To a mixture of corn flour and sugar, add water* and cook for 10 minutes.

Mash bananas and leaf concentrate together and add this mixture to the cooked flour. Mix thoroughly. Remove from heat and serve in bowls.

*Note: Atol can be made as a hot thick drink or as a very thick pudding or pastry filling, depending on how much water is used. Many people prefer atol made with cornstarch as it is smoother in texture.

Wash greens and pat dry; mix in salad bowl.

Add cheese, ham and sliced hard boiled eggs.

Add oil and toss.

Add vinegar and salt and toss.

Garnish with violets, forsythia, day lilies or rose petals.

From: Cookbook USA CD-ROM Automated Archives, Inc. 1993

Simmering mustard greens in coconut milk takes away their bitter edge. Serve this as a side dish or over white or brown rice.

SERVES 4

Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until translucent.

Add garlic and mustard seeds and sauté for another 2 minutes.

Add coconut milk, coriander, cayenne, cinnamon stick, and sweet potato to onion mixture. Cook, covered, over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until sweet potato begins to soften.

While the sweet potato is cooking, wash the mustard greens and strip or cut leaves from stalks. Discard the stalks. Chop the greens into bite-size pieces.

Stir in mustard greens and simmer, covered, over medium-low heat for approximately 15 minutes. The greens should be tender and the sweet potato soft. Adjust salt level; remove cinnamon stick.

Just before serving, squeeze in lime juice or serve with lemon or lime wedges.  

From: Greens Glorious Greens by Johnna Albi and Catherine Walters,

1996, St. Martin's Press, New York

I usually make colcannon the day after St. Patrick's day. I often use leftover cooked potatoes and cabbage, which have been cooked with the corned beef, from the traditional holiday meal.

SERVES 4

Combine the potatoes, cabbage, and leek with 8 cups water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat to medium. Cook, partially covered, about 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

Drain the mixture and return to the pot.

Add the milk, butter and salt and mash together with a potato masher until creamy. Serve immediately.

Note: Some more nutritious recipes use kale or collards instead of cabbage.

From: 366 Healthful Ways to Cook Leafy Greens by Linda Romanelli Leahy 1997, Penguin Books, New York.

MAKES 16 BISCUITS

Preheat the oven to 400 degree F.

Coat 16 muffin cups with vegetable oil spray. (These biscuits will stick to paper liners).

Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the buttermilk, oil and eggs in a 4 c. measure.

Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir until just blended.

Add the greens.

Turn the batter into the prepared pan, filling each cup about 3/4 full.

Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes.

Serve or cool completely and freeze in a sealable bag.

Variation: Add 1/4 c. imitation bacon bits and 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper for a truly southern treat. 

From: 366 Healthful Ways to Cook Leafy Greens.by Linda Romanelli Leahy 1997, Penguin Books, New York.

Kale's natural affinity for potatoes shines through in this filling side dish. The squeeze of lime juice adds sparkle. If you like a spicier flavor, increase the amount of the curry powder.

Cut the potatoes into 1/4-inch cubes and set aside.

Heat a 10- or 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and swirl in pan.

Add the curry powder and cook for I minute, taking care not to burn it.

Add the onions and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until they begin to soften.

Add the potato cubes and toss to coat with the curry and oil.

Season lightly with salt, add the water, and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, wash the kale well, then strip the leaves off the stalks.

Discard stalks and chop kale into bit sized pieces.

Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a 10- to 12-inch skillet has a tight-fitting lid. Add the kale and cook, covered, over high heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, approximately 5 minutes. Remove and drain, saving the cooking liquid to drink.

Stir cooked kale with the potatoes. Heat through and season to taste with freshly ground black pepper and additional salt if necessary. Serve hot with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

From: Greens Glorious Greens by Johnna Albi and Catherine Walters,

1996, St. Martin's Press, New York

YIELDS ABOUT 36 COOKIES

Preheat oven to 325° F. (160° C).

Combine flour, leaf powder, and salt.

