This easy meal is deceptively simple. Have you visited the Fingerlakes Cider House yet? If not you are in for a treat! Melissa Madden and Garrett Miller have created a beautiful tasting room featuring local cider from all over the region, including their own line of cider featuring apples from their orchard. Friday nights feature music and food, and a few Fridays ago we were discussing cooking with cider. I took a bottle of their “Workhorse” back to the farm and paired it with tempeh (as well as local pork chops if you’re into that). Marinate the tempeh all day, bake it, and while it cooks wilt some greens. A company worthy meal with little to no prep work.
Pairing the cider with savory shoyu makes a really great tasting marinade. Marinate the tempeh as long as you can, but at least an hour. All day or over night is best. Rosemary compliments the cider nicely. Early summer greens are some of my favorite things we grown on the farm, and you can sub use any delicate green you’d like. The greens are cooked over high heat with salt, pepper, and a dash of cider vinegar.
Cider Marinated Tempeh with Wilted Mizuna
8 oz package of tempeh
1/4 shoyu (soy sauce, use GF if necessary)
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup dry cider
1 clove minced garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 teaspoons rosemary
1 – 2 bunches of greens like mizuna, arugula, mustard greens, or tat soi washed and lower stems removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Make the marinade. Combine the cider, shoyu, water, garlic, ginger, and rosemary. Place the tempeh in a shallow dish and pour the mixture over. Marinate at least one hour and up to 24.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Use olive oil to grease the bottom of a small baking pan. Remove the tempeh from the marinade and place in the dish. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until golden.
Wilt the mizuna. Heat the olive oil over high heat, and add the whole leaves. Cook stirring constantly until the greens is just wilted. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and apple cider vinegar.
Serve the tempeh sliced over a bed of greens.
