Savory Kale, Bean, and Potato Soup

This recipe shared by WE CSA member Audrey. Thanks Audrey!

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, diced (or 2 leeks)
• 3/4 cup diced carrot
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 2 cups water (or vegetable broth)
• 1 cup white wine
• 3 potatoes, halved and sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 (16 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups finely chopped kale leaves
• 1 small red chile pepper, seeded and chopped fine
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 lb smoked sausage such as turkey kielbasa (optional), sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; cook and stir the onion until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the carrot and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes more. Pour in the chicken broth, water, and white wine; stir in the potatoes, rosemary, sage, and thyme. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes. Add the cannellini beans, kale, chile pepper, and black pepper, and simmer, covered, for 30 more minutes. This soups tastes even better when reheated the next day.

Garlicky Kale & Mushroom Soup

This recipe shared by WE CSA Nicole. Thanks Nicole & thanks for the delicious sample!

• 1/2 cup wheat berries
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup (3-5 oz) shitake mushrooms, stemmed & thinly sliced
• 10 cloves garlic, peeled & thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup ume plum, brown rice or apple cider vinegar
• 5 cups veggie broth (homemade or no sodium)
• 1 bunch kale, coarsely chopped

Soak wheat berries overnight in cold water. Heat oil in 2 qt. saucepan over medium heat. Add mushrooms, season with sea salt if desired (if using ume plum vinegar, omit salt until end as it is very salty itself). Saute mushrooms 10 minutes or until beginning to brown. Add garlic and sautee 2 minutes more. Stir in vinegar (if using ume plum or apple cider vinegar, wait until end and soup has cooled to preserve enzymes in these raw vinegars), stirring until almost evaporated & scraping browned bits from pan. Drain wheat berries and add to mushroom mixture with veggie broth. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer 20 minutes. Add kale then simmer 15 to 20 minutes more or until tender. Season with salt or pepper to taste, if desired.

Sherri’s Kicking Raw Kale Salad

from WE CSA member Sherri Collins, Sherri is our West side's own raw food guru! You can check out Sherri's website at rawdazzle.com

• 1 or 2 bunch of Kale – chopped (I prefer Lacinato or Russian Red)
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1 garlic – minced (optional)
• 1 cup cilantro -chopped
• ½ or 1 lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (chili peppers)
• ½ avocado
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• 1/4-1/3 cup pine nuts
• Top with raw nut cheese (optional)

Blend all in bowl and TOSS, TOSS,TOSS, TOSS!!!! Yummy-O!

Easy Italian Kale, Olive & Sundried Tomato Saute

I just made this and thought I'd share since it's so simple and uses three of the veggies in your share this week.
Kale, Red Russian or Lacinato (aka Toscano, Dinosaur)
Bull's Blood Beet Greens
Green Garlic
Sundried Tomatoes (in olive oil, if dried then soak first)
Cured Kalamata Olives in olive oil
Pine Nuts
Olive Oil or Walnut Oil (or water)
Unrefined Sea Salt (like Celtic)
Heat oil in saute pan. Chop kale and beet greens into bite size pieces. Chop green garlic and add to greens into saute pan with sea salt and saute until wilted (if necessary add a little water to tenderize). Toss with sliced sundried tomatoes, pine nuts & olives. Great alone as side dish or served with a high protein grain called quinoa (http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=142.

Wilted Kale Salad with Cranberries

If you’ve never had a raw kale salad, let me assure you that it does not taste like plain raw kale. A raw kale salad requires you to wilt the leaves so it takes on a milder taste that is easier on your digestion.

• 1 bunch of raw kale
• 1 t sea salt (unrefined Celtic or grey salt is best) give or take
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (other oils will work, but I like coconut because of the sweetness)
• 1 handful of raw cranberries (soaked in oil for a couple minutes to soften them up)
• 1 handful of raw pinenuts (or silvered almonds)

Chop the leaves so they are the right size to fit in your mouth. Place the kale in a large bowl and sprinkle the salt so that the leaves are lightly coated. Now is the fun part. Press the leaves down and start to kneed them like you would do to bread. Pick them up and squeeze them to facilitate the process. After a couple minutes you will notice them turning a darker green color and taking on a slightly cooked texture. Once that happens you are ready to toss in the rest of the ingredients. If the coconut oil is hard, you may need to warm it up a bit by dipping the jar in hot water. Taste the salad and add more salt if needed. You’re salad should have a lightly salted but mostly sweet taste to it.

Red Russian Kale with Cranberries

• large bunche kale, any
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
  Steam the kale until it is bright green. Meanwhile, in a cast iron skillet, toast the pine nuts. Allow kale and pine nuts five minutes to cool, then toss together in a large bowl. Add dried cranberries and olive oil. Toss and serve

KALE WITH MARINATED ONIONS

from siskiyoucoop.com

• 1 bunch kale
• 1 cup finely diced and chopped spring onions
• 5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoon rice wine (or other) vinegar
• 1 tsp honey or agave nectar (or sugar)
• dash of sea salt

Combine lemon juice, vinegar, honey and salt.Toss with onions and set aside.Wash kale and cut leaves across the stem in 1 1/2 inch strips. Place kale in steamer basket over 1 inch water (or braise directly in the water). Cover pot and steam over high heat for 10 minutes or until tender. Place kale in serving bowl, toss with onions and marinade and serve.