Beat butter and sugar until creamy in a separate bowl. Add egg and flavoring. Beat well. Add flour mixture.

Gather dough into a ball. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Then roll dough until 6mm (1/4") thick. Cut out shapes and add candy eyes if desired.

Bake 13 -15 minutes. Do not brown.

Soak all the vegetables overnight in 5 cups of water and 3 tbsp. of salt in a basin, weighted loosely with a plate and brick.

Rinse this mix, tasting for salt, and pack fairly tightly into a glass jar left in a warm place for 3-7 days (taste for sourness).

You can add a glass lid and refrigerate when sour enough.

Serve as an appetizer before most meals or sprinkle in clear soup just before serving.

From: The Permaculture Book of Ferment and Human Nutrition by Bill Mollison,

Tagari Press, Tyalgum, NSW 2484, AUSTRALIA

Cook the rice and coconut until a thick porridge is formed.

Mix the leaf concentrate in thoroughly.

Serve warm.

Note: Kola Kenda is a traditional dish of Sri Lanka, where it is normally made with fresh green leaf juice. The version made with leaf concentrate is well accepted there.

Dissolve the sugar in a little water; add the flour and oil.

Cook for 15 minutes.

Mix in the leaf concentrate and let cool to near room temperature.

Form the mixture into little balls (about 25 g each). These can be rolled in sugar if desired.

Note: Any locally available flour can be used to make the laddu. Flavorings like ginger can be added as can chopped nuts or fruit.

Blend the leaf concentrate at the highest speed in the lemon juice and extract. Gradually add the sugar and continue blending until very smooth.

This syrup can be put in a bottle with a tight fitting top and stored for later use.

Mix two tablespoons of the syrup in a large glass of water, or a half-liter of syrup in 2 gallons of water.

Note: Lemon extract can be replaced by lemon oil or 50 grams finely ground lemon peel. Limes can be used instead of lemons.

Dried leaf concentrate does not work well in thin liquids like lemonade. Even with using moist leaf concentrate some of the solids will settle so it is a good idea to stir up the drinks immediately before serving.

Mix all the ingredients together well.

Spread 1 1/2 cm. (1/2 inch) thick layer of mixture on greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 40 minutes in slow oven (325° F).

Slice into bars then let cool.  

Note: Other flavorings, like almond, can be substituted for lemon.

Makes about 25 tamales, enough for 8 people  

Combine dry ingredients.

Beat the lard or shortening until creamy, then gradually beat in the dry ingredients. Slowly add the soup stock or water, stirring constantly.

Spread about 1 tablespoon of this dough in the center of a clean corn leaf. Wrap the dough in the corn leaf by neatly folding in the edges. Repeat until all the dough is wrapped.

Steam the tamales for 40 -60 minutes. Serve hot.  

Note: The tamale dough can be spiced with chili or other flavorings, or sweetened. A teaspoon of various types of fillings, such as cheese, can be enclosed by placing it on the center of the dough before it is wrapped.

Wash and drain lettuce and watercress.

Peel and slice oranges into rounds.

Combine watercress, oranges, mint and orange peel; mix well.

Place lettuce in bowl and cover with the watercress and orange mixture.

Serve immediately.  

From: Cookbook USA CD-ROM Automated Archives, Inc. 1993

Mix flour and salt, then add leaf powder and a small amount of water.

Knead for 10 minutes. Dough should be very heavy but elastic.

Roll the dough out as thin as possible and cut into strips.

These can be cooked as is or dried in a dark room, sealed in a plastic bag and cooked when convenient.

This pasta cooks somewhat faster than commercial pasta.  

Note: Hand operated stainless steel pasta rollers are available in some gourmet cook shops and department stores for about $50 US. They make very uniform pasta. Machines made in Italy are far superior to the Chinese version.

Dissolve the sugar in a little water; add the flour and oil.

Cook for 15 minutes on medium heat, while stirring.

Mix in the dried green leaf powder and let cool to near room temperature.

Form the mixture into little balls.

