Week 7 - Recipes - Colorful Lemony Kale Sandwiches - (Kale, Squash Blossoms, Garlic Scapes (week 6))

Kale Sandwiches?  Seriously?  Please stick with me on this one - these are not only pretty sandwiches, but colorful, refreshing, and satisfying! They will actually cool you off on these hot summer days! 

The Lacinato kale (also called Dinosaur Kale) included in this week's delivery is more tender and less bitter than curly red or green kale.  In this recipe, it is just barely steamed to tenderize it slightly.  It can be used quite successfully raw in salads too.

A neat thing about this sandwich is that, instead of ho-hum mayonnaise, the bread is coated with either hummus or, for a very gourmet taste, garlic scape pesto.   Scapes were in the week 6 delivery so if you still have yours try my garlic scape pesto recipe.

This recipe will make two sandwiches, but if you want to make more, just increase the amount of all the ingrediants.  If you don't have the heart to zest a lemon (or are lacking a zesting tool such as a microplane grater), you can leave the zest out, but you may want to add just a bit more lemon juice in that case.  As with any special sandwich, these may take a bit longer to make than oh say, PB&J, but the result will be worth it! 

Colorful Lemony Kale Sandwiches

(recipe adapted from a similar one in The Engine 2 Diet book)

1/2 bunch Clarion River Organics Lacinato Kale

1/4 cup garlic scape pesto (garlic scape pesto),  or hummus - store bought or homemade

4 scallions, white and green parts, sliced

1/2 bunch cilantro, stems removed, roughly chopped

1 lemon, peeled, sliced very thin, and seeds removed

2 Clarion River Organic Squash blossoms, petals only, rinsed

1 tomato, sliced thin

Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

4 slices whole grain bread

The prepped ingrediants

Cut the kale leaves away from the center rib

Cut the kale leaves away from the stem by placing leaf on a cutting board and drawing the tip of a knife straight down along the edge on both sides of the center rib.  You can save the stems for another use (try them sautéed in olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes as a side dish) or just discard them.  Chop the leaves roughly into bite-sized pieces.  Place the kale in a steamer basket set over  a pot of simmering water and steam 4-5 minutes until just wilted and still bright green.  Place steamed kale in a separate bowl and toss with the juice and zest of half a lemon.  Set aside.

Toast the bread until lightly browned and crisp.  Divide the pesto (or hummus) between two of the toast slices and spread thickly.  Top this with the divided scallions, cilantro, lemon slices, squash petals and tomato slices.  Place half the kale/lemon mixture on top of each sandwich and top with the remaining toast slice.  Cut sandwiches in half and enjoy!