KALE
Kale is a great way to get some plant-based calcium and fiber in your diet. It has a beautifully strong texture, which is where the fiber comes from, but can be tough to chew for some people. For raw eating, I de-stem the kale (I usually don’t need a knife for this), then chop into bite sized pieces, then “massage” it by gently rolling a small handful at a time between my palms. Toss with a vinaigrette and top with some roasted and raw veggies. Another way to crush some kale is to add it to smoothies. It’s also awesome roasted.
STORAGE: Store in a closed container or in a plastic bag in the fridge. Keeping the greens closed off from the dry air in the fridge can make them last for longer than a week.
PRESERVATION: To extend the harvest, chop and freeze.
RECIPES:
Roasted Kale
Kale (stemmed and very roughly chopped)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 350. Toss kale and oil in a mixing bowl with some salt. Arrange on a baking sheet and roast for 10-15 minutes. If you like it just wilted and a little silky, take it out sooner. If you like it crispy (definitely recommend) let is crisp up a little. The best thing to do is taste it as you go. This goes great with roasted potatoes, eggs, avocado toast, or just eaten plain.
Simple Spring Stir Fry Recipe
1-2 onions (cut into 1/2 inch strips)
1 bunch Japanese Salad Turnips (root and stem trimmed, cut into 1/4 inch rounds")
2-3 heads Bok Choy (cut leaves and ribs into 1/4 inch strips) *
3-4 leaves of Kale (chopped roughly and de-stemmed is desired
3 C cooked rice (any type)
2 T coconut oil or any oil of your choice
1 can coconut milk
2 tsp salt - more to taste
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 C soy sauce or tamari
Pickled Radishes as garnish
Cook 2-3 cups of your choice of rice. Meanwhile, oil a skillet and heat on medium. Add onions and salt to skillet and sauté for about 3 mins. Add turnips and sauté until just softened. Then add bok choy, coconut milk, turmeric, soy sauce, and turn heat to high. There should be enough liquid to boil, and you just want to cook it long enough to reduce the liquid to a creamy sauce. Give it a taste and add more salt if you need. Add kale at the very end just to wilt it. Serve veggies and sauce over a bed a rice and add a healthy pile of pickled radishes for some zing.
Village Stew
2-3 leeks (cut into 1/2 inch rounds)
3-4 cloves garlic (peeled and minced or grated)
2-3 potatoes (cut into 1/2-1 inch cubes)
3-5 parsnips (cut into 1/2 inch rounds)
6-10 turnips (quartered, save the greens for the soup!)
1-2 peppers (sliced)
1 can tomato sauce or a few diced tomatoes
4-6 leaves kale (de-stemmed and chopped into bite size pieces)
Turnip greens (cut like the kale)
1 can cooked kidney beans (or pre-cooked dried beans)
Any type of uncooked noodles (if desired)
6-8 C veggie or chicken broth
3 T olive oil or butter
Salt to taste (2 t most likely)
In a large stock pot, add olive oil or butter and turn on medium low. Add leeks and garlic, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Cover and let sweat for about 3-4 minutes, stirring if necessary. Add broth. Meanwhile, in a separate pot, boil water, cooking the noodles separately. (You can just add the dry noodles to the soup, but we like to cook them separately so that we can cook them to the perfect texture and then rinse them with cold water to avoid mushy noodles in the entire soup) . When the liquid comes to a boil, uncover, add potatoes and reduce heat to a simmer. After a few minutes, add peppers, parsnips, and turnips. When the potatoes have begun to soften, add tomato sauce, kidney beans, chopped kale, and turnip greens. Stir and let cook for 2-3 more minutes, just to soften the greens. Taste while you are cooking; you might need to add more salt. When serving, put noodles in bowl first, and top with soup.