These can be rolled in coconut flakes or sugar if desired.  

Note: Flavorings such as ginger or cinnamon can be added to taste; as can chopped nuts or dried fruit.

Choose pumpkin leaves that are young, yet fully developed, or substitute spinach, pigweed, kale, Swiss chard or other greens. Serve with cabbage and tomato sauce or stewed beef and Nshimba for a Zambian- style feast. May also serve with rice.  

SERVES 5-6  

Rinse well, devein, and chop the pumpkin leaves.

Cook in 2 c water (500ml) 5 minutes.

Add onion and tomato and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add peanuts and cook over low-medium heat about 15 minutes. Stirring often to avoid sticking. Add more water if necessary.

Just before serving, drain any excess water and add margarine and salt.  

Options: Substitute 3/4 c. chunky peanut butter (175ml) for ground peanuts. Use frozen greens instead of fresh.  

From: Sylvia L. Hess, Bausman, Pennsylvania in Extending the Table by Joetta Schlabach, 1991, Herald Press Scottdale, PA. 15683 USA.  

Supu ya Mchicha (SOO-poo yah m'CHEE-cha)  

African cooks frugally forage wild leafy vegetables to add to soups and sauces. Red root (Amaranthus), a leafy weed with a bright pink root, grows plentifully in North American gardens. Instead of weeding out all the red root, allow several stalks to grow. Harvest the tender top leaves. Red root is sometimes called pigweed. It is not the same as lambsquarters, another nutritious plant also known as pigweed in some locales.  

Serves 4    

Remove stems from leaves and chop finely.

Melt margarine in saucepan and sauté leaves, tomatoes, and onion.

Stir and fry until leaves are wilted then stir in salt and flour.

Continue stirring and slowly add water.

Cover and simmer about ten minutes until all vegetables are tender.

Add milk and heat but do not boil.

Option. Substitute any green, leafy vegetable for red root. If greens have a lot of liquid, reduce or omit 1/2 c. water (125 ml). You may also substitute 10-oz. frozen spinach (300-g), chopped. Cook it separately in 1/2 c. water (125 ml) until tender. Add spinach with cooking water in place of water in recipe.

From: Sylvia L. Hess, Bausman, Pennsylvania in Extending the Table by Joetta Schlabach, 1991, Herald Press Scottdale, PA. 15683 USA.

Blend all ingredients together. Serve cold.  

Note: Any fruit juice may be used, or water may be used with a teaspoon of sugar or honey.

YIELDS APPROXIMATELY 75 STUFFED LEAVES.  

In large skillet, sauté onions in oil over medium heat 15-20 minutes. Stir until begins to wilt, then add ingredients up to allspice.

Combine tomatoes and tomato paste with 1/2 cup water and add to skillet. Blend carefully. Lower flame, cover and cook 15 minutes more.

Cool 10 minutes, then add lemon juice and stir.

Spread grape leaf shiny side down with stem end at bottom.

Place spoonful of stuffing in center. Fold over both sides and roll from bottom to top of the leaf. It will resemble a small sausage. Continue until done.

Line bottom of wide 6 quart saucepan with extra leaves, dill and parsley sprigs. Arrange wrapped leaves, seam side down, in alternating rowS.

Place a few leaves on top and a small inverted dish. Pour in remaining water.

Bring to boil, then simmer, covered, for one hour.

Cool 1 hour before removing plate. Then refrigerate.

Serve cold or at room temperature.  

From: Cookbook USA CD-ROM Automated Archives, Inc. 1993

Steam Swiss chard for a few minutes. Do not overcook.

Open leaves and brush on olive oil lightly.

Put tomato slice in center of leaf. Top with pinch of onion, salt and pepper and one tablespoon cheese.

Fold leaf around tomato. This will hold together well.

Put on grill until hot. Can turn once. Works best if you use a 2 sided grill that holds food in place.  

Note: This can also be cooked in oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes on a cookie sheet.

From: Cookbook USA CD-ROM Automated Archives, Inc. 1993