint a very thin layer of sesame oil over the top of the disk. Roll the disk up like a cylinder, then start at the end and coil the dough like a snail’s shell. Flatten gently with your hand and roll again into an 8-inch [30-cm] disk. 

Paint with another layer of sesame oil, lay an even layer of one-quarter of the sliced mustard greens, and roll up like a cylinder again. Again, coil like a snail shell, flatten gently, and re-roll into a 7-inch disk. Repeat with the remaining dough and mustard greens to make three more pancakes.

Combine all the dipping sauce ingredients and set aside at room temperature.
To cook the pancakes, heat the oil in an 8-inch (20-cm) nonstick or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, after 2 to 3 minutes, carefully slip one pancake into the hot oil. Cook, shaking the pan gently until the first side is an even golden brown, about 2 minutes. Carefully flip with a spatula or tongs and continue to cook until the second side is and even golden brown, about 2 more minutes. Season with salt, cut into 6 wedges.

Serve immediately with the sauce for dipping.

Repeat with the remaining pancakes. 

OTHER GREENS THAT WORK IN THIS RECIPE:
nettles, spinach, lamb’s quarters
 

“Reprinted with permission from The Book of Greens by Jenn Louis, copyright © 2017. Photography by Ed Anderson. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.”

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30 Comments

  • lgroom  on  June 23, 2017

    Love all greens but Swiss chard is by far my favorite.

  • sgump  on  June 23, 2017

    Like lgroom, I, too, love all greens–but broccoli rabe is something I frequently CRAVE: can hardly get enough!

  • kbennall  on  June 23, 2017

    Love love love mustard greens. They're weirdly hard to find, and the spicier the better!

  • Jennybec  on  June 23, 2017

    All the greens. We ring in every new year with collard greens from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. In the hot summer months I love Napa cabbage.

  • joanhuguet  on  June 23, 2017

    I love arugula and kale!

  • JenJoLa  on  June 23, 2017

    Kale and baby spinach are my favorite greens.

  • jr0717  on  June 23, 2017

    For its versatility, cabbage; for its spicy bite, baby arugula!

  • Siegal  on  June 24, 2017

    My fav green is bok choy

  • marcsch  on  June 24, 2017

    These look amazing!

  • love2chow  on  June 24, 2017

    arugula and shanghai bok choy tips are my favorites

  • PennyG  on  June 25, 2017

    I love cabbage – all types!

  • RSW  on  June 25, 2017

    arugula

  • cocecitycook  on  June 26, 2017

    My favorites are collards and swiss chard, yum!

  • lhudson  on  June 27, 2017

    Carrot salad with fennel and mustard seed vinaigrette

  • Uhmandanicole  on  June 27, 2017

    My favorite green is pea shoots or watercress

  • dbielick  on  June 27, 2017

    Arugula

  • abihamm  on  June 27, 2017

    Spinach!

  • Lafauvette  on  June 30, 2017

    Arugula

  • mph993  on  July 2, 2017

    I would like to try Radicchio, endive, and frisée salad with blood orange, apple and pecan

  • kelliwinter  on  July 2, 2017

    i love almost every kind of green there is. it is easier to say which i don't like…frisse, collards, radicchio, dandilion, all others i adore

  • rstaudt  on  July 2, 2017

    The West African peanut stew with collard greens and sweet potatoes sounds absolutely irresistable!

  • kitchenclimbers  on  July 5, 2017

    I love arugula

  • annieski  on  July 9, 2017

    I love that this book is arranged by type of green, it makes it so easy to compare recipes for a green that you have on hand. We LOVE greens in this house: beet, mustard, kale and chard all on hand today.

  • BethanyMeira  on  July 14, 2017

    My favorite green is lettuce

  • hirsheys  on  July 20, 2017

    I never thought I'd say it, but I love kale (especially the dinosaur kind).l

  • TrishaCP  on  July 21, 2017

    Love chard and mustard greens.

  • orchidlady01  on  July 25, 2017

    My favorite greens are spinach and arugula.

  • AnnaZed  on  July 26, 2017

    I am a big Arugula fan!

  • Sandyscuties  on  July 27, 2017

    I grew up eating dandelion picked from our yard but as an adult I simply love fried cabbage.

  • LaurenE  on  July 28, 2017

    mustard greens, cooked Indian style

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