Dahl of the Day

Indian Dahl

Eating a plant-based diet can present problems when going out for dinner.  Scan any restaurant menu and you will likely find that every entree will either contain meat, poultry, seafood or cheese. That is with one exception – the ethnic restaurant.  Asian, Indian, Caribbean, Mediterranean and just about any other ethnic type of establishment you can think of will have vegan options aplenty.  One of our favorite such places is The Mintt, an Indian restaurant on Banksville Road in the South Hills of Pittsburgh.  The herbs and spices in this type of cuisine are strong, but we have grown to really like them.  One of our favorite dishes there is called simply  "Dahl of the Day".  Dahl (also spelled Dal) is a dried pulse, or legume as we would refer to it, that has been split.  Pulses are high in protein as well as B vitamins.  The word "Dahl" is also used to refer to a thick stew or soup made with pulses.  The "Dahl of the Day" at The Mintt is an Indian soup made with red lentils and simmered with greens, tomatoes, and a variety of spices. Interestingly, according to Wikipedia, "[a]rchaeologists have discovered traces of pulse production around Ravi River (Punjab), the seat of the Indus Valley civilization, dating circa 3300 BC."  India is the largest producer of pulses.  So here is my take on The Mintt's dish using this ancient legume and swiss chard from Clarion River Organics.

Dahl of the Day

1 1/2 cups split red lentils, rinsed
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water (or a combination)
1 tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 tbs curry powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala (see Note)
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (less or leave out if you don't like spicy heat)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained (see Note)
1 bunch Clarion River Organics swiss chard, center rib removed and leaves chopped (see Note)
salt and pepper to taste

Rinse the lentils in a colander or fine sieve.  Transfer the lentils to a medium-sized bowl of water to soak for 20 minutes.  Drain the soaked lentils and add to a soup pot with the broth or water.  Bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce heat so that the lentils are just simmering.  While the lentils cook, heat the oil in a fry pan over medium heat.  Add the onion to the fry pan and sauté until translucent (about 5 minutes).  Add curry powder, garam masala, ginger, and cayenne (if using) and cook 1 minute.  Add tomatoes to the onion/spice mixture and continue cooking about 5 more minutes.  Add the onion/tomato/spice mixture and the swiss chard to the lentils in the soup pot and continue to simmer until lentils are soft - about 15 more minutes.  Serve over brown basmati rice.  Serves 6 as a first course or 4 as an entree.  

Notes:
• Garam masala is a spice blend used in Indian cooking.  If you can't find it, use cumin and/or coriander.
• With just a bit of extra work you can use fresh Clarion River Organics tomatoes.  Use 2 fresh tomatoes that have had the skins and seeds removed.  See procedure to do that here: Tomato Time.  Chop the tomatoes after removing the skins and seeds.
• Instead of swiss chard, you can also use spinach, kale, or any other green you like.
• To complete the Indian theme, serve with naan bread available in the frozen foods of many grocery stores and at Indian grocers.  

Kale and Tomato Pizza with Basil "Ricotta Cheese"

This pizza is a little bit of work, but when you taste it you will say it was worth it.  If you have a lot of basil to use up (more than what we received from CRO this past week) then this is the pizza for you.  It is topped with both basil pesto and basil "ricotta cheese".  Add some of the kale and tomatoes you received and you have one great pizza!  I make my own pizza dough from scratch,  but it is easier to just buy pre-made crust or dough that you can roll out.  




Kale and Tomato Pizza with Basil "Ricotta cheese" 
(adapted from Vegan with a Vengeance "Isa Pizza")

12 to 14 inch pizza crust
1/2 cup jarred pizza sauce
2 large CRO kale leaves, center rib removed and chopped
1 CRO heirloom tomato, sliced into rounds and then the slices cut into quarters

For Basil Pesto:
3 cups packed basil leaves
1/2 cup walnuts
3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional)

For Basil "Ricotta Cheese"
1 block tofu (14 oz)
2 tsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
10 basil leaves, finely chopped
1/4 tsp salt
dash pepper
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 nutritional yeast

Prepare Pesto:  Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until it has a grainy consistency.  Set aside

Prepare Basil "Ricotta Cheese":  Place tofu in the bowl of an electric mixer and break apart with a fork.  Now turn on your mixer and blend until crumbly. (I use an electric mixer.  If you don't have one, just mix by hand, but it will take longer to get the right consistency).  Add lemon juice, garlic, basil, salt and pepper.  Blend until the consistency of cottage cheese.  Add the olive oil and mix again until it has the consistency of ricotta cheese.  Add the nutritional yeast and blend until just combined.  Set aside.

