If you've ever driven through wine country in the spring you've seen the spray of beautiful yellow flowers that splash through vineyards and line the sides of the road. Napa is notorious for this wash of yellow and Oregon doesn't seem to be falling too far behind. This lanky abundant plant is mustard, and although I have yet to make the fabulous yellow condiment we all know and love, the greens have grazed our kitchen table more than once this spring. Not only do I get a kick out of finding something delicious and free growing wild around me (particularly before the garden has started producing), mustard greens are nutritional powerhouses. Deborah Madison in her cookbook, Vegetable Literacy, writes "...the mustards are powerful plants, endowed with vitamins A, C and K, and that's not all. Add vitamin E, calcium, fiber, and manganese, plus antioxidants and phytonutrients, and you have another plant that supports detoxifying functions." 
I tend to think of these greens as a cross between arugula, spinach and swiss chard. They have a spicy strong flavor reminiscent of arugula, yet they cook down like spinach and do well blanched or sautéed. With that in mind they hardly need a recipe to put them to use, but here's the latest one we tried, a sort of clean out the pantry/fridge week night indian sauté. Note: although mustard greens are difficult to confuse with other plants due to their tell tale four petaled yellow flowers and arugula shaped leaves, always be sure to correctly identify wild food sources. There are numerous foraging books and trusted internet websites that can help guide you through local foraging. In addition, make sure to chose a location away from roads and other pollutants. Soak and wash foraged foods well.
Indian Spiced Lentils with Mustard Greens and Baked Yam Rounds
- 1 large bowl of trimmed mustard greens
- 1 large yam or sweet potato cut into 1/2" thick rounds, skin on
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- minced cilantro stems from 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 1/2 cups rinsed lentils, Le Puy or beluga, soaked overnight if possible
- 2 tbsp coconut or sesame oil
- 1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp black or yellow mustard seeds
- 1 1/2 tsp curry powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- juice of 1 lime, plus additional lime wedges for serving
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place yam rounds onto a lightly oiled baking tray, drizzle with sesame or coconut oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and 1 tsp of the ground cumin. Bake until soft when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes.
While sweet potatoes are cooking, place lentils in a pot with three cups of water, season water with salt and bring to a boil, Cover lentils and simmer until tender, stirring occasionally. Drain lentils.
On another burner, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add trimmed mustard greens to boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Once drained, remove to cutting board and chop coarsely.
Place 2 tbsp oil in a sauté pan over medium heat, add onion, stir to coat with oil, and cook gently until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add remaining spices and cilantro stems, stir again and let cook for another few minutes. Add cooked and drained lentils to onion mixture, along with mustard greens. Stir over low heat to let flavors combine and taste for salt and pepper. Once all ingredients are warm, remove from heat. Place 2-3 yam rounds on a plate, pile with mustard green/lentil mixture. Top with fresh chopped cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime.