RAW TRINITY KALE SALAD

• 8 leaves each of curly kale, russian kale and dino kale, shredded. Or use more leaves of only one kind of kale.
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 3 tbs. onion, diced
• 2-3 tbs. olive oil
• 2 tbs. agave nectar
• 4 tbs. lemon juice
• Unrefined Sea salt to taste

Mix everything in the bowl. With your hands, massage the salad for about 5 minutes. Let the salad marinate for about 2-3 hrs. before serving. Garnish with cherry tomatoes. Serves 2-4 people. www.rawguru.com

AUSTRIAN KALE

From "Recipes from a Kitchen Garden" by Renee Shepherd & Fran Raboff.
Wash Kale leaves, then cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Blanch them in lightly salted boiling water for one minute. Set aside. Saute minced garlic and chopped onion in oil until lightly browned. Add stock, quartered potatoes, chopped cutting celery or celery, and blanched kale. Simmer together until potatoes fall apart and lose their shape. Stir; season with salt and pepper, garnish with sour cream and serve.

COLORFUL KALE & VEGETABLE STEW

Adapted from Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons, by Nava Atlas (Amberwood Press, 2006). As everyone knows, greens are good for you, but with its high calcium content, kale is a standout. Its deep green color and elaborately ruffled leaves, contrasted with the yellow of squash and the orange of carrots, makes this an attractive and nourishing dish for the harvest. More Main Meal Recipes Solutions

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2/3 cup short- or medium-grain brown rice, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium-large red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 to 8 ounces fresh kale
• 6 to 10 carrots, washed and sliced
• 1/4 inch
• 4 cups stock
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 small yellow summer squashes, diced
• 2 medium ripe tomatoes, diced
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, or to taste
• Salt and freshly-ground pepper, to taste

Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in the rice, then cover and simmer gently until done, about 35 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the onion and saute over medium-low heat until translucent. Add the garlic and continue to saute until both are golden. Trim away and discard the thick midribs from the kale leaves. Chop the kale into bite-sized pieces and rinse well in a colander. Add to the soup pot along with the sweet potatoes and water with bouillon cubes. Add the ginger and mustard and stir well. Bring to a rapid simmer, then lower the heat. Cover and simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Stir in the squash and tomatoes and simmer until the kale and sweet potato dice are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Mash enough of the sweet potato with the back of a wooden spoon to thicken the base. Season with balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Serves 6 to 8.

MIXED GREENS WITH CUMIN & PAPRIKA

Slice off and discard (compost?) tough stems and ribs of kale. Set leaves in a steamer, the largest ones on the bottom and cook until tender. When kale is nearly done, add rapini to steamer. Or simmer each type seperately in salted water, then drain. Chop greens into one inch square pieces. Chop garlic, parsley and cilantro finely and mix with salt.Warm olive oil in a skillet with paprika and cumin on medium heat until fragrant. Don't burn. Add greens and cook until moisture evaporates. Add salt to taste. Garnish with lemon wedges and cured black olives (optional).

Red Russian Kale Quiche Squares

Try this recipe also with collards, Swiss chard, spinach or a mixture of greens.

• 1 bunch collard greens
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
• sea salt
• 1 tablespoons butter plus extra for the baking dish
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 pound shiitakes or other mushroom, stems removed, caps finely diced
• 1/2 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce
• 4 large eggs
• 2 ounces Comté or Gruyère cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup fine wholegrain dry bread crumbs
  Remove the tough stems from the greens (except chard) and wash the leaves well in several changes of cold water. Place them in a large pot and add the hot pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add water to cover by several inches and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the greens are very tender, about 1 hour. Drain well and cool slightly, then squeeze dry and finely chop.
  While the collards are cooking, melt the butter in a small or medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, sprinkle lightly with one-fourth teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the shiitakes and the tamari and sauté until they are tender, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
  Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-9-inch baking dish.
  Combine the collards and shiitakes in a bowl. Add the eggs, cheese and bread crumbs and mix well. Spread into the prepared pan. Bake 20 minutes. Cut into squares to serve hot or at room temperature.

RUSSIAN RED KALE PUTTANESCA

• 1/2 (16 ounce) package whole-wheat angel hair pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon drained capers
• 1 (2 ounce) can anchovy fillets, drained and quartered
• 1 cup canned diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cups coarsely chopped Russian Red Kale
• 1 (4 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir until the onion has softened and begun to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in capers, anchovy fillets, and diced tomatoes, and bring to a simmer. Stir in kale, and simmer over medium-low heat until wilted and tender, about 10 minutes. Once the pasta has cooked and been drained, stir into the puttanesca along with the black olives. Toss and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese before serving.