To assemble pizza:  Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Spread pizza sauce over crust leaving a rim around the edge.  Place dollops, about 2 tablespoons each, of pesto all around the crust.  Repeat this with the "ricotta".  Top with slices of tomato and the kale.  Bake for 8-12 minutes.  It is done when crust edges are light brown. 

It Might Not Look Pretty...

It might not look pretty, but this was excellent.  I decided to make the spaghetti squash the centerpiece for a meal but wondered what else to mix it with.  I found a recipe online that I adapted slightly.  I am simply going to post the link and note here the changes I made:

- I cut the squash in half BEFORE cooking.  Then I scooped out the seeds, placed in a baking dish with one inch of water in the bottom cut side down, and baked for 15 minutes at 400 until fork tender.
- I added 1/2 cup raisins with the chick peas.
- I used only 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes.
- I didn't know what "Aleppo chili flakes" were so I used crushed red chili peppers.

Aside from these changes, I followed this recipe: Curried Spaghetti Squash with Chickpeas and Kale.  Yum!!

Cabbage and Kale - Three Ideas

This is where the rubber meets the road.  Right about now you are finding out that a full share CSA is not for the cowardly, particularly if you have been traveling lately, as I have. Veggies are piling up.  There is no more room in the vegetable drawer.  You've even filled up the fruit drawer and still veggies are stacking upon veggies.  It's time for some serious work.

A good place to start is with the cabbage (hard to use up) and the greens (they wilt fast). So here are a few ideas for you to try. 

While visiting my dancing daughter in Atlanta I stayed at the Marriott in Dunwoody and tried their baked kale appetizer.  I am pretty sure all they did was cut up kale, toss with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and bake until crisp (but not burnt!).  They key to not burning the kale is to bake at a lower temperature than you would think.  I baked mine at 275 for 12 minutes and it came out great!

Baked Kale

Baked Kale

3-4 kale leaves, center rib removed and torn into 2 inch pieces
olive oil cooking spray (or 1/2 tbs olive oil)
salt, pepper to taste

Spray cut up kale leaves with olive oil to coat (or toss with the olive oil).  Sprinkle on salt and pepper to taste.  Bake on a cookie sheet for 12 minutes at 275.  Serves 2 as a snack/appetizer.

Also while in Atlanta we had lunch at a raw vegan place - Tassili's Raw Reality in the West End. All I can say is that if you ever get to Atlanta, this place is well worth a visit.  It is a very simple, casual establishment in an old house.  From the posters on the wall displaying the "ankh" symbol to the elaborate scarab, cartouche, and heavy necklace jewelry that was for sale on the porch, we could see that this place was owned and frequented by a group of people that are into some type of polytheistic religion that strongly looked like the religion of Ancient Egypt (Tasilli calls herself Tasilli Maat) and that this somehow ties into the raw vegan diet.  Nonetheless we liked their food!  They had a terrific kale salad that is making me crave chopped kale heavily coated with dressing.  My wonderful daughter, Hannah,  came up with a fantastic tahini dressing last summer that I love to use on kale. So here is a good option I found to use both the red cabbage and kale.

Kale and Cabbage Salad

Kale and Cabbage Salad

For the salad:
1/4 head of red cabbage, chopped (about 4 cups)
1/2 bunch of kale, center rib removed and chopped
1 heirloom tomato, cut up
1 cup sliced scallions
For the dressing:
1/4 cup tahini
juice of 2 lemons
1 tbs white wine vinegar
2 tsp maple syrup
2 good pinches cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Place cabbage and kale in a large bowl.  Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over salad.  Toss all together to coat thoroughly.  Serve and enjoy!  Serves 4.
Note:  Since I am the queen of one dish meals, I served a little side of broiled tofu with this salad.  Just cube the tofu and toss with about 1 tbs each of sesame oil and soy sauce.  Broil on a cookie sheet for 7 minutes.

Finally, if you feel like doing a little more prep, I made this noodle dish to use up some of the cabbage and broccoli.  As I said, I like to make one dish meals, so I added some red kidney beans to bulk it up and add protein.  Tofu would be great in this too.  

