Roasted Greens with Miso-Tahini Sauce

Why roast greens? Roasting helps concentrate flavors and creates good textures. I had a somewhat random assortment of greens, however, and I knew that roasting all of them equally would result in some things underdone and other things overdone. So what would have been a simple recipe became a little tricky as I pre-steamed vegetables that would require more cooking. The cheesy or nutty flavor of the miso-tahini sauce pairs nicely with the slight bitterness of the greens.

Roasted Greens with Miso-Tahini Sauce

Possible Ingredients
Radish greens
Kale
Broccoli rabe
Brussels sprouts
*
Minced garlic
Olive oil
Sea salt
Black pepper
*
Toasted sesame seeds (optional--I forgot)

Instructions

Wash and trim vegetables. Steam vegetables to the point that they only require 10-15 minutes of roasting. This meant that for me I had to steam the broccoli rabe and the brussels sprouts for 5 minutes, remove the broccoli rabe and continue steaming the brussels sprouts for another 5 min (and it should have been 10). When all the vegetables have acheived about the same level of ready-to-be-roastedness, toss with a liberal amount of garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread out in a baking sheet or pan, and cover with foil. Bake at 400* for 10-15 minutes, removing the foil towards the end. Vegetables should be tender, and greens should be just beginning to get crispy. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve with miso-tahini sauce (recipe below).

Miso-Tahini Sauce

I struggle to imagine a food pairing more simply perfect than miso and tahini. It's creamy, it's nutty, it's salty, and it's cheesy. Misos vary enormously in flavor (darker ones, fermented longer, are saltier and have richer, wine-ier flavors). I ended up using equal parts of my favorite yellow miso and a low-sodium red miso, which was quite middle-of-the-road (and delicious).  Edit 9/20/10: We might also consider the sibling tahini-tamari sauce as well.

Sometimes I put mustard or garlic in this kind of a sauce, too.

Miso-Tahini Sauce

Ingredients
3 parts miso (experiment with different kinds)
3 parts tahini
2 parts warm water
1 part olive oil (optional)

Instructions: Blend well and serve at room temperature.