Kale Smoothie Popsicles

Yes, popsicles are for kids in the summertime...but you might want to make a few extra of these for yourself.  They make a fantastic cool treat for snacks, dessert, or even a light lunch.  It's a tasty way to enjoy those luscious greens that are filling the CSA boxes this time of year!

Ingredients:

About 6-10 dinosaur kale leaves (as a bonus, the kids love them even more because they are called "dinosaur")

1 cup of frozen blueberries

1 very ripe banana, frozen

1/2 cup raw almonds (or almond butter)

2-3 cups milk, or milk alternative like soy, almond or coconut

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1 tsp vanilla extract

A pinch of kosher salt

Local raw honey, to taste

Method:

Place all ingredients in a blender (I prefer to use a Vitamix for smoothies), and puree on high until very smooth. Adjust ingredients to taste.  Pour the smoothie into popsicle molds (available online and in many local shops). Freeze for 12-24 hours.

Preparation Tips

Fruits: You can adjust the fruit in this recipe to suit your taste, but blueberries are my first choice because they don't have coarse seeds and the smoothie won't turn brown when mixed with greens. Of course brown is not necessarily bad...you can always add some cocoa powder and give it a chocolaty taste.  Also, bananas are fairly essential for sweetness and texture, but hey it's a smoothie, make it the way you like it. You can also make layered popsicles with different flavor combinations.  Recently we tried a red-white-and blue popsicle made with the following layers: strawberry coconut, peanut butter banana, and blueberry kale. The kids keep begging for more.

Flavor & Texture: Nuts are also optional, but they add protein, as well as richness to the flavor and texture.  If you don't use nuts, add a little oil, coconut milk (unsweetened cold-pressed in a can), or cream to the mixture to balance the bitterness in the greens.  The salt, lemon juice and oils or nuts are all important ingredients to get the right balance of flavor, and counteract any bitterness from the greens.

Fresh v/s Frozen: You can use fresh fruit that has not been frozen, but the texture is more like ice cream when you start with frozen berries and bananas.  If you want a real time-saver, blanch your greens and freeze them as well.  Alternatively, you could puree them in a blender, then freeze portions in an ice-cube tray.  You can pop out portions as you need them for smoothies.

The Blender: A high powered blender like Vitamix is my first choice for making smoothies.  There are many blender gadgets available, even specifically designed for smoothies.  To get a truly smooth texture from high-fiber foods like greens and nuts, it's best to have a blender that can keep up with the demand.  You can still make smoothies in standard kitchen blenders, but it may take longer, or the texture may be less uniform and smooth.

Kohlrabi and Radish Slaw

Ingredients:

2 Small kohlrabi bulbs, julienned, and thinly sliced leaves

3-5 Radishes, julienned

1 Large spring onion, chopped

1 Clove of garlic, peeled and minced

1 Sprig of fresh dill, minced

1 Tsp brown mustard seeds

2 Tsp good quality all-natural apple cider vinegar

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1 Tsp white truffle oil

Sea salt & black pepper to taste

Method:

This recipe is quick and easy if you have a good mandoline slicer or food processor with a julienne blade.  You can also use a cheese grater, but the texture will be less crunchy.

To slice the kohlrabi leaves thinly, start by removing the stem and rib from the leaves.  Lay the leaves flat in a stack, then roll lengthwise into a log shape.  Slice across the roll of leaves, making spaghetti-thin swirls.  You can chop again to shorten the strands of leaves if you like.

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.  Season to taste.  Serve immediately, or refrigerate for a few hours if you want a softer, wilted texture.  This slaw is delicious served with grilled fish.

A Taste of What's to Come

In a recent edition of Chatter Magazine, food writer Beth Kirby shared stories and recipes from a few local ladies who are shaping the character of local farming. Signal Mountain Farm's McLean Miller and Chyela Rowe were part of that story.  As we get ready for the first spring harvest, we wanted to share this recipe to get your mouth watering for what's to come in the 2013 CSA season.  CSA members and those who have signed up for our newsletter will be receiving emails with delicious recipes tailored specifically to each week's harvest. We will post those recipes here.  So come visit our website often, browse through the archives for other ideas, and feel free to share your ideas and kitchen successes on our facebook page.

Warm Roasted Spring Vegetable Salad

Ingredients:

1 bunch baby beets (or 2 medium sized beets), plus greens

2 small or one large kohlrabi, plus greens

1 large or 2 medium fennel bulbs

Canola or olive oil

Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Garnish & Dressing:

1 lb Link Forty One Sorghum Baconage (thawed)

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 heaping teaspoon Sequatchie Cove Farm sorghum syrup

3 Tbs white balsamic vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper

Drippings from cooked baconage

Sequatchie Cove Creamery blue cheese (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Trim leaves from the beets, kohlrabi, and some fennel leaf if desired. Place the leaves in a salad spinner, clean sink or large bowl.  Cover with cold water, give them a swish with your hand to loosen any soil, then let rest in the cold water for a few minutes to let the soil settle.

Meanwhile, wash and trim the kohlrabi, beets and fennel. Slice thinly with a sharp knife or mandolin slicer. Arrange the vegetables in an ovenproof casserole dish. You can arrange them neatly, alternating beets, kohlrabi, and fennel in a repeating pattern if you want an attractive presentation.  Otherwise, just toss them all together with some oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and beginning to caramelize on the tips.

While the vegetables are baking, prepare the baconage and dressing.  Remove the sausage casing from the baconage with a knife or kitchen shears.  Slice or crumble the baconage into a heated cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed skillet. Cook until browned, then remove from the pan and set aside, (but leave the drippings or fat rendered from the cooked baconage in the skillet.) Add the garlic, sorghum syrup and vinegar to the skillet. Stir until combined and cook until it begins to bubble.  Remove from the heat and let rest.

