Hello friends! Today I've got a simple yet delicious recipe to put together some of the current seasonal goodies from the farmers market. The greens, including collards, are widely available, as are all of my favorite root vegetables. I tend to have trouble with my wrap-making skills, but I figured since I got some gorgeous collard greens I might as well put them to use to wrap up a medley of delicious roasted vegetables. No better way to get good at wrapping things than to, well, wrap them! ;)
As you can see, even now in December my farmers still have plenty to choose from. There are only two more markets before they take the holiday break, so I'm stocking up and freezing some things while I can. We've got plenty of great grocery stores around, but I'd rather buy local and eat from the freezer if I have to until the market returns after the new year. Luckily it will pick right back up in the second week of January, while most of the other markets don't start back until the spring. I really am a spoiled veggie-lover!
In addition to my market veggies, I finally cooked my dried White Whippoorwill Cowpeas from our garden this year. I don't know why I waited so long to cook them. They definitely fall in the same category as black eyed peas or pink eye peas as far as texture, though each of them have subtle differences in flavor. Given that collard greens and black eyed peas are such a classic New Year's Day combination (bring on the good luck and money for the new year), I think this would probably make a great light option to carry on that tradition. The amount we harvested wasn't much, but I still got about 5 cups of cooked beans out of our one plant. I put about 2 cups in the filling of this wrap, then froze the other 3 cups to use later.
As I hinted above, my wraps are usually a bit messy. I think I need to get better at the fold and roll technique to really get a nice tight wrap to hold all the goodness inside. However, I did manage to roll these up pretty well. I might not win any wrapping awards, but they held together long enough to devour them!
I've seen the collard greens used both cooked and raw in different recipes, but I opted for an easy method I saw in my perusal of the web to pour a bit of boiling water on your rinsed greens just to soften them up ever so slightly. From there I sliced out the thickest part of the stem on each, then got to rolling up my roasted veggie medley. I used a simple mix of rutabaga, sweet potatoes and fennel, but I imagine any seasonal veg combination would be great! So simple, but it turned out to be a very satisfying lunch packed with nutrients to make it through the afternoon slump.
Roasted Veg & Collard Wraps
- 1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes, chopped
- 1 large or 2 medium rutabaga bulbs, chopped (peeled first if you prefer)
- 1 large bulb of fennel, sliced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fennel fronds (plus more to mix in after roasting if you like)*
- 1 tablespoon oil for roasting (can also toss veggies in a bit of veggie broth for an oil-free option)
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 cups cooked cowpeas or beans of choice (1 15-ounce can for an easy option)
- 1 bunch whole collard greens
- hummus
*If your fennel doesn't come with the fronds, sub in some fresh dill or other herbs you enjoy.
Heat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Chop your root vegetables and place them on a sheet pan. Drizzle with a bit of oil (I used some of my butternut squash seed oil again) then season with just a pinch of salt and pepper. Place in the oven and roast for 40 minutes, stirring halfway, or until cooked through.
Meanwhile prepare your collard green leaves by rinsing off and placing in a colander in the sink. Boil water in a kettle then pour over the leaves to slightly soften them. Let drain then take each leaf onto a cutting board and cut out the thickest part of the stem for easier rolling.
Once the vegetables are done roasting, remove from the oven and place in a bowl with the beans. Sprinkle on some extra fennel fronds if you like or any additional seasoning and mix together. Take a few of the collard leaves and place on a large plate. Spread on a layer of hummus and then spoon on some of the veggie mixture. Tuck in the stem end and top, then roll from the long side so that you are rolling with the stem and not against it. Enjoy!
The amount of servings you get out of the recipe will just depend on how many leaves you have in your bunch of collard greens and how big your root vegetables are. I always err on the side of caution and make extra since I can always use the veggies in other dishes or chop up the extra greens to toss into a soup if we finished the stuffing first.
The slightly bitter greens were great with all of the sweet roasted veggies mixed in and the hummus was just enough to add that bit of creamy texture to bring it all together. You can easily make your own hummus or just use your favorite store-bought variety to make this a really simple meal to put together. I used a basic hummus with plenty of lemon for a bright note. I'll definitely be doing more of these in the future now that I'm getting over my wrapping hesitance. Now if only I could get better at wrapping holiday gifts...
