12 Ways to Eat Kale, One Guide!

It's the question we always get when a new gardener plants kale- how do you eat this stuff? 

Alicia Yang, Golden Gate Dietetic Intern at North Coast Opportunities, is here to help! She created these dynamic resources on kale for cooking classes she taught to Preschool classes while working with NCO this fall. 

And it's not all about kale, you can use the cooking ideas chart for other greens too. Similar greens you could substitute include Collards, Spinach, Chard, Beet and Turnip Greens- as long as it's dark and leafy, give it a try! 

Click on the images to enlarge, and feel free to print them off and share them with friends and family! 

Health Doesn't Happen by Accident

From Guest Blogger: Tiffany Edwards
I was a twenty-year old bride eager to occupy the kitchen, even if I didn’t have a hot clue where to begin or what to do. Here I am, twelve years later with six hungry mouths to feed on a single income. My number one goal is to be healthy and not to go broke doing it. I write to you not as one with a lofty education, stellar credentials or a gourmet kitchen. I come simply because I want to people to know that eating healthy on a budget is not only possible, but enjoyable.
             While there are endless ideas concerning healthy eating and money saving, I have chosen my top five tips. No two situations are the same, so modify as needed. Although much may be different, one thing is the same: we must make healthy choices in order to live healthy lives. Here are five ways that I try to do just that:

1.) Have a plan

Healthy eating and healthy money habits don’t happen by accident. Healthy choices are things we do on purpose to benefit our bodies, families and communities. Shopping on a budget and eating healthy meals are things that can’t happen unless we make a plan.

 

Here’s how to do it:

• find a few recipes. Call a friend, peruse Pinterest, check out a cookbook from the library. Find recipes that fit your budget and schedule, and write them down.
• make a menu. I plan my menu for two weeks at a time. I do this with my calendar in hand so I can see what is happening in life and what I need to plan meals around. You can do your menu for one week at a time or one month at a time, whatever you prefer. Arriving home late with hungry kids and no dinner plan is never fun. Planning ahead will keep you away from fast food and often prevents overspending.
• make a shopping list. I am a person that will go into a store and come out with $100 worth of condiments and a half gallon of ice cream if I don’t have a list. I will have a little of this and a little of that, which leaves me running to the store to get the one more ingredient I need for dinner. Then I buy another $80 worth of ‘good deals’... You get the picture. Take your menu and make a shopping list. Shopping lists save so much money if you stick to them.

2.) Shop sales

I was standing in line as the woman in front of me was checking out. The cashier rang up a bag of oranges. She was alarmed by the high cost and asked the cashier to check the price. He verified the cost and she shrugged as she put them in her bag. I had purchased the same produce at a different store twenty minutes before for a fraction of the cost because they were on sale. I knew this only because I had looked at the sale ads and made my list (and my menu) based on what was on sale.

I understand this can mean shopping at more than one store, and for many that is a challenging task. There are days I do and days I don’t because life is always different. I will say however, that if you want to eat healthy and save money, the best option is to shop multiple stores to capitalize on the sales.

Notice that I didn’t mention coupons. I don’t have an issue with coupons and I will use them as often as I can. Many times however, if you are not careful, coupons can cost you money. I will see a coupon for a product that I don’t typically buy, but because I am saving thirty-five cents, I clip it and spend the $3.25. Also, coupons are typically for name brand items when often, the generic brand, which is comparable in quality, is still significantly less. While this is not true for all coupon situations, be careful of coupons as you don’t always come out ahead.

3.) Stack your meals

One of the first things I did when we got married was find women I could learn from. My friend Cristy had two children and a full-time student for a husband. She knew how to cook and she knew how to save. She introduced me to a simple concept that literally changed my life: stacking meals.

