Kale Chips 101

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If you have not yet tried turning your leafy greens into a crunchy snack, then this is the post for you.  Yes, we grow and eat loads of kale because it's nutritious, but also because it's tasty.  And this is one of the easiest, most addictive ways to enjoy your leafy greens.  Curly kale has a great texture for baking into chips, but you can use any leafy greens. Seasoning options are virtually endless.  However it does not take much salt, (since the natural salts in the leaves become more concentrated when they are dehydrated), so use salt sparingly. Here's a basic recipe with a few seasoning suggestions:

Ingredients:

1-2 bunches of curly kale leaves

Olive oil

Kosher or sea salt

Alchemy Spice Fat Elvis Memphis Rub (or your favorite spice blend)

 

Method:

Remove the washed kale leaves from the stem and thick rib. Pat dry with paper towels.  Place on a baking sheet and spray or massage a little olive oil onto the leaves. Spread the leaves into a single layer, then season lightly with salt and a little Fat Elvis.  The kale leaves will shrink to about 1/2 their original size, so you may want to make several batches.

Making Kale Chips

Place in the oven at 350 F  for 10-15 minutes, or use a lower temperature to preserve more nutrients (about 250 F) for 20-30 minutes.  Either way, it's important to check the kale every 5 minutes or so, turning the leaves to expose more of the moisture, and checking that they do not burn.  They can dehydrate quite quickly at times, so make sure you are watching them closely.  Once they are crispy, remove from the oven and let cool.  The most difficult part about this recipe is deciding whether or not to share the kale chips.

Kohlrabi and Radish Slaw

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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.

 

Turnip Gratin Dauphinois

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Rich and creamy dishes are not typical on this blog, but as the end of the growing season is here and the holidays approach it seems fitting to celebrate in style. Turnips may or may not top your list of celebratory vegetables. It seems they are on the either love or hate list for most people. So if you are one of the haters, maybe this recipe will persuade you to the other side. Admittedly, I am firmly in the love camp as I have memories of enjoying raw turnips straight out of the garden as a child. You can make this dish with only turnips, or you can mix new potatoes, kohlrabi and turnips. Starchy white potatoes will make the dish more firm, acting as a sort of glue to hold the layers together. So there is plenty of room for creativity and texture preference if you want to adapt to your own taste.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb turnips (or a mixture of new potatoes, kohlrabi and turnips) 1 medium yellow onion, cut into very thin half-circles 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 Tbs butter 1 Tbs all purpose flour 1/2 Rapunzel vegetable bouillon cube (with sea salt & herbs) dissolved into 1 cup boiling water 6 oz goat cheese 1/4 cup dry white wine 1 tsp whole grain french mustard 1 cup shredded aged cheese (like white cheddar or gruyere)

Method:

Slice turnips (and potatoes and kohlrabi if using) very thinly with a sharp knife or mandolin slicer. Layer them with the onions in a 2qt casserole dish. You can place them in evenly and neatly if you like, but it's not necessary. I just tossed them all together, making sure they were fairly flat and well inside the dish. Whisk together the other ingredients (except the cheese) and pour over the top of the vegetables. Cover with foil and place in the oven at 325 degrees. Bake for about 45 minutes to one hour. Remove the foil and sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top. Return to the oven and bake (uncovered) for about 20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Kale & Wild Mushroom Roulade

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Pottery courtesy of Emerson Burch

I discovered this recipe nearly 15 years ago, in a charity cookbook from Leeds, England that helped to fund improvements to a soup kitchen.  The book is called More Than A Meal: A Cookbook In Support Of The Homeless.  Many of the recipes are from famous chefs, celebrities and politicians.  Some were humorous, like Rowan Atkinson's Baked Beans on Toast, and John Cleese's recipe for cornflakes: "Buy a packet of cornflakes.  Open the cardboard box...pour some of the contents in a bowl...etc." But this one from Janet Gibson at St. George's Church, was not only beautiful, it is delicious.  Her recipe called for spinach, but as we have loads of greens this time of year, I thought I would try an adaptation.  The texture is not as soft with kale as it is with spinach, but the kale provides a lot of structure and therefore is easier to roll.  Either way, it is a tasty and beautiful way to eat your greens.