When the vegetables are out of the oven, remove the beet and kohlrabi greens from the cold water and spin dry or pat with a clean, absorbent cloth.  Put a little oil and the greens in a large skillet and sauté until they darken in color and just begin to wilt.  Add the warm vinaigrette and sauté for one minute.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Place a portion of greens on each plate, topping with baconage and crumbled blue cheese.  Serve warm as a salad, or use as a topping for garlic-herbed pasta or rice.

Indian Summer Stew With White Beans, Chicken & Kale

For most chicken soups, I prefer to make them the day after I have made a whole roast chicken.  I use the bones to make homemade broth, and the leftover meat goes in the soup.  If I have any leftover gravy it goes in the soup as well.  No-waste cooking is great for the budget, and in this case, is the secret to getting the most flavor into  your bowl.  If you want to make a vegetarian version, or have not roasted a chicken lately, just remember to start with a good quality stock and make sure to roast the vegetables long enough to bring out the rich caramelized sugars.  When using homemade stock or gravy in this soup, remember to skim the fats from the broth or drippings as much as possible in order to keep the soup from being too heavy.

Ingredients: 4 small kohlrabi bulbs, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 2 medium sweet peppers, seeded and chopped into 1-inch pieces 2 carrots, trimmed and coarsely chopped Canola oil

3 stalks of celery, chopped 1 yellow onion, diced 4-6 garlic cloves, peeled and diced

1- inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated 1 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp ground cumin 1/8 tsp white pepper

8-10 cups of chicken broth or stock 2 bay leaves

5 curly kale, kohlrabi, or collard leaves, (stems removed) washed and chopped About 2 cups of cooked chicken, chopped 1 lb white navy beans (dry), soaked, cooked until tender and drained Sea salt and black pepper Juice from 1 lemon Diced fresh tomato and hot sauce for garnish (optional)

Method: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Place the chopped kohlrabi, sweet peppers and carrots in a baking dish.  Toss with a little oil and season with sea salt.  Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to brown on the tips.  While the vegetables are baking, saute the chopped celery, onion and garlic with a little oil in a large stock pot.  When they are tender, add the paprika, cumin, white pepper, 6 cups of broth, roasted kohlrabi, sweet peppers and carrots.  Stir to combine, then remove from heat.  Puree with an immersion blender.  Add the bay leaves and lemon juice.  Season with salt and black pepper to taste.  Simmer for about 30 minutes.  Add the chopped greens, beans and chicken.  Simmer until the greens are tender.  Serve with ripe diced tomatoes and your favorite hot sauce.

Savory Winter Squash Soufflé

Served with Prosciutto, arugula, goat cheese with lemon & herbs, and a drizzle of white wine vinegar & olive oil.

I have seen photos of perfectly-puffed soufflé, so I know the highly puffed recipes must exist. But by the time I slid this baby onto the plate without burning my fingers, I had about 30 seconds to snap away before it began to sink in the middle.  I was wishing for a mini Julia Child angel on my shoulder to help me with my puffiness problem, that is, until I tasted the finished product.  Bowl-shaped or not, this savory fall soufflé is light and full of flavor. If you are interested in a dairy-free version, I tried this recipe with a mixture of unsweetened soy milk and lower-fat coconut milk, and omitted the cheese.  It was delicious. For other preparation tips, in Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything, the basics of Savory Soufflé recipe is a great  guideline for first-timers.

Ingredients: 1 small butternut squash (or other dense winter squash, like acorn or kabocha. Also can substitute two medium sweet potatoes) Olive or canola oil Freshly ground nutmeg 4 Tbs butter or Toasted Garlic Drizzling Oil 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups milk (can substitute unsweetened soy milk, or reduced fat coconut milk) 6 farm-fresh local eggs, separated 1 tsp french mustard 1 Tbs fresh thyme, minced 1 tsp paprika or cayenne pepper 2 green onions, chopped 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese (optional) Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel and seed the squash (or peel the sweet potatoes), cut into 1-inch cubes and place in a glass baking dish.  Toss with a little olive or canola oil and season with sea salt, black pepper and a little freshly ground nutmeg.  Bake for about 1 hour.  While the squash is baking, gather the other ingredients so they are ready for the next step.  When the squash is cooked, mash well with a fork.  It should measure about 1 cup mashed.

Next heat the Toasted Garlic Drizzling Oil or butter in a medium saucepan.  If using butter, you will need to cook it on medium heat until the water evaporates and the solids have separated.  Make a roux by adding the flour and cooking until it begins to brown, (If using oil, it may only darken slightly).  Slowly pour the milk into the pan and stir constantly with a whisk for a couple of minutes to keep it from going lumpy. It will be like a thick, southern white gravy at this point. Remove from the heat and let cool enough that you can comfortably insert a finger without it burning.  Stir in the egg yolks until smooth, then add the mashed squash, mustard, thyme, paprika, green onions and shredded cheese (if desired).  Stir until combined evenly.  If you are not squeamish about raw eggs, taste the mixture and adjust seasonings to taste.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and butter eight 4-inch ramekins, or one large soufflé dish.  In a glass or metal bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form.  Transfer the squash mixture to a large bowl and fold in 1/3 of the egg whites with a rubber spoon-shaped spatula. Slowly and gently fold in the rest of the egg whites until it is fairly evenly combined, but take care not to over-mix the batter or your soufflé will be flat.  Spoon the batter into the ramekins or the soufflé dish and place on a baking sheet in the center of the oven.  Bake the small ramekins for about 20 minutes, the large soufflé may take 30-40 minutes.  It is done when the top has browned and it is set, but still somewhat soft.  If it jiggles when you check it, give it a few minutes more. When they are done, serve immediately.