Instant Pot Collar Green Sag Paneer

Tomorrow promises to be a beautiful autumn day, so be sure to visit the Fairmount Neighborhood Farmers Market for its last day of its tenth season. The market will be open between 10 am - 2 pm on the corner of Agate and 19th Ave. You'll find plenty of fall fruits and vegetables from Camas Swale Farm.

Camas Swale has abundant collard greens, which are delicious roasted in a low oven. I also like to use them in sag paneer, as opposed to spinach which I find always cook down to a tiny portion that fits into a single dessert bowl. This time I converted my my stovetop recipe for the Instant Pot, which was able to reduce an enormous pile of leaves into a fragrantly spiced puree in a matter of minutes.

Instant Pot Collard Green Sag Paneer

2 bunches collard greens (or kale), washed, stripped from stems, and chopped
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 to 2 fresh hot chili, diced
4 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 inch ginger root, diced
2 Tbsp grape seed or canola oil
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
salt to taste
8 ounces paneer cheese, chopped into small cubes
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala

1.Turn the instant pot to sautee. When warm, add the oil, and then the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and fenugreek and let them sizzle for a few seconds until fragrant. Add the chopped onion, garlic, ginger, and chili pepper and cook, stirring for a couple minutes. Then add the chopped tomato and cook down a couple minutes longer until they have collapsed and released their juice. Press cancel.


2. Add the collard greens or kale and a generous pinch of salt and give the contents a stir. The liquid from the tomatoes and rinsed greens should be enough, but if it seems very dry, add a Tbsp or two of water. Seal the lid, and program the instant pot to cook at high pressure for 2 minutes. When the cooking is complete, press cancel and carefully release the pressure. 

3. Stir in the coriander and garam masala. Use an immersion blender to puree the greens into a smooth paste. Taste and season with salt if needed. Stir in the cubed paneer cheese and transfer to a serving bowl.

Roasted Red Kuri with Miso Glaze

Rain or shine the Fairmount Neighborhood Farmers Market will be held tomorrow between 10 am - 2 pm on the corner of Agate and 19th Ave. You'll find plenty of fall fruits and vegetables from Camas Swale Farm and pastured meat and poultry from Fair Valley Farm and Fog Hollow Farm. 

Camas Swale has a wide selection of winter squashes including delicata, kabocha, and this red kuri. Sliced, roasted, and finished with a miso glaze, the red kuri made a delicious vegetable side for the end of a long week. 

Roasted Red Kuri with Miso Glaze

1 red kuri or other winter squash
~2 Tbsp neutral oil such as canola oil
1 Tbsp miso
1 Tbsp mirin

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the stem of the squash and cut in half. Scoop out the seeds and pulp. At this point you could peel the squash with a vegetable peeled, but the skin is pretty thin and edible, so you can leave it on. Cut the squash into in inch wide wedges. Place on a baking sheet, drizzle with a little neutral oil and toss to coat. Roast for about 15 minutes, then flip and roast on the second side for another 5 to 10 minutes, so that the squash is cooked through and acquired some color. In the meantime, whisk together the miso and mirin (add a little more mirin if it seems too thick to spread). When the squash is cooked, transfer it to a serving platter and use a brush to spread the glaze on each wedge. Serve warm.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Fish Sauce Vinaigrette

Take advantage of these crips fall days to visit the Fairmount Neighborhood Farmers Market between 10 am - 2 pm on Sunday on the corner of Agate and 19th Ave. You'll find plenty of fall fruits and vegetables from Camas Swale Farm and pastured meat and poultry from Fair Valley Farm and Fog Hollow Farm. 

Who can resist these brussels sprout stalks, that look like the tail of a mesozoic monster? One of my favorite recipes for brussels sprouts is a simplified version of Momofuku's famous brussels sprouts with fish sauce vinaigrette. With plenty of lime juice, fresh mint, and cilantro, these sprouts have a zing that savors the flavors of summer well into the fall.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Fish Sauce Vinaigrette

adapted from Momofuku

brussels sprouts from 1 stalk (about 1 lb)
2 Tbsp neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola
3 Tbsp cilantro leaves and tender stems
3 Tbsp mint leaves

fish sauce vinaigrette
juice of one lime (anout 2 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
red chili flakes to taste

Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Peel away any loose or discolored outer leaves, trim the dry end of the stems with a knife, and cut the sprouts in half. Cut any especially large ones in quarters. On a sheet pan, toss the brussels sprouts with neutral oil. Arrange cut face side down and roast for about 15 minutes. Use a spatula to turn and continue roasting until all of the sprouts have some dark color. 

Fish Sauce Vinaigrette
Combine the lime juice, rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, and chili flakes and stir to dissolve the sugar.

When ready to serve the brussels sprouts, toss them with the vinaigrette and the cilantro and mint leaves. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Instant Pot Baked Apple Oatmeal

Tomorrow promises to be a glorious fall day, and while outside enjoying the sunshine you should plan to stop by the Fairmount Neighborhood Farmers Market between 10 am - 2 pm on the corner of Agate and 19th Ave. You'll find plenty of fall fruits and vegetables from Camas Swale Farm and pastured meat and poultry from Fair Valley Farm and Fog Hollow Farm. 

Be sure to stock up on fall apples, which are in abundance this mast year. One of my favorite fall breakfasts is a cinnamon apple version of Heidi Swanson's baked oatmeal, which is a delicious hybrid of a porridge and a muffin. The only downside is that it requires early rising to get onto the table. This inspired me to create a version for my Instant Pot, which I could set up the night before so that it cooks in the early morning and need just a minute under the broiler before serving. This can make a nice weekday breakfast treat for rainy days ahead.   

Instant Pot Baked Apple Oatmeal

serves four

1 large or 2 small apples
2 Tbsp melted butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
2 cups milk
1 egg
2 to 4 Tbsp brown sugar (depending on sweetness of apples)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup steel cut oats
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup walnuts
1 Tbsp brown sugar

1. Core the apple and cut into 1 inch cubes. Turn the Instant Pot to sautee, add the butter to the inner pot and sautee the apple pieces with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp cinnamon until they are soft and start to brown. Hit cancel and transfer the apples to the bottom of a 7 inch diameter, 1.5 quart ceramic or metal baking dish that can fit into the Instant Pot. Add 1/2 cup water to the liner pot, swirl to get up all the butter, and pour over the apples. Replace the liner pot, fill it with one cup water, and put in the metal stand.

2. Whisk together the wet ingredients of 2 cups milk, 1 egg, brown sugar, and vanilla. Mix together the dry ingredients of steel cut oats, old fashioned oats, baking powder, and remaining 1/4 tsp salt. Dump the dry ingredients over the apples in the baking dish and then pour over the wet ingredients, making sure that all of the oatmeal is submerged. Place the baking pan into the Instant Pot on top of the metal stand. Seal the lid and set to cook at high pressure for 40 minutes with a delayed start time so that it will start up about 80 minutes before you plan to wake up.

3. The next morning, turn on your broiler. Turn off the Instant Pot and carefully remove the oatmeal pan. Top the oatmeal with 1/2 cup chopped walnut pieces and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp brown sugar. Broil for about 1 minute, being careful not to let the nits burn. Remove and serve with a drizzle of milk or cream.