Ingredients: 1 lb kale, or mixed broad leafy greens 4-5 eggs, separated 1 Tbs white balsamic vinegar 2 Tbs butter, melted 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese Sea salt and pepper 6 oz locally grown shiitake mushrooms, or a mixture of wild mushrooms, sliced 10-12 oz fresh goat cheese (can substitute sour cream and reduce the vegetable broth to 1/4 cup) 1/2 cup vegetable broth Canola oil 2 garlic cloves, crushed

Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a 12 x 18 jelly roll pan with greased parchment paper, then set aside. Wash and remove stems from the greens.  Blanch in a pot of boiling water for about 1 minute, or until they are wilted and bright green.  Remove from the water and drain or squeeze any excess water from the greens.  Chop very finely.  In a large bowl, mix together the chopped greens, egg yolks, vinegar, melted butter, parmesan cheese, sea salt and pepper.  Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form.  Gently fold the egg whites into the mixture of greens until the mixture is evenly combined.  Pour the mixture into the lined jelly roll pan.  With a second piece of parchment paper, press the greens into the pan until you have an even layer and there are no holes or gaps.  Remove the top piece of parchment and place in the oven.  Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the egg has set and the greens feel slightly spongy to the touch.

While the greens are baking, saute the sliced mushrooms in a pan with a little oil. When they begin to brown, add the goat cheese, broth, and garlic.  Stir over medium heat until combined well and warmed through. Set aside.  When the greens are finished baking, remove from the oven and place a clean cotton tea-towel over the greens.  Then place a large cutting board or a second jelly roll pan of the same size on top.  Holding the two firmly together, turn upside down to turn the greens out.  Remove the hot jelly roll pan, then gently remove the parchment paper from the greens.  If it sticks in any areas, use a sharp knife to separate the parchment without tearing a hole in the greens.  While the greens are still hot and steamy, use the tea towel (which is now underneath the greens) to gently roll the sponge (rolling the towel along with the greens).  This will allow the sponge to create some memory, and helps to prevent cracking.  Let rest for a few minutes.  Gently unroll and spread the mushroom mixture onto half of the greens, starting with the centermost side.  Roll again, adding more filling if necessary.
When it is a log shape, slice into pinwheels and serve immediately.  If it has cooled, then gently wrap the roll in foil before slicing and return to the oven to warm through.

 

 

The Perfect Roasted Potato

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I have this idea in my head that everyone knows how to roast potatoes in the oven.  Who really needs a recipe for roasted potatoes?  But when I took a bite of those crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, delicious little red potatoes...I had one of those, "I need to take a photo of my food because it's that good," moments. I'm pretty sure the success has to do with the quality of the potatoes.  I have been roasting potatoes in the oven for decades.  Same method every time.  But sometimes they just taste amazing.  The little red potatoes in this week's CSA share were prime examples of when all is good in the world. So if you are standing in your kitchen with your little red potatoes, wondering if you want to steam, mash, saute or roast them for dinner tonight, the answer is roast!  And here is how you do it: 10 small red potatoes 1/4 cup oil, melted butter, or dripping from a roast Sea salt Black pepper Fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, etc.), optional Method: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash potatoes and pat them dry.  Cut the larger ones in half or quarters, and leave the smaller ones whole so that they are all relatively the same size.  Place the potatoes in a glass or ceramic baking dish that is large enough for the potatoes to have a little space between each one. Coat with the oil, butter or dripping.  (I used canola oil for mine and they are delicious, but butter and dripping are fantastic if you want to indulge.)  Generously sprinkle sea salt and freshly ground black pepper over the potatoes. Place in the center or top shelf of the oven and bake for a little over one hour, or until they are golden and crispy on the edges.  Serve hot.