& surround with greens. Sprinkle with feta and capers & drizzle with remaining dressing

POLENTA WITH RUSSIAN RED KALE

• Russian Red Kale, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 cups whole milk
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 2 cups polenta
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 ounces mushrooms (such as crimini, oyster, and stemmed shiitake), sliced
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook kale in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 6 minutes. Drain. Bring milk, water, polenta, salt, and pepper to boil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thick, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Add mushrooms and 2 tablespoons oil to a skillet. Sauté until mushrooms are tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in kale. Add garlic and broth; simmer until broth is slightly reduced, about 6 minutes. Stir in thyme, lemon peel, and 2 tablespoons oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk butter and Parmesan into polenta and divide among plates. Top with kale mixture.

BRAISED KALE WITH CRANBERRIES, GARLIC & PINE NUTS

• bunch Russian Red kale, leaves coarsely torn
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries (2 ounces)
• 1 cup pine nuts, toasted in pan on stove

Cook kale in a 6-quart pot of boiling salted water (1 1/2 tablespoons salt for 4 quarts water), uncovered, until almost tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain in a colander, then immediately transfer kale to an ice bath to stop cooking. When kale is cool, drain but do not squeeze.Cook garlic in oil in same pot over medium heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add kale, pine nuts, dried cranberries, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and cook, tossing frequently with tongs, until kale is heated through and tender, 4 to 6 minutes.

WILTED KALE SALAD WITH CREAMY CHIPOTLE DRESSING

For the wilted kale:

• whole bunch of kale (this will seem like a lot but will wilt down when the salt is added)
• 2T salt 2c baby tomatoes, sliced
• 1c hulled hemp seeds (or raw pine nuts)
• cilantro to garnish

For the dressing:

• 3 avocados
• 2 chipotle peppers *If not using chipotle peppers, substitute with onion powder, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and tamari/nama shoyu
• ½c olive oil
• 2T agave
• ¼c lemon juice

Remove the stems and then wash and cut the kale into small pieces. Place into a bowl, add salt and start to massage the kale until it wilts and takes on a ‘cooked’ texture.Add the tomatoes, pine nuts or hemp seeds to the bowl and mix in by hand. Blend dressing ingredients in a high-speed blender until creamy and mix into kale by hand.

HOLIDAY KALE WITH CRANBERRIES & PINE NUTS WILTED SALAD

• 1 head kale, shredded
• 1 cup tomato, chopped
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup raw or soaked pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed or olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• celtic sea salt, to taste
• ½ teaspoon cayenne
  In mixing bowl, toss all ingredients together. Mix everything together (with hands) to created marinated/wilted effect on kale. This makes it much tastier and easier to digest. Wash cayenne off hands directly after.
  

ROASTED RED POTATOES WITH KALE PESTO

from Farmer John's Cookbook

Kale Pesto:

• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 lb kale, without stems
• sea salt
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast walnuts over high heat until fragrant. Set aside. Bring 2 cups water to boil.Add kale and 1T salt. Cook about 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain kale. Add to food processor with garlic and walnuts. While processing, slowly add olive oil until smoothly pureed. Add Parmesan and mix in.

roasted red potatoes:

• red potatoes, parboiled and cut into large but bite sized chunks
• spice mix of choosing such as garlic powder, sea salt, herbs de provence
• paprika
• olive or coconut oil

Place potatoes and spices in bowl and mix gently to cover potatoes. Spread spiced potatoes evenly on baking sheet in one layer. Sprinkle more paprika over tops of potatoes. Place in preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes or until browned, turning potatoes once. Dollop kale pesto over potatoes, sprinkle with more parmesan and serve hot.

KALE & SPINACH QUICHE

• bunch kale, spinach, Swiss chard or collard greens
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• dill & other spices of your choice
• 1 whole grain pastry shell (9-inch)
• shredded cheese, to taste, your choice
• 1 cup sour or plain yogurt
• 3 eggs

Chop kale or other greens and saute with onion and spices. Into pastry shell, layer the shredded cheese, then sauteed vegetables. Whip sour cream with eggs and pour over vegetables. Bake at 350F until set, approximately 30-40 minutes (test center of quiche with a skewer).

Easy Spicy Kale & Mustard Greens

by Allura

• 3 cups kale (1 bunch)
• 3 cups mustard greens (1 bunch)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil or butter
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon green chili peppers
• 1 teaspoon garlic (minced or crushed)
• 1 lime wedge
• 4 teaspoons water

Prepare the kale and mustard greens by cutting middle stem out of each leaf. Rinse the leaves thoroughly. Cut the greens into strips that are about 1 inch by 3-4 inches. Add 4 tsp of water to a 2 quart pot. bring to boil on medium heat. Add the kale first, then the mustard greens pour 1/4 teaspon into the greens and cover tightly with lid. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occaisionally, until the greens are wilted and tender. When the greens are done cooking, they should be dark green. Keep the lid on the pot and set aside. In a small saucepan heat 1 tsp oil or butter until almost smoking at medium high heat. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. They will pop and sizzle. turn heat to medium. Add green chili pepper and crushed garlic and fry until lightly browned. Optional: add 1/8 teaspoon red chili pepper. Pour mixture over greens. Add remaining salt (1/2 tsp) to taste. Serve with a dash of lime juice (brings out the flavor of the greens).