Malabar Spinach

Malabar Spinach.  Photo by Rob Robitaille

As I had mentioned to in a previous post,  I love the farmer's market because you can find some really interesting produce, especially if you have a strong Asian contingent, which our market fortunately does.  One of the things I really enjoy is this strange spinach like plant called "Chinese spinach".  Now, I am not doubting anyone, but it seems like it is all too easy to throw the name Chinese on the front of something that the plant looks like and most people won't notice.  However, Chinese spinach seems to be the name given to many different things, on of them being Malabar spinach, which also goes by many names.  Since I don't know any botanists, we will just call it Malabar spinach and  leave it at that.

So, now that I have bored you with what it is called, let's talk about it in a practical sense.  What to do with it.  Well, not surprising, it can be used in much the same way as regular spinach, with a couple minor exceptions. The first thing that you will notice is that the texture is not of a normal spinach.  It is like a succulent in that the leaves are fairly thick and rubbery, but not in a bad way.  You will also notice that it has clusters of leaves on a larger stalk, and that is because it is a vine, unlike regular spinach.  The flavor is much more delicate than spinach and does not tend to make your teeth feel like they are coated in Emery cloth after eating it.  I really hate that about typical spinach.  One thing that you will also notice, and perhaps to your chagrin, is that it is also a bit mucilaginous.  Okay, slimy.  But not like a northern pike or lunch meat you forgot about in your meat drawer (or what the cafeteria used to serve us in college on a regular basis), but kind of like okra.  Therefore, you most likely want to cook it quick in a stir fry, or in a soup so that it helps in the thickening process.  One of my favorite ways to cook it is to quickly stir fry it and then hit it with some oyster sauce.  It's really good.  Right now I have a kettle of meatball and white bean stew in the oven.  Typically I use chard or kale, but I had Malabar spinach on hand so I am using that.  So, far I have never felt that it was at all slimy when cooked, but you will notice it a bit when cutting it.

So, next time you are at your local farmers market, be adventurous.  If it is called Chinese something, then it is probably something you won't find at the local grocery store, and something you should take home with you.  You wouldn't believe how much time I spend on the web trying to identify what the heck I just bought.  And if an Asian farmer tells you something is good, buy it.  I think it is a safe bet that this is exactly what they are eating at home.

Hen of the Woods

Hen of the Woods mushroom.  Photo by Rob Robitaille

The other day a friend texted that he had a Hen of the Woods for me.  I had never had one before, so I jumped at the chance.  It is not every day that someone offers you fungus.  So, it arrived basically filling up a plastic grocery bag.  After a few minutes of rearranging the fridge, we made room and started looking forward to the next days meal.  Although I have quite a bit of experience cleaning and cooking mushrooms, I wasn't exactly sure how to approach this one.  It weighed in at exactly 2 1/2 pounds and was bigger around than a dinner plate, and about as tall.  The mushroom is built a lot like a cauliflower, in that it has a large central core and branches off into smaller clusters, but that is where the similarity ends.  Each small mushroom cluster reminds me a little bit of a chanterelle in both looks and texture.  So, how to clean it?

I first removed the bottom root area with a knife and started breaking it down, almost exactly like a cauliflower, working with a knife in a circle around the base until all the main clusters were removed.  I then split the larger ones down into something a bit more manageable.  In retrospect, I wish I would have sliced it up more because this mushroom stays fairly firm unlike most mushrooms that shrink down and soften up.  I just didn't realize that until after.  Next, I carefully washed the pieces and placed them in a strainer.  The only issue I had was dealing with a centipede that had stowed away.  I hate those things.  They have all those legs and dart around like they are going to jump in your ear, just like on "The Wrath of Khan".  Gross.

Hen of the Woods Pasta.  Photo by Rob Robitaille

To prepare it, I simply sautéed it in some butter with a little bit of white wine, minced onion, and garlic, then served it over tagliatelle with some fresh grated Parmesan.  I thought about making a sauce, but thought that it may cover up some of the flavor, and since it was my first hen, wanted to keep things simple.  It was fabulous. and I don't often use the word fabulous!  So, if you know any mushroom hunters, it may be a good time to help them clean their gutters, or change transmission fluid on their car, or just do what I do and feed them.  You may end up with a prize now and again.