The tomato plant was purchased as a starter, just about everything else came up from seed. There is one mysterious square toward the front, center of the box that has been planted twice but nothing has sprouted - kind of funny given that the rest of
the plants are growing so well.
These plants are grown in this organic soil and I've used nothing else but water. I can't wait until I can harvest the first whatever from this garden - I'm guessing I might have kale or chard soon.
With that in mind, I thought I'd share two winter recipes using vegetables I'm growing would be a great way to get us thinking about ways we can use winter produce.
Kale, by the way, is a delicious winter crop but for those of you who have never used it, here are a couple of tips. First, use your kale quickly. If you harvest it from the garden, use it the same day. If you purchase it at the store, use it within a couple of days otherwise it can get spongy and bitter. Also, cut the center stalk out and toss it (into your compost pile or your trash, but not into your soup). Use only the leaves from your kale.
First up, simple easy delicious kale chips. Skips the potato chips this football season and try kale chips. Even folks who think they don't like kale will love these.
KALE CHIPS
1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.
2. Wash and remove the stem from a bunch of kale, pat dry.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Lightly coat kale in olive oil and arrange on parchment.
5. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. (I use velvet salt, it's great on popcorn too and you can use far less than traditional salt due to the fine texture).
6. Bake for 20 minutes.
7. Remove from oven, adjust salt (and pepper, if desired) to taste.
Here's a quick and simple recipe for kale and cauliflower soup. It's a great meal by itself or a perfect side to a grilled cheese sandwich on a fall day. Give this one a try from your organic garden vegetables.
QUICK AND EASY KALE AND CAULIFLOWER SOUP
1/2 cup diced onion
2 TBS minced garlic
3 tsp organic olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
3 cups of organic vegetable stock or organic chicken broth
1 head of organic, fresh from your garden cauliflower, cored and chopped
1 (lightly packed) cup organic, fresh from your garden kale, thinly sliced
2 tsp salt
1 tsp organic lemon pepper
1 TBS organic honey (the lemon gives it extra depth of flavor)
In a large pan over medium low heat, saute the the onions and garlic in olive oil. (Hint: don't overcook the garlic when it gets too brown, it gets bitter). After a few minutes, the onions should be translucent. At that point, add the wine and continue to simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.
Add the chopped cauliflower and your stock (vegetable or chicken). Bring to a boil then reduce your heat to medium low and simmer until the cauliflower is soft - about 20 minutes or so. Add the kale and continue to cook for about 5 minutes. Turn the heat off, put your ingredients into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. If you have a sprig or two of tarragon or rosemary, you may want to drop that in your soup for the final simmer for added flavor, but the soup stands on its own without that, too.
For a more rustic texture, you can use anything to mash the mixture leaving smaller pieces in tact. (This is also handy if you don't have a blender or food processor or don't want to drag them out of the pantry).
Return to pan and simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a dollop of non fat organic yogurt or sour cream and some rustic whole grain or cracked grain bread - smear the bread with a bit of olive oil and put under the broiler for a couple of minute to brown.
Have a recipe you want to share? Post it here.
As always, shopOrganic.com is your trusted online source for organic food and natural products. We have a wide selection of hard-to-find, unique, gourmet and everyday foods for your culinary pleasure. See you there! Now, go out there and enjoy your day.
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