You have most likely seen them planted around people houses as ornamental plants and like most ornamental plants, you have most likely never thought of putting it in a frying pan with some garlic and olive oil, cooked just like you would spinach, which is what I did tonight! More familiarly this plant is called Hosta and they're everywhere! My husband, the gardener, informed me of this discovery and has planted a perennial bed in our ever growing vegetable garden.The taste is ridiculously delicious for something that before a couple of months ago I would never have thought of eating. Think Asparagus, slightly sweet, and aromatic. You can buy them packaged in an Asian grocery store, yet they are very easy to grow if you are willing and able to garden. From what I have read they are eaten commonly in Japan, something I have asked about in my last letter to my Japanese pen pal. Maybe she will send a recipe in her next letter!
So Simple to make, and quick. I will definitely be making this again and again. I'm sure there are countless ways to prepare this but here is what I did tonight. I'm looking forward to experimenting with this plant!
big ol' handful of young hosta leaves, stemmed and washed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T fresh thyme
1 t red pepper flakes
sprinkling of good organic all purpose seasoning
olive oil
pinch of salt
1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cup water
Cook quinoa - boil water and add quinoa, cover and lower heat, simmer 15 minutes
Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat, when heated add garlic, thyme, red pepper and salt, cook until just golden .
Add hosta and sautee until wilted to desired wiltyness, just a minute or 3. Move it around while it's cooking to coat all the leaves and to make sure they don't crisp and stick to the pan. (oops!) - Miriam
Serve with Quinoa, I added a dollop of butter at the end. This was seriously and unexpectedly delicious!
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