summer 2019 real food 41

Produce

Refreshed

A

dding vegetables to our diets should be approachable, purposeful and enjoyable, according to

Abra Berens, author of “Ruffage: A Practical Guide to Vegetables.” After checking out some of

her recipes, hopefully you will agree with her sentiments. Through the honest storytelling of her own life

experiences and encounters with produce as a child, chef, farmer and Midwesterner, Berens shares an

approach to vegetables that is simple, offering recipes that alter them just enough to freshen them up,

whether by grilling, roasting or serving them raw. Her many variations and alternatives allow for creativity;

plus, she’s honest about produce that she finds difficult or a few that just aren’t her favorite. By the time

you place the delicious creations on the table for your guests, family and friends to enjoy, you’ll already

be planning your next visit to the fresh produce aisles. —Katie Ballalatak

Massaged Kale with Tomatoes, Creamed Mozzarella and Wild Rice

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

This recipe calls for wild rice but substitute any cooked grain—especially any random grains that are in the back of your fridge.

If you do use wild rice, you don’t need to soak the grains overnight, but soaked rice will cook much more quickly and will

“pop” when cooked, improving the texture, in my opinion. Unsoaked rice will take significantly longer than white rice to

cook, so plan accordingly.

glug olive oil (See Cook’s Note)

1 small onion, cut into thin slices

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

¼ cup white wine

1 cup wild rice, soaked overnight in 4 cups water

4 cups kale, midribs stripped, well dried and cut into ¼-inch ribbons

1 (8-ounce) ball fresh mozzarella

¼ cup sour cream

1 lemon, zest and juice

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1. Heat olive oil. Sweat the onion and garlic with the salt until translucent, about 5 minutes.
   Add the white wine and reduce by half. Add the wild rice and the soaking liquid and cook
   until tender, about 45 minutes.


2. In a mixing bowl, sprinkle the kale with a pinch of salt. Massage the kale until it is dark
   green, limp and tender in mouthfeel.


3. Tear the mozzarella into rough chunks. Combine with the sour cream, lemon zest and
   juice, a good pinch of salt, and a couple of grinds of black pepper.


4. When the wild rice is cooked, drain any residual liquid and let cool.
   Cook’s Note: I use the term “glug” a good deal ... a holdover from my grandmother’s
   recipes. A glug is the amount of liquid poured from a container before air is pulled in past
   the “seal” formed by the flowing liquid in the neck of the container, creating a glug sound.
   An average glug measure is about 2 tablespoons to ¼ cup. It doesn’t need to be exact—
   just splash some oil in a pan. If you need more, add it. I’ve yet to need less oil in my life.

RECIPES AND PHOTOS FROM

“RUFFAGE: A PRACTICAL GUIDE

TO VEGETABLES” BY ABRA

BERENS ©2019 REPRINTED

WITH PERMISSION OF

CHRONICLE BOOKS.

PHOTOS BY EE BERGER.