Leafy Green Spaetzle
Students in the afterschool club at Urban Assembly Maker Academy, a co-located school at Murry Bergtraum Educational Campus, chose this recipe together after talking about what they wanted to cook with leafy greens. They worked alongside Farmer-Educator Francesca, who supported them as they tested the idea and adjusted it along the way. Leafy Green Spaetzle ended up being the clear favorite. The students loved it, and every plate was finished. There were no leftovers.
Recipe inspired by Hank Shaw.
Ingredients (TFFJ Produce Highlighted 🌿)
SPAETZLE
- 8 ounces amaranth, or other similar green (turnip leaves, collards, chard, etc) 🌿
- Salt (to taste and for boiling water)
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten (vegan substitute: just egg, around 5 oz)
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Pinch of black pepper (to taste)
CHEESY SAUCE
- 1 block of Gruyère cheese
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2-3 tablespoons butter
- 10-15 leaves of fresh sage 🌿
Directions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well. Get a bowl of ice water ready. Plunge the greens into the pot of boiling water to blanch them for 30 seconds to 1 minute (up to 4 minutes for chard stems). Remove the greens and place them into the ice water to shock.
- Once the greens have soaked for 1-2 minutes in ice water, roughly chop them, leaving them wet. Put into a blender and puree. Add cold water as needed to ensure smooth blending. You want the puree to be as thin as heavy cream.
- Add the remaining spaetzle ingredients (except the oil) to a bowl. Add the greens puree. Mix well using a whisk. You want the batter to be slightly thicker than pancake batter. The key is to be able to pour the batter into a spaetzle maker without it flowing through the holes too fast. A good test for the batter is to check its thickness. When you scoop it with a regular spoon or spatula and let it drip back into the mixing bowl, it should flow in thick clumps rather than a thin/liquidy ribbon. Add a little bit of flour if the dough is too thin, and a little water if the dough is too thick.
- Get that pot of water boiling again to make the spaetzle. A spaetzle maker has a little hook on it to anchor it to the edge of a pot. Add the batter to the hopper. Rock the hopper of the maker back and forth to make the dumplings. You should do this in several batches. When the dumplings float, take them out using a skimming/mini colander spoon (often found in spaetzle-making kits). Place the cooked spaetzle in a bowl of cold water. Take them out of the cold water after 10-20 seconds using the skimming spoon. Place in a strainer or colander to drain.
- Heat olive oil/butter and minced garlic in a large pan over medium heat. Add the spaetzle and lightly fry them in the pan until slightly crispy (2-4 minutes).
- Add a little butter and a few leaves of fresh sage, and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes. Add grated Gruyère (to taste) and turn off the heat, stirring well. Ensure the spaetzle are nicely coated and crispy before serving. Garnish with fresh sage and grated cheese.
