Recipe

Sautéed Burdock with Flash Cooked Kale

Accompanying article: Foods that Help Prevent Diabetes

Burdock contains inulin and so helps prevent diabetes. It’s a brown skinned tap-root that’s carrot shaped and tastes like artichoke hearts. Use it as you would a carrot in any cooked dish. It’s available in natural food stores, Asian markets and some grocery stores.

In this recipe the long sautéing brings out the burdock’s sweetness and the quickly cooked greens provide vibrant color and flavor.

Serves 4

2 teaspoons butter or ghee, or olive, coconut, sesame or hazelnut oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic, minced or pressed
1 large burdock, cut julienne
1 bunch kale or collards, stems removed and leaves finely chopped

Warm the oil in a sauté pan or pot, preferably a heavy pot. Over medium heat, add and sauté the onion and garlic until softened. Then add and sauté the burdock. Stir and cook for several minutes or until the burdock is limp. Add ¼ teaspoon sea salt and a few tablespoons of water. Cover the pot and cook for about 5 minutes or until the burdock is tender and sweet. Add water and stir as necessary to prevent burning. (Adding extra water, even if it later cooks off, dilutes the flavor.)

When the water is absorbed and the burdock is soft, add the greens and additional salt to taste. Stir, cover the pot and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the green color intensifies. Serve.

Variations: For a different flavor, substitute parsnips, turnips, rutabaga or carrot for the burdock.

Substitute other greens. Watercress and sorrel require almost no cooking. Cabbage works but it invites a generous amount parsley to green it up. Radish and turnip tops are tasty. Bok choy adds flavor and makes it a tri-colored dish. Spinach and chard exude water and so, if using them, cook uncovered to evaporate their water.

May you be well nourished,

Rebecca Wood