Quasi-Moroccan Turnip Greens and Moroccan Meatloaf

Sadly, this week was the second to last week of our CSA.  And as daunting as the CSA is at times (what in the world am I supposed to do with dandelion greens, a gigantic rutabega, and mystery squash?!), I have thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience - from Googling said mystery squash, to cooking up various vegetable-driven experiments (some successful, some not so much).  So this Tuesday we ended up with a big bunch of turnip greens and two lonely turnips.  So I immediately started with Epicurious and came across this recipe for Leon O'Neals Turnip Greens.  We were already making a vaguely Moroccan meatloaf, so I figured why not take some inspiration from Leon O'Neal (whomever he is) and blend it with our Moroccan theme and go from there.  So I threw in a little of this, a little of that, and voila - our turnip and turnip greens concoction was done!  And man, it was good - spicy, and shockingly flavorful, I could have eaten an entire plate of the turnips and left behind the meatloaf (not that it wasn't good, but it just couldn't compete and I think that was partially due to the lack of a sauce on top).  Actually, Alex and I polished off all of the turnips and left some of the meatloaf behind, which is mildly shocking.  But the turnips were just so good.  And can I just say that I never thought those words would come out of my mouth?

Recipes after the jump!

Quasi-Moroccan Turnip Greens

INGREDIENTS:

1 large bunch turnip greens

2 small turnips, peeled and diced

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp whole cumin seeds

1 small red onion onion, diced

1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (I used 1 tsp, but you might want to cut back if you don't like heat)

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground coriander

pinch ground allspice

s&p

1 tbsp lemon juice

Tear turnip greens off their stems in large pieces.  Rinse green thoroughly.  Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil and add the greens, turnip, and sugar. Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until tender.  Drain.

Heat a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat.  Add vegetable oil.  Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and saute until fragrant, about 20 seconds.  Add the onions and red pepper flakes. Saute onions, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes, then add garlic, cinnamon, ground corainder, allspice, s&p.  Saute until onions are translucent, about 3 additional minutes.  Add turnip greens and turnips to the pan with the onions.  Toss until combined.  Season to taste with additional s&p, if necessary.  Remove from heat, add fresh lemon juice, and stir to combine.

Serve.

Quasi-Moroccan Meatloaf

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 lb. meatloaf mix (beef, veal, and pork)

1 cup zucchini, coarsely grated

1 cup onion, coarsely grated

3 scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 heaping tbsp harissa

1 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

s&p

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix together all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Form into a loaf.  Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Add vegetable oil.  Swirl the pan several times to evenly coat the skillet with oil.  Once the oil is hot, carefully add the meatloaf.  Sear the meatloaf until golden brown on all sides, about 2 minutes per side.  Place meatloaf in the oven and cook until cooked through, about 25-30 minutes.  Remove meatloaf from the oven and allow to rest in the pan about 10 minutes.

Service warm.