Rice Noodles with Cabbage and Broccoli

Rice Noodles with Cabbage and Broccoli
8 ounces rice noodles (such as pad thai noodles), cooked, drained, and kept warm
1 tbs olive oil (or for more "asian" flavor use sesame oil)
3 cups cut up broccoli
2 cups chopped red cabbage
1/2 ounce dried shitake mushrooms, reconstituted in 1 cup boiling water for 5 minutes
1 cup red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup sliced scallions
For the sauce:
1 tbs siracha
3 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs mirin (rice wine)
1/4 cup vegetable broth

Heat oil in a large skillet.  Stir fry broccoli about 3 minutes.  Drain shitake mushrooms and add to pan with the cabbage.  Cook about 3 minutes to wilt cabbage but still have it maintain some crispness.  Add the garlic and ginger and toss for a minute.  Add the kidney beans and toss to combine.  Now add all the sauce ingredients and continue to stir fry to coat everything and heat through - about 3 minutes.  Add the noodles and scallions and toss to combine.  Serve at once.  Serves 3-4.

For more Kale ideas try these previous posts: Kale Salad with Creamy Avocado and Ginger-Almond Dressing and Kale! Kale! Kale!.

Not Your Typical Minestrone Soup

I guess technically any soup that contains beans, vegetables, and noodles can be called Minestrone, right?  At least that is what a recent article in the Wall Street Journal said.  I have always thought of Minestrone as having a clear tomato broth with green beans, kidney beans, a few other common vegetables, macaroni noodles and some parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.  But the following soup can be called "Minestrone" because it has those three basic elements: beans, veggies, and starch.  I could just keep inventing new "Clarion River Organics Minestrone soups" every week depending upon what CRO sends us, but then that would get confusing!   I am fairly certain you can't mess this up.  Just use what you still have in your fridge from CRO, throw in some beans and a starch and call it "Clarion River Minestrone Soup"!

Clarion River Minestrone Soup with Rosemary Pesto
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced plus 2 whole cloves
3 stalks celery
1/2 of a large Clarion River Organics rutabaga, peeled and diced
6 cups vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
1 can (15-oz) white beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cup lentils, rinsed and drained
3 cups Clarion River Organics chopped cabbage (about 1/3 of the head)
1 small apple, peeled and diced OR 1/2 cup apple cider
1/4 pound dry spaghetti, broken into thirds
Salt and Pepper to taste
For the Rosemary Pesto:
1 cup kale, chard or other leafy green (the Clarion River Organics bok choi greens would work well)
1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped
1/4 cup rosemary sprigs
2 Tbsp olive oil

Spray a large cooking pot with cooking oil and place over medium heat.  Add onions and minced garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and just beginning to brown, about 8 minutes.  Add a little water to the pot as necessary to keep onions from sticking and burning.  

Stir in celery, rutabaga and cook another 5 minutes.  Add 4 cups vegetable broth, bay leaves, white beans, lentils, cabbage, and apples or apple cider.  Stir to combine.  Bring to a simmer and then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.  Add the additional 2 cups of broth as needed to keep enough liquid to make this a soup and not a porridge!  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  

Add the dry spaghetti and continue to simmer about 10 more minutes.  Make the rosemary pesto: in a food processor, puree greens, pecans, whole garlic cloves, a pinch of salt and oil until mixture is reduced to a paste.  

To serve, ladle soup into bowls.  Place 1 or 2 dollops of pesto on top of each bowl.  Serves 6.

Kale! Kale! Kale!

As promised, I have a trio of kale ideas for you.  Remember the thoughts of some from the CRO survey about kale?  It was their least enjoyed item.  So for those of you who fall into that category, I promised that the next time we received a batch I'd try to change your mind.  And now that batch is here!  Go for it!

Green Jade Soup

Idea #1:  Green Jade Soup 

This is an old Moosewood recipe and is a very simple, quick and low calorie way to get both greens and protein.  It will use up about 1/3 bunch of your kale.  Use your CRO carrots if you still have them!

4 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 cup boiling water
6 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 tbsp grated fresh ginger root
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onions or leeks
2 Clarion River Organics carrots, sliced
1/3 bunch Clarion River Organics kale, coarse stems and rib removed, and chopped (about 3 cups chopped)
4 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 pkg (14-16 oz) extra fim tofu, cubed
several drops dark sesame oil, if desired

Place the shiitake mushrooms in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water, and set aside for about 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat the broth in a large soup pot.  When it comes to a boil add ginger, onions, carrots, and kale.  Lower the heat and simmer 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Drain the shiitake liquid into the soup pot.  Slice the shiitakes and stir them into the soup along with the spinach and tofu.  Cook for 5 more minutes.  Serve garnished with sesame oil if desired.  Serves 8.  

