Category: Kale

This is a luscious and simple dish, suitable to most any robust leafy green like collards or chard.... Read more »

... Read more »

Sometimes, often actually, limitations are the foundation of creativity. Three partial bunches of greens needing to be used (before the next CSA share arrived) and hungry people underfoot inspired this delicious meal. Use any tender, leafy greens you have and in most any combination. If the greens are not so tender the dish will take a little longer--if using spinach and beet and/or turnip tops it will be very quick. And feel free to vary the spices to suit your taste. ... Read more »

5-10 minutes in a hot oven and kale turns crispy and chewy,  a nice alternative to raw kale salads. Toss in something crunchy, like radishes here, or use carrots or snap peas or salad turnips, some toasted seeds or nuts and a tahini dressing and you have a hefty salad. ... Read more »

This is a great dish to use up whatever bits of vegetables you have as well as cooked beans, tomato sauce and random bits of meat either already cooked or cooked in the sauce. It's more technique than recipe: cooked saucy vegetables/meat + creamy polenta with cheese, baked until bubbling!   In this particular version I used cabbage, kohlrabi, onions, kale, black beans, leftover tomato sauce, garlic and thyme. I like to chop the vegetables fairly small for this dish. ... Read more »

Grated raw beets marinated in a garlicky vinaigrette are a fantastic addition to green salads, grain or bean salads or as a sandwich filling with goat cheese, to name just a few possibilities.  ... Read more »

  This dish was on the menu of the first cooking class I ever taught. It relies on fresh kale, stale bread and plenty of good olive oil. ... Read more »

      This is a quick, rich and warming side dish. The crunch from the toasted nuts is critical to lend it some dimension. I happened to have fresh turmeric and used it in this version but dried/ground is just fine as well. ... Read more »

This is a quick dinner stand by, especially in cooler months. Just a small amount of grated Parmesan or Pecorino and a bit of hot, starchy, salty pasta-cooking water turn these simple ingredients into a complex dish in a just a few minutes.   I vary the ratio of kale to pasta, up to two bunches of kale to 3/4 lb pasta, depending on what I have on hand. And I particularly like using Joe's Long Cayenne peppers (grown and dried by Ayers Creek Farm here in the Willamette Valley) which are less spicy than typical cayenne's and add sweetness and depth to the dish as well as some heat. This recipe is similar to the classic Orecchiette with Rapini (spring Raab).... Read more »

This is a delicious, nutritious and beautiful dish. The minced onions and lime juice at the end bring everything together. ... Read more »

This simple but thick and luscious soup is a mainstay of Tuscan cooking and used to be made by re-cooking (ribollire) yesterday's minestrone and simmering it over stale bread in this second incarnation. I make it all in one go, as do many Italians, but it is even better the next day. It takes a while to make unless you are using already cooked beans, but it is worth the time.   Ribollita calls for a modest list of ingredients and the bread and some good olive oil are important. And it's extra good if you have some roasted tomatoes to use, but canned is just fine.  ... Read more »

  This salad is strong, vivid and almost rich thanks to the peanut dressing. You can use a variety of greens in this flexible template (see Variations below).  ... Read more »

  I was supposed to bring coleslaw to a dinner party yet had little time to go to the store for cabbage. I discovered plenty of kale and sorrel in my own garden and made this slaw instead. It's a keeper and is, as are most things, easily adaptable to what you happen to have/like. You can also change the ratio of vegetables to suit your needs.... Read more »

  -adapted from Afro Vegan by Bryant Terry   Afro Vegan is a gorgeous and inspiring cookbook for cooks/eaters of any persuasion. Bryant has a knack for flavor combinations coupled with deep knowledge of cooking and culinary traditions  in many African countries and the African diaspora. I adapted this lovely vegetable dish and un-veganized it by adding a bit of cream and bacon (and even a little chicken in the above version) which you could certainly omit.  ... Read more »

This classic Indian dish of tender spinach and almost squeaky fresh paneer (cheese) is a favorite. The paneer is very simple to make (recipe below) but you can also buy it or substitute firm tofu for an inauthentic but perfectly fine variation. And if you have a lot of spinach make a double batch and freeze half of the finished dish. It reheats beautifully.   You can also make this with a combination of spinach and chard and kale or most any other leafy green.... Read more »

This salad is good, quick, hearty and adaptable. It works best with fairly young, tender kale but whatever kale you have, slice it as thinly as you can. You can add grated carrots or beets for some color and contrast.    Variations Sub crispy bread crumbs for the toasted nuts or seeds. Add 1 tablespoon of white or yellow miso to the dressing and reduce (or eliminate) the salt. Leftover chicken is a nice addition.   Serves 4... Read more »

The sweet roasted squash, the sturdy kale, the avocado that turns the dressing creamy and the pop of the lime juice and pumpkin seeds is a lively combination.   For the above version I used blanched collard raab, instead of raw kale--a lovely alternative. If you have delicata squash by all means use it as you won't have to peel it. This salad, like many, is begging for adaptations so be creative--use different seeds or nuts, add herbs, different roasted vegetables, etc.  ... Read more »

This is wonderful winter comfort food made with the simplest of ingredients. It’s also a good way to use up stale bread, but fresh can be used as well. Just make sure it’s a hearty rustic loaf with a good crumb and crust. Here is a slightly fancier version made with Chard.  ... Read more »

--inspired by Food52   This is fun and delicious. It has been a favorite among CSA members for years. You can make it in the winter with canned tomatoes or in the summer/fall with fresh--either way is great. The dish takes about 7 minutes to pull together and about 45 minutes to bake. Toast a little bread and you’re set for dinner (or brunch). You can also make a quicker version on the stove top. Same process just in a large skillet and the cooking time is about half of that in the oven, see photo below.  ... Read more »

Stewed leeks make a wonderful galette topping. This is delicious at room temperature as well and if you can figure out how to transport is a great picnic/potluck dish. With a big green salad it's a perfect light supper. [caption id="attachment_18373" align="aligncenter" width="660"] For this version I halved (lengthwise) a few asparagus spears and arranged them like spokes which was pretty but the spears tend to fall off when eating. You can have all sorts of fun with variations though. . .[/caption]... Read more »