Kale Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, Bacon, and Fried Eggs

Ingredients:

Salad:

1 large bunch green kale, ribs removed and torn into bite-sized pieces

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced in 1/4-in dice

8 slices of high-quality thick-cut bacon

4 eggs

2 tablespoons butter

olive oil

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

Vinaigrette:

2 teaspoons whole grain mustard

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 small shallot, finely minced

1 tablespoon reserved bacon fat

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.

Place the butternut squash on a sheet tray, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Roast until soft and starting to crisp around the edges, about 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Reduce the heat to 350 and place bacon on a large baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the bacon is crisp. Remove from the oven, and drain the bacon on paper towels. Break the bacon into 1-inch pieces. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings for the dressing.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Crack the eggs into the skillet. Once the whites start to set, sprinkle a few drops of water around the edges of the pan and cover with a tight fitting lid. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until the white is completely set and the yolk reaches your desired level of doneness.

Divide the kale evenly between 4 large bowls. Arrange the roasted butternut squash and bacon on top. Drizzle with maple bacon vinaigrette and top with one egg. Serve immediately.

Viniagrette:

Place all ingredients in a mason jar, or any other jar with an air-tight, secure lid. Place the lid on the jar and shake vigorously until all the ingredients are emulsified. Dressing will keep in the fridge for up to 7 days. Makes about 3/4 cup.

Kale Salad with Peaches, Roasted Onions, and Goat Cheese

Ingredients

Salad:

1 bunch red Russian kale, washed, ribs removed, and torn into bite sized pieces

1 medium red onion, sliced in 1/4-inch slices

3-4 medium peaches, sliced

4 oz goat cheese

3 slices good quality bacon

Vinaigrette:

2 teaspoons whole grain mustard

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon reserved bacon fat

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

Method

Serves 4 as a meal, 8 as a side

Salad:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Place bacon and onion on a large baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the bacon is crisp and the onions are starting to brown around the edges. Remove from the oven, and set aside the bacon for another use. Reserve the bacon drippings for the dressing.

Place the kale in a large serving bowl. Arrange the peaches, goat cheese, and roasted onions on top. Drizzle with maple bacon vinaigrette and serve.

Viniagrette:

Place all ingredients in a mason jar, or any other jar with an air-tight, secure lid. Place the lid on the jar and shake vigorously until all the ingredients are emulsified. Dressing will keep in the fridge for up to 7 days. Makes about 3/4 cup.

Roasted Kohlrabi Vinaigrette

Ingredients: 1 lb Kohlrabi bulbs

1 Tbs malt vinegar

1 clove garlic

About 10 fresh basil leaves

¼ cup olive oil, plus extra for roasting Kohlrabi

1 cup water

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Remove the kohlrabi leaves and reserve for the salad or for cooking later. Remove the peel and cut kohlrabi into 1-inch chunks. Place in a baking dish and drizzle with a little olive oil then season with salt and Pepper.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 1 hour, or until the tips begin to caramelize.

Remove from the oven and place the cooked kohlrabi in a blender with the water, garlic, and vinegar. Puree until smooth. Add the basil leaves and olive oil. Blend on low until combined, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with fresh salad greens, radishes, pickled beets and toasted pecans.

Curried Radish Salad: Fresh or Fermented

Ingredients:

3-4 bunches of Easter Egg Radishes

1 bulb of fresh garlic (about 10 cloves)

1-2 fresh hot red chilies

Other root vegetables like carrots, turnips, etc.

3 Tbs canning or pickling salt

1 quart water

1 Tbs coriander seeds

1 Tbs fenugreek powder

1 Tbs turmeric powder

Method:

Combine the salt with one quart of water until the salt is completely dissolved.

Puree the chilies with the garlic and a little water until it forms a smooth paste.

Wash and trim the vegetables, removing the stem and root ends. With the grater or julienne attachment on a food processor, shred the radishes, carrots, and turnips.

Place the vegetables in a large bowl and cover with the salt brine.

Let the vegetables soak in the salt brine for about 30 minutes, then pour off about a cup or so of the brine and set aside. Then pour the vegetables into a colander and rinse well with cold water. Press out any excess moisture.

Place the vegetables in a large bowl and combine with the garlic and chili paste as well as the spices.  You may want to use disposable gloves while mixing, depending on the heat level of your chilies.

You can eat the salad fresh as it is, or as a fresh chutney or condiment with sandwiches, soups, or proteins.  It is highly flavored as a fresh salad, but if you choose to ferment the salad, then the spicy flavors will mellow as it becomes more sour through fermentation.

To ferment the salad, pack tightly into a quart jar, being careful to press out air bubbles with each inch or two that you scoop into the jar. Leave about two inches of head space in the jar, then pour a little of the leftover soaking brine over the top. Wipe the inside of the jar mouth with a clean cloth to remove any exposed vegetables or spice paste. Cover with the lid and ring, then leave the jar out at room temperature (not in direct sunlight) for several days, and up to several weeks. Check every day or so to make sure the vegetables are submerged in the brine and not exposed to air. Bubbles should form in the jar when the fermentation process is active.

When the salad is sour enough to your taste, pour off any extra brine, then refrigerate.

Summer Slaw with Smoky Peach Dressing

The Smoky Peach Dressing is really the highlight of this dish.  Yes, eat your veggies and all that. But the dressing...wow. It's versatile enough to keep around as a dipping sauce, sandwich dressing, marinade, etc. The Chattanooga Market is celebrating the season with it's annual peach festival this week, so we thought we'd join in the fun with this dish. Also, who could pass up using a dash of smoky Alchemy Spice Proud To Be American blend in honor of independence day?

Smoky Peach Dressing:

2-3 Medium peaches, quartered and pits discarded

5 Garlic cloves

1/4 Cup olive oil

Juice from 1/2 lime

1-2 tsp Proud To Be American spice blend by Alchemy Spice

1 tsp Lime Fresco Salt by Alchemy Spice

Slaw:

Cabbage

Kohlrabi

Daikon radish

Fennel bulb

Summer squash (any variety)

Green onions

Kale

Juice from one lime

Kosher salt to taste

Method:

For the dressing, add all of the ingredients to a blender, blend until smooth and they emulsify into a creamy dressing.  Refrigerate until ready to use. If you have extra, place in a squeeze bottle and use as a dressing for sandwiches, grilled vegetables, hot dogs, and basically anything that tastes good with the addition of some spicy-sweetness.

Slaw is basically a quick salad of vegetables that are shredded or julienned, mixed together, and dressed.  It's not complicated. It's the stuff that picnics are made of...less time in the kitchen, and more time outside having fun.  The list of vegetables above are the ones in this week's CSA box, but you could substitute anything you like eating raw.  Grate, chop, slice and julienne the vegetables and mix together in a large bowl.  Toss the grated vegetables with lime juice and some kosher salt. Let rest a few minutes, then pour off any excess liquid. The vegetables will absorb a lot of the flavor of the peach dressing, so you may want to dress each portion of the slaw individually as it's served.