(recipe from the book Local Flavors used with permission of the author, Deborah Madison)
Serves 2 – 4.
If you look closely at the little bags of greens labeled “spinach” that are sold in our market in Santa Fe, you’ll see that, in fact, they are quelites, or wild spinach.
Around the same time in Montpelier, Vermont, you might pick up some big
verdant bunches of cultivated Good King Henry, or Lamb’s quarters as they are
also known. Those in the know, buy vast amounts. A few minutes of steaming
and these greens are bright and tender. Some of the farmers tell me that they
add them once steamed to sautéed onions, which is very good. I sometimes add
a little Teleme cheese, then wrap them in a corn tortilla to make a delicious
taquito. Or I just serve them as a vegetable. They are excellent added to a pot of
beans, too.
10 oz. quelites, Lamb’s quarters, or spinach, stems removed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 lg. shallot or small onion, diced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
½ cup Teleme or grated Monterey Jack cheese, more or less
- Wash the greens well, then steam or plunge into boiling water, just until thy are wilted. Drain, then rinse under cold water. Press out excess water (they needn’t be bone dry) and chop finely or coarsely, as you wish.
- Melt the butter in med. non-stick pan. Add the shallot or garlic and cook,
stirring frequently for about 2 minutes. Add the greens and cook until heated
through and any water has evaporated. Season with salt to taste and scrape in
just a little bit of nutmeg. Stir in ½ cheese. - Scrape the greens into a bowl and spoon remaining cheese over them. Season with pepper and serve.