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As summer approaches, City prepared to open weather-respite centers
As summer approaches and the temperatures rise, the City is prepared to open weather-respite centers during extreme heat. Following its use as a respite location during winter storms, the City’s O...
Golden Empire Council
Listed under: Education Families & Children Parks & Recreation
Recipe: Leaves taste great, need a lot less work
Fava beans are a winter favorite in Northern California. Many gardeners I know plant them with no intention of eating the results; they use favas as a cover crop to keep down weeds and replenish the soil's nutrients. They treat favas like fancy alfalfa.
They're missing out -- twice. Planted now, this interesting vegetable actually offers two crops: The flavorful beans and the lesser-known greens.
With a delicate flavor all their own, the leaves of young fava plants cook just like spinach -- quickly. Also like spinach, it takes a lot of fava leaves to yield a cooked serving.
Chefs use fava greens to add green color and distinct fava flavor to pastas and other dishes. The greens also are used to stretch the impact of fava beans in a finished dish. Fava beans are time-consuming to prepare; they need to be shelled twice. Fava greens offer some of that fava flavor with a lot less effort; Just remove the tough stems and wash.
Another plus for fava greens: They can be harvested four weeks after planting. When thinning rows of fava beans, keep the extras to use as greens. Baked fava green-stuffed shells Makes 3 to 4 servings
Ingredients: 12 jumbo pasta shells 4 cups fresh fava greens, stemmed and washed 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided) 1/2 cup chopped onion 6 cremini or white mushrooms, washed and sliced 1 cup ricotta cheese 2 cups mozzarella cheese, finely shredded (divided) 1/2 cup Romano cheese, grated 1 egg Non-stick cooking spray 1 cup diced tomatoes 1/4 cup white wine Salt and pepper to taste Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray or oil an 8-inch baking dish.
Prepare pasta shells according to package directions until just tender. Drain and set aside.
Remove tough stems from fava greens. Make sure leaves are well washed.
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sauté onions and mushrooms until onions are transparent. Transfer sautéed onions and mushrooms to food processor and pulse a few times.
Return the pan to the stove and add the other tablespoon of oil. Over medium heat, stir in the fava greens by handfuls; stir-fry until wilted.
Add cooked fava greens to the food processor and pulse lightly until mushroom-green mixture is chopped.
In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta, Romano and 1 cup mozzarella cheeses. Beat egg and add to cheeses. Fold in mushroom-green mixture.
Stuff each cooked shell with about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the mushroom-green-cheese mixture. Arrange the stuffed shells in the prepared baking dish.
Make sauce. In a pan, gradually heat diced tomatoes. Stir in wine. Bring just to a boil, then reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce over the stuffed shells. Top with remaining shredded mozzarella.
Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 45 minutes or until done. Cover with foil if cheese topping starts to become too brown.
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A recipe for preparing delicious meals from the bounty of the garden.
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Garden Checklist for week of May 19
Temperatures will be a bit higher than normal in the afternoons this week. Take care of chores early in the day – then enjoy the afternoon. It’s time to smell the roses.
* Plant, plant, plant! It’s prime planting season in the Sacramento area. If you haven’t already, it’s time to set out those tomato transplants along with peppers and eggplants. Pinch off any flowers on new transplants to make them concentrate on establishing roots instead of setting premature fruit.
* Direct-seed melons, cucumbers, summer squash, corn, radishes, pumpkins and annual herbs such as basil.
* Harvest cabbage, lettuce, peas and green onions.
* In the flower garden, direct-seed sunflowers, cosmos, salvia, zinnias, marigolds, celosia and asters.
* Plant dahlia tubers. Other perennials to set out include verbena, coreopsis, coneflower and astilbe.
* Transplant petunias, marigolds and perennial flowers such as astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, rudbeckia and verbena.
* Keep an eye out for slugs, snails, earwigs and aphids that want to dine on tender new growth.
* Feed summer bloomers with a balanced fertilizer.
* For continued bloom, cut off spent flowers on roses as well as other flowering plants.
* Don’t forget to water. Seedlings need moisture. Deep watering will help build strong roots and healthy plants.
* Add mulch to the garden to help keep that precious water from evaporating. Mulch also cuts down on weeds. But don’t let it mound around the stems or trunks of trees or shrubs. Leave about a 6-inch to 1-foot circle to avoid crown rot or other problems.
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