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Oh my gosh what a bounty of glorious amazing food. I have never heard of cowpeas. Those wraps are beautiful and so nourishing. I feel like I eat in black and white compared to your vibrant goodness. I will eat a kale salad tonight now that I saw this. Thanks for keeping me in check.
There are a number of different varieties of cowpeas--I think black eyed peas are probably the most well-known. They grow really well down here in the Southern USA. This was our first time growing them, but they were so easy that we'll definitely do them again next season! Hope you enjoyed your kale salad. :)
I love the black eyed peas, they have a new song with Shakira. lol. But, seriously, I love hummus but can't seem to get good store-bought ones from the grocery. Especially, those with the smoky flavor thingy. Love this post. :)
Haha, I like those guys, too. ;) And I love hummus. But definitely agree with you that there aren't many store-bought that I really like. I much prefer homemade so I can add whatever flavors I want. Thanks! :)
I'll be the first to say... that's a wrap. 🤤 I'm making my way over as we speak. It's truly essential! 🤣 But on the serious side, I gotta get back to making food that looks and tastes that good.
Haha, come on over! Just heading out to the farmers market now to stock up for the coming week. I think more collards might just be on the menu. Something like this is so simple, so a good way to ease back in to making some healthy and tasty meals. ;)
I'll put it on the bucket list @plankstoplanks ;) Maybe one day. Glad to hear you're making it out to the local markets (i.e. they are open) and whatnot! And thanks as always for the inspiring recipes - always looks so amazing! 😀😎
We've been very lucky here @synrg! The farmers market didn't skip a beat this whole time. When the market was officially closed, the farmers still did pre-orders and pickups so I was never without the best goodies. They'll close for the holidays for a few weeks, but back to it after that thank goodness. Keeps me happy, but I'm also so thankful for them not to lose their livelihood in all this. And thank you for the compliment! 🤗
What a great idea, looks delicious! I can imagine them in a tray with a tomatoey sauce and some kind of vegan fetta crumbled on top and baked too... yuuuummmm
Yum! I need to attempt cabbage rolls at some point, too. Or Gołąbki if I'm being proper. I'm sure my pseudo-mother-in-law would be pleased if I did. She's made me vegan versions before, but it's been a while. Hhhmmm, dare I try this week?
You've done it again: added to my list of want-to-taste, want-to-find and use vegetables. I had never really paid attention to greens. Have just looked them up. We don't get them here. It would be interesting to grow them given the rise in popularity of kale.
Because I also had to peruse the web 🤭, I found this - some other ideas to add to your already delicious repertoire.
Oh, and that combination sounds divine!
I would imagine you could grow some in your garden if you can grow other greens like kale and the like. They are kind of like okra here--every farmer grows them! I wasn't a fan when I first tried them, but as with so many things from the market they have "grown" on me. So many great ways to use them, as you have seen on that link. :)
Will have to see if we can get seed...😉
Wow those wraps look amazing. I think I may try to grow collard greens this coming growing season, which unfortunately is still months away.😥
I always enjoy reading your food posts.
Enjoy!
Ooh I hope you can grow some when you can get to planting again. I've never tried growing them in our garden since they are so prolific at the market, but perhaps one day we'll give it a go. They do hold up better than most greens for wraps. Well, at least wraps that fill enough to keep me full. ;) Hope all is well with you and yours!
Same to you, stay healthy.
With your exceptional diet, I am sure good health is yours to keep.
Enjoy the day!
I think when it comes to these kinds of feasts, messy is best. What a fabulous bounty!
Thanks @katrina-ariel! Finger food is usually the best kind of food, right? Less dishes to wash, too. ;)
Your wraps came out perfectly and look so very good @plantstoplanks, this must have been absolutely delicious plus super healthy! Yummmm!
Thanks @lizelle! For something so simple, it really was a lovely combination of flavors. Though give me roasted veggies in just about anything and I'm a happy gal. ;)
Curated for #naturalmedicine by @justinparke.
Those ain't no southern collard greens! I love the use of collards in ways reimagined from the standard pork-based recipes. These little wraps are an inventive way to use this underappreciated leafy green.
Thanks @plantstoplanks for sharing this with us.
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Haha, not a speck of pork in sight @justinparke! I guess that's the nice thing about not growing up eating them, I'm not tied to those cultural norms of how they "should" be used. ;)