Coconut Stewed Callaloo with Sweet Potato Greens
If you haven't yet tried sweet potato greens alongside amaranth greens, then you truly have not yet begun to live! The combination of greens and spices in this dish was absolutely amazing and I have been dreaming about them ever since.
I first heard of callaloo while in college from my Jamaican roommate who enjoyed cooking and introduced me to many tasty dishes from the island. Unfortunately, callaloo was not one of them because she said it just wasn't something a person could find here in the US, but she spoke of it often.
Now fast forward about twelve years later during a farm tour on our urban farm. One of the women touring in the group began to shout and excitedly point to a tall plant that volunteers itself around the homestead every year. It took me a minute to realize what she was shouting, 'Callaloo! You have callaloo!' She was pointing at a 7ft tall plant that I only knew as amaranth.
Callaloo the dish and the plant are often used interchangeably with those from the Caribbean Islands. It is generally a plant-based dish that's often prepared with greens, okra, onions, tomatoes and spices - and no two islanders make it the same.
So with an abundance of amaranth greens along with sweet potato greens freshly harvested from our homestead I decided to create my own version of this island favorite. I have already been eating amaranth greens for several years, however sweet potato greens are new to me.
Sweet potato greens are a cross between turnip greens and spinach. They were slightly bitter when I tasted them raw but found they cook down rather quickly like spinach and the bitterness mellows out dramatically. I also read they are nutrient dense with many benefits such as controlling blood sugar levels, is anti-bacterial, and antioxidant. (Source: University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension). Sweet potatoes take a good amount of time before the roots can be harvested (95 to 120 days!) so utilizing the greens makes a good use of space for food production.
Above is a photo of our sweet potato greens patch. If you look closely, you will see a light blanket of ash - the result of the local wildfires that has surrounded us recently. A reminder to take additional care when cleaning and preparing the harvest. I prepared a 10% vinegar solution to soak and wash all the green in prior to cooking.
I can get a little long winded about these amazing greens. Here's the recipe for my Coconut Stewed Callaloo with Sweet Potato Greens!
Coconut Stewed Callaloo with Sweet Potato Greens
Ingredients:
Directions:
Made this last night and as promised the deliciousness (not to mention the good work you all are doing!) prompted a Patreon subscription. I admit to substituting New Zealand spinach and chard for spinach and sweet potato greens, but that was what was in the garden . . . Anyway great recipe and thanks for the inspiration!