My class of 3 year-olds is probably my most adventurous class in the taste department. Week after week, even when we push the envelope and make dishes that some kids would not come near with a ten foot pole, they happily sit down and eat together, with not a word about it being gross. Even better, they seem to happily eat everything up and talk about making it later with their moms and dads.
So, to continue the tamale making, we put together these greened up tamales for the time that bridges late winter to early spring. Here in the North, where we still are not seeing many new things at the greenmarket, we look to the things that have come through the winter with us. In this case, locally grown collard greens, swiss chard, and spinach are sauteed, added to the bed of masa harina dough, and topped with some queso blanco, a mild Mexican cheese that is just right but that could also be substituted with mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or really any mild and melting cheese that your children like.
We are all about using up everything we have, so we did add dollops of cumin tomato sauce, but you can mix and match as you like. The technique is the same with the greens tamales. Just swap out the greens filling and queso blanco recipe below with the tomato sauce. Here is the original recipe for our tamales with cumin tomato sauce.
The following recipe for the green filling is mostly done by a Big Person since the greens are sauteed on the stovetop. One of the parts that your mini-chef can do is to help you wash the greens. Talk to your mini-chefs about each green, what its name is, and have your Yummy touch, smell, and eventually taste the difference among the three greens. Next time you see these greens at the grocery store or greenmarket, your Yummy will be able to point out and ask for their favorite by name.
Tamale Filling: Greens and Queso Blanco
*1 bunch of collard greens
*1 bunch of swiss chard (the rainbow variety is especially pretty in tamales)
*2 cups spinach
*3 cloves garlic, minced
*4 shallots, finely chopped
*2 T. olive oil
*1 T. red wine vinegar, optional
*salt and pepper, to taste
*1 lb. queso fresco, room temperature
With your mini-chef, wash each green under running water. Then, in a very large bowl or bucket filled with cold water, let the greens soak so that the remaining dirt sinks to the bottom.
Big Person: Cut the big ribs (stems) out of the center of both the collards and the swiss chard. Finely chop all of the greens together and set them aside.
Over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Stir in the shallots and cook till they turn translucent. Add the garlic and saute another minute, stirring. Add the vinegar and the greens and saute for a few minutes, till the greens are soft and cooked through but still bright green. If you do not have a pan large enough to cook all the greens at once, cook them in two batches, using half of the olive oil and the vinegar in each batch.
To fill the tamales, use a heaping tablespoon of the greens filling, topped with a popcorn-sized lump of the cheese.
