Ayib be Gomen, or Collard Greens with Cheese

As a great fan of creamed spinach in all forms, I was anxious to try making my own version of Ayib be Gomen, the collard greens dish I have enjoyed on a couple occasions at Abay. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a lot of consistency among the recipes I consulted, and the spices included in these recipes seemed a bit too simplified for my liking. This was an issue that Sabrina has also reported when attempting Ethiopian dishes; many of the recipes she’s found for homestyle Ethiopian vegetable dishes are not at all spice-rich.

Since I recently put together a satisfactory berbere recipe, I decided to rely on that as the main spice. Before posting this recipe I tried at least three different permutations of this recipe, and I will offer my commentary on each below:

AYIB BE GOMEN

3 tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1-2 tablespoons berbere
black pepper
1 lb fresh or frozen greens
salt and/or pepper
goat cheese, feta cheese or ricotta cheese
extra water

Saute the onion and garlic in the melted butter until onions are softened. Add the ginger and spices and a little extra water, when necessary. Fry the spices for about 10 minutes and then add the greens. Cook covered until greens are softened. Season with salt & pepper, to taste. Before serving, top with crumbled goat or feta cheese, or stir in some ricotta.

First I tried this recipe using spinach, ricotta and my simple berbere. I was a little disappointed, especially in the cheese. I had also wanted to try it with collard greens, which a lot of recipes I found called for, but didn’t have any on hand. Next up, I was determined to try it will real collards. I also recalled, on my last visit to Abay, that the waiter had likened their homemade cheese, used in this dish at the restaurant, to goat cheese, so I figured that some goat or feta would serve it better.

I found some frozen collards at the grocery store, but unfortunately, the goat cheese was way over-priced and so I got feta instead. The dish was okay, but I was still not pleased with it. I froze my leftovers, determined to try again with goat cheese. When I finally got my hands on some, I reheated my frozen leftovers, adding more berbere, and served it with my goat cheese.

The goat cheese was an improvement, but again, it did not rise much above “okay.” Ultimately, I think I just didn’t like the flavor of the collards (not sure what they do to them at Abay that I liked them so well there). If I try this recipe again, I will go back to spinach, and make sure to have goat cheese on hand.

Pasta with fresh Cherry Tomato Sauce and Goat Cheese

Sometimes wonderful recipes happen completely by accident. Last weekend I had the good fortune to come into a supply of gorgeous cherry tomatoes. One of my freelance computer clients had gotten a quantity of these tomatoes, too much for her to use, from a friend who grows them. She just happened to ask, really out of thin air, if I wanted any. Wanted any? Folks, I am too poor to buy fresh vegetables, yes, make me a repository for your garden surplus. Tomatoes are always good, but cherry tomatoes have got to be my very favorite of the tomato family. Tasty, pretty and easy to use (I usually only ever cut them in half), cherry tomatoes are always a boon to my kitchen.

I also happened to have a leftover supply of goat cheese from another recipe that I was anxious to find a use for. Perfect! I blogged recently about my roommate in Columbus who taught me how to cook great pasta dishes without following a recipe, and there was no doubt in my mind about taking the same approach here. With such a wonderfully fresh ingredient, simplicity would be key.

I started by sauteing some minced garlic, but I was distressed to recall that I’m out of onions. Diced white or yellow onions, that is. Luckily I had some green onions, so I chopped up the white parts (i.e. the most onion-y parts) and used those instead. Fair warning, this is a recipe without quantities… so one just has to eye-up what’s needed. I based my estimates on the amount of cherry tomatoes I had at hand.

PASTA WITH CHERRY TOMATO SAUCE & GOAT CHEESE

vegetable oil
minced garlic
onions, diced, or spring onions, chopped fine
cherry tomatoes
salt & pepper
paprika
pasta
goat cheese

Saute the garlic and onions in vegetable oil until softened in a medium-deep, non-stick skillet. Halve the cherry tomatoes and add to skillet. Season with salt, pepper and paprika (because everything is better with paprika). Cover and simmer on low. This will take some time. I like to cook my cherry tomatoes until they easily squish when pressed by my cooking spoon. They can be cooked longer to a saucier amalgam, if preferred.

When sauce is near ready, cook pasta according to package directions; al dente is preferred. Toss pasta with the cooked tomatoes, crumble goat cheese liberally on top. Serve and enjoy.

This dish really delighted me. Maybe I’ve been too heavily entrenched in spice-heavy curry cookery as of late, but this very straightforward mix of tomatoes and cheese hit me as unexpectedly delicious.