Arriving home with my gorgeous fresh produce, I went right to cooking. I could not wait to use every item in this bountiful bag and so decided to make my first meal with the CRO veggies as a sampler of side dishes: simply roasted potatoes, kale with tamari-sesame dressing, and two bean salad with asparagus.
My favorite way to enjoy root vegetables such as potatoes, rutabagas, turnips, carrots and the like is to roast them with salt and pepper. I often will add different herbs, but in this case I wanted to enjoy the pure taste of the Clarion River potatoes and rutabagas, so I decided to go with the simplest prep. I generally don't peel my potatoes because many of the nutrients are found in the skin, but the rutabagas, I peel. You don't really have to as these are organic vegetables after all, so no pesticide residue or wax on the skin as you would find with a conventional supermarket rutabaga, but the rutabaga skin is a bit tougher than on potatoes and well, just not as pretty.
Roasting vegetables can be tricky because you don't want to dry them out. However, these vegetables were so fresh that they roasted perfectly - lightly browned but still plenty moist. The rutabagas looked virtually identical to the potatoes, but for the skin and had a slightly sweeter flavor.
As to the kale, my favorite way to enjoy it is simply chopped or torn into a green salad - that is, raw. Katie Scwarz of CRO did not recommend this in her week one newsletter and when I asked her why she said that it "may be too tough for those who are not used to eating them like salad greens" adding that this may be a new vegetable for many subscribers. I understand this thinking since kale is not as tender as say a bibb lettuce. However, I would encourage you to try it raw in salads anyway. Raw Kale is one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat. It scores a perfect 1000 on the ANDI (Aggregate Nutrient Density Index) scale. If you find you don't like it raw then try my recipe below. I chose here to saute the kale, both stems and leaves, which will tenderize it and make it appear much like cooked spinach.
To add a little protein and substance to my meal of sides, I tossed together a bean salad with the CRO asparagus, some fresh oregano from my garden, and a little olive oil and vinegar. I do not use a lot of added fats in my food preparation and I prefer salads only very lightly dressed so I can enjoy the taste of the vegetables. If you like things a little "heavier" then just increase the oil and vinegar amounts in my dressings.
Enjoy!
Here are the recipes:
Simply Roasted Potatoes and Rutabagas
2 pounds Clarion River Organics Potatoes, cubed
1 large Clarion River Organics Rutabaga, peeled and cubed
Olive Oil Cooking Spray
Salt, Pepper
Place potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spray potatoes lightly with the olive oil cooking spray. Roast at 425 degrees for 25 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender and lightly browned. Serves 4.
Kale with Tamari-Sesame Dressing
1 bunch Clarion River Organics Kale
1 small onion, sliced
1/8-1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (depends how hot you like it)
3/4 - 1 cup water or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons tamari (japanese soy sauce (or you can just use soy sauce))
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (toast in oven for 2 minutes at 400)
Cooking Spray
Combine tamari, maple syrup and sesame seeds and set aside. Cut stalks away from kale leaves and chop stalks. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Saute onion and kale stalks for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth to onions/stems and continue to sauté/steam about 3 more minutes. Meanwhile, chop the kale leaves into bit sized pieces. Add the chopped kale, red pepper flakes and the remaining 1/4 cup water/broth to skillet. Cover and cook until kale is tender (about 15 minutes). Stir occasionally and add more broth/water if skillet seems to dry. Remove from heat. Pour tamari mixture over kale and toss to combine. Serves 4.
Two Bean Salad with Asparagus
(note: you can use any kind of beans you like in this recipe.)
1 bunch Clarion River Organics asparagus
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed (1 1/2 cups cooked beans)
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (1 1/2 cups cooked beans)
1-2 Tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried)
1 Tablespoon olive oil or grapeseed oil
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar (red wine vinegar works well too)
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Bring a pot of water to a simmer while preparing the asparagus. Snap tough ends off each asparagus spear and place in a steamer basket set over the simmering water (if no steamer then just simmer asparagus in a small amount of water in a skillet). Steam asparagus for about 3 minutes just until it begins to get tender. Rinse asparagus under cold water and place in a bowl of ice water (you don't want the asparagus to continue cooking - it will get mushy). Meanwhile, make the dressing by combining the olive oil, vinegar, and oregano in a small bowl. Set aside. Remove the asparagus from the ice water, pat dry and cut into one inch pieces. In a large bowl, combine asparagus, beans, and dressing and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4-6.
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