Spicy Black Bean and Kale Saute

Idea #2: Spicy Black Bean and Kale Saute 

I love the combination of the soft beans, the slightly crunchy kale, the heat of the red chili peppers and the saltiness of the olives.  A winning combination! If you are kale averse you won't even know you are eating it!  Use your CRO elephant garlic if you still have some!

1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1/2 medium onion, sliced thin
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
6 kalamata olives, sliced
1/2 bunch Clarion River Organics Kale, coarse stems and rib removed, and chopped (about 4 cups chopped)
1/4 tsp dried crushed red chili pepper flakes
2 tsp rice vinegar

Heat vegetable broth over medium heat in a large fry pan.  Add garlic and onion and cook 5 minutes.  If pan becomes dry, add a little more vegetable broth or water.  Add black beans and olives and cook 2 more minutes.  Add kale, stir to combine ingredients, lower heat to medium low, cover and cook until kale is tender, about 10 minutes.  Stir in crushed red pepper and and the vinegar, heat one more minute.  Serve immediately.  Serves 4 as a side dish or 1 as an entree.

Idea #3: Breakfast Juice

Breakfast Juice

I nice way to use a generous handful or two of chopped raw kale is to throw it into a juice or smoothie.  You won't even know it's there.  I know you get tired of hearing about my Vitamix blender, but it is seriously the best kitchen appliance I've ever owned!  I literally use it everyday.  You can make a smoothie or juice with a regular blender, but if you want it fast and smooth, use a Vitamix (or Blendtec).  What I list below is the fruit I had on hand.  You can use any fruit you like in this.  Pour this juice into a to-go cup and drink it on your way to work.  There.  Now you have had your 5-7 servings of fruits or vegetables for the day.  You're welcome.  

2 small oranges, peeled
1/2 Clarion River Organics apple, cut into chunks 
1/4 cup blueberries (I used frozen)
a handful of Clarion River Organics huckleberries, stems removed and rinsed
a handful of Clarion River Organics ground cherries, husks removed and rinsed.
1/2 cup chopped Clarion River Organics kale
1/2 cup cold water

Add all ingredients into the blender*.  Blend on high for 2 minutes (longer, much longer, in a regular blender, sorry).  Serves 1 as a breakfast or 2 as a beverage with other breakfast foods.

*if you must have your 
juice a bit sweeter, try adding
a tablespoon of maple 
syrup or agave nectar to
this.  

Calling All Kale Haters!

Kale Salad with Creamy Avocado and Ginger-Almond Dressing

This is directed at those of you out there who feel as some CRO survey respondents did that kale is a "least enjoyed" CSA item and you have "changed your mind for the worse" about kale.    I would love to change your mind for the better.

I must admit that when I first started to receive kale as a member of another CSA years ago, I was not a fan.  In fact, and I hate to admit this, I can recall throwing out entire bunches of kale.  If this is you, then read on.

Kale is one of the most nutritious vegetables out there.  It scores a perfect 1000 on the ANDI scale (Aggregate Nutrient Density Index).  It is an excellent source of vitamin K (a somewhat elusive vitamin).  The recommended intake of vitamin K is about 100 mcg a day.  A half cup of kale has more than 500 mcg!  And my recipe below has far more than a half cup of kale.  Kale boosts the immune system.  It is also a good source of beta-carotene and other carotenoids, vitamins A and C, lutein, and calcium.  It is part of the cabbage family and as such is a cruciferous vegetable which means it has cancer-fighting properties.  

Sadly, the average American consumes only 1 cup of kale a year!  They must feel like some of the CRO subscribers, that kale is well...yucky!  Now I know some of you cannot conceive of eating a salad of the size I have photographed and provided a recipe for here, but trust me, if you are serious about eating for health, and you make this your entree, you can eat it!

Recently, I had a wonderful kale salad at Blossom Cafe in New York City.  I have created my own version of that salad here.  The thick creamy dressing coats and softens the leaves and adds a real boost of flavor to what I guess some of you consider to be a boring or bland green!  If we get another round of kale in our shares I will give you a soup recipe that may also change your mind about kale.  Stay tuned Kale Haters!

