Mustard greens and kale with beens (or sausage) and marinated onions.

The beans and onions will add color, texture, and taste to the mix.

As we’ve moved away from the soil, our food supply has become unseasonal. The supermarkets in winter have the same summer supply of tomatoes and avacadoes, in their hard and tasteless varieties. The farmers market too are affected by consumer choice. The Belmont market does not have kale or mustard greens. These winter greens grow well in our climate and add essential nutrients to the diet. Whole Foods carries them, $2/- each, from Bakersfield all washed and healthy, but wrapped in a plasticized metal wire spined paper that cannot be recycled. Its as if the supplier has figured out a market without those consumer's environmental considerations.

Michael Pollan in In Defense of Food says to eat more leaves less seeds (like rice wheat beans potatoes etc.) We don’t need that much protein for a healthy diet. He says don't focus on nutrients, just make sure you are not eating food your grandmother wouldn't eat.

Soak half a cup beans for 24 hours in one and half cup water. Salt. Put into the 5” round pot.

Cut the stalks off the kale and discard. Chop the remaining leaves about 1/2 inch by two inches. Do the same with half the mustard but fine chop the stalks too. Soak overnight in cold water to get the grit off. If you buy the leaves from Whole Foods you can save this step since they carry washed leaves.

One clove garlic chopped fine.

Layer into the 6” oval roaster with salt, garlic, and red chili flakes to taste.
You will have to pack to fit the leaves.

Put both pots in the solar sport oven in the winter position with the reflector for one and a half hours. You might need another hour if its overcast.

(For more color and texture- Take three medium sized red potatoes cut in half, slice thin and add on top of the greens.)

Marinade one half of a small red onion cut into 1/2 inch by 1/8 inch pieces, in half a lemon juice, equal quantity white wine vinegar, one teaspoon sugar, and half a teaspoon salt turning often to make sure it all marinates.

Mix it all together making sure to unpack the cooked leaves. Drizzle olive oil to taste before serving.

If you prefer meat add two sausages. Place the sausages in the same oval roaster buried in the leaves. When done cut in half across the length, then peel. Dice the remainder and toss in the mix.

Read more >> Options >>