Kale Salad with Creamy Avocado and Ginger-Almond Dressing

For the salad:
1/2 bunch Clarion River Organics kale, tough stem and rib removed, chopped into bite sized pieces
1/2 Clarion River Organics tomato, sliced and julienned
1/2 Clarion River Organics green pepper, diced
1 Clarion River Organics carrot, julienned or shredded
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

For the dressing:
1/2 cup raw almonds
2 ripe avocados, skin and pit removed
juice of a lemon or lime
1/4 cup tahini
1 medium garlic clove, smashed or roughly chopped
1 1/2 piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 to 1 cup water*

First make the dressing: Place almonds in a blender or food processor and blend until almonds resemble a fine powder.  Add all other dressing ingredients except water and process until creamy.  With motor of food processor or blender running add only as much water as necessary for dressing to have the consistency of mayonnaise.  

Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl.  Add 3/4 cup of the dressing and toss to combine thoroughly coating every piece of kale.  Allow salad to sit for at least 30 minutes.  The longer it sits the more tender the kale becomes.  Serves 2 as an entree.

*For a more tangy dressing use half rice vinegar and half water.

Week 10 - Heirloom Tomato, Poblano Pepper, Celery, Red Onion, Kale

Sometimes improvisation works best when cooking.  That is what happened when I came up with this bean salad recipe.  Looking for ways to use up a few things I still had in the pantry and the refrigerator when we were on vacation, I came up with this cool fresh salad.  It uses many of the things we received in our bags this week so it is a good one to share now.  Serve this atop a kale leaf and you've used five of your CRO items.  Yes, you can eat raw kale!  Just do it!

Summer Bean Salad

1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (or substitute cooked black beans if you still have some from week 2)
2 sprigs mint, leaves only, chopped
1 sprig rosemary, leaves only, chopped 
1/2 Clarion River Organics poblano pepper diced (taste pepper first - make sure it is mild!  Otherwise, use a regular green pepper)  
1 stalk Clarion River Organics celery, diced 
2 scallions, chopped
1 slice Clarion River Organics red onion, diced
1/4 cup shredded carrots, 
1 Clarion River Organics heirloom tomato, diced
1 block Wildwoods brand Teriyaki tofu, cubed (or if you have any leftover teriyaki tofu from the week 10 recipe: Teriyaki Tofu with Mango Salsa)
4 large Clarion River Organics Kale leaves (cut off toughest part of stem at bottom)

For the dressing: 
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice 
1 Tbs olive oil 
1/2 tsp raspberry white balsamic vinegar (or any balsamic vinegar)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dijon mustard 

Combine all salad ingredients except kale in a bowl.  Whisk together all dressing ingredients and pour over salad.  Toss to combine.  Place one kale leaf on each plate and spoon some of the salad onto each leaf.  Serves 4.

Week 10 - Kale, Cantaloupe, Cucumber

Green smoothies are everywhere.  They are becoming as common as a cup of coffee.  Even people who wouldn't dream of eating kale or spinach can be seen drinking a green smoothie.  Of the varied ways you could prepare kale (and I've given a couple on this blog - Kale with Tamari-Sesame Dressing, Colorful Lemony Kale Sandwiches ), perhaps the easiest is to put it into a smoothie.

I purchased a Vitamix blender more than a year ago and truly, it has been the best appliance I've ever placed on my kitchen counter.  I use it nearly every single day because it makes the whole foods plant based lifestyle so much easier.  But as much as I use it to make fruit smoothies, juice, hummus, salsa, soup, and even sorbet, I had yet to make a green smoothie with it.  So with a half a bunch of kale from week 10 still in my vegetable bin, I decided it was time to tackle the green smoothie and the Vitamix made that a cinch.

The thing with smoothies is that anything goes.  You really can't go wrong with whatever you drop into the blender, but in general, I like to include some fruit as a natural sweetener.  Therefore, this was the perfect time to make my green smoothie since we had received cantaloupe along with the kale.  It is not absolutely necessary to freeze the cantaloupe and banana first (which will take a few hours), but it does make the smoothie thicker and colder.  

So why not jump on the "green smoothie bandwagon" if you haven't already and try this low-fat healthy breakfast or snack.  

Kale and Cantaloupe Smoothie

1 cup almond milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup Clarion River Organics Cantalope, cubed and frozen 

1 ripe banana peeled and frozen 

2 cups coarsely chopped Clarion River Organics Kale (tough stems removed before chopping) (about 3 large leaves)

1 cup peeled and sliced Clarion River Organics cucumber

Place all ingredients in a blender in the order listed and blend until smooth (about 1 to 2 minutes with a Vitamix).  Pour into a tall glass and enjoy!  Serves 1 generously.

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!

Week 1 Recipes - Potatoes, Rutabaga, Kale, Asparagus

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.