I remember her showing up at my house with a whole chicken. What in the world are we going to do with that? I wondered. She explained the concept of boiling a chicken until it fell apart. We added the wilted celery and the forgotten onion from the dark corner of the fridge. We added the wrinkled carrot, a few bay leaves and enough water to cover the chicken. We turned it on medium and let it simmer itself to perfection. After letting it cool, we removed all the chicken, shredded the meat, discarded what was unwanted and transferred the broth to glass bowls to put in the freezer. I then planned two or three meals that used shredded chicken (chicken pot pie, a chicken salad, chicken soups...the possibilities are endless!) I also used the chicken broth for recipes calling for chicken broth. The first time I got three meals out of a $4 chicken, my life was forever changed.

Watch for sales on whole turkeys, hams or chickens. Roast, bake or boil. You can freeze what you don’t use right away if you want more diversity in your menu than eating chicken for three nights straight. This works for veggies too! If you enjoy basil, but find basil to be expensive, buy it and plan several meals that call for basil. This concept works with any ingredient.

4.) Avoid pre-made meals, snacks and drinks

As I navigated the aisles of my local grocery and writing this article in my head, I was asking myself what I did differently than others that allowed me to feed a family of six on a meager budget. I observed other carts and other shopper’s choices and there was one major difference I saw: I don’t buy snacks. Boxed ones that is. I don’t buy soda or pre-made beverages. I don’t buy the pre-made pot stickers or expensive microwave popcorn. I buy a limited amount of breakfast cereals and avoid things like breakfast bars and instant oatmeal packets. These things add up really, really fast.

These choices are often high in sugar, sodium, hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup and more. Purchasing a bag of old fashioned popcorn kernels and popping them in your own pot at home is much healthier (you choose the amount of oil you add) and so much cheaper! It only takes a few minutes longer. Pop some extra and put it into small containers for an easy snack or lunch addition. Cheap and healthy.

We have a saying on our house: If you’re not hungry enough to eat an apple, you’re not hungry. Snacks are not only expensive, they are often unhealthy. Take a bag of baby carrots for example. A bag of baby carrots will sell for around $2 while a bag of chips or box of crackers will cost $3 or more. Not only will the carrots benefit your body, brain and waistline, they will also benefit your checkbook. Save your money, boost your health and avoid the junk-food aisles.

5.) Do ahead

I understand that being healthy, making a plan and shopping multiple stores require more than intentionality, they require time. I understand that cooking a balanced meal and having healthy snacks available for growing kids with busy schedules requires a lot of time. Because I understand this, I not only plan ahead, I make ahead.

Take a Saturday morning or a Wednesday evening to brown meat, chop veggies, make granola (super easy!) or shred cheese. Purchasing things like pre-made bacon or shredded cheese only adds cost to the product and often sacrifices quality. Spend less and purchase the block of cheese or the pound of bacon to prep ahead of time and freeze what you don’t plan to use right away. You can boil a dozen eggs, peel them and put them in a well-sealed container. They will keep several days in the fridge. Easy snack. Healthy breakfast.

Buy a five pound bag of carrots and a bag of celery. Wash, peel and chop. Place them in a container, add a little water (to avoid drying) and just like that, you have a vegetable side for dinner, a lunch addition or an easy snack. Healthy and usually less than $5.

 

Plan ahead by planting a vegetable garden -- in containers on your porch, in a small patch of soil, or in a community garden. A few weeks or months later, you'll reap the benefits in extra veggies for meals and snacks.

 

Thinking ahead and acting ahead is a huge stress reliever. It will not only save you money, but you will stay healthy in the process.

Here’s to saving money and eating well!

Cheers!

Spice up an autumn evening with this seasonal soup recipe!

Pumpkin Coconut Curry Soup

Visit your local Farmers' Market and pick up some pumpkins or squash to use in this healthy and delicious recipe!

Pumpkin Coconut Curry Soup

By: Elizabeth Archer

This soup is perfect for fall. It’s as elegant as it is flexible: pick a squash, any squash; substitute white beans for chicken to make it vegetarian; play with the spices and proportions to get the flavor and consistency you prefer. However, unless absolutely necessary, do not leave out the fish sauce!

Ingredients:

* 3-4 lb sugar pumpkin or other winter squash like Red Kuri, Kabocha, Butternut, or Hubbard
* 1 lb chicken breast or tenders
* 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
* 1 can full-fat coconut milk
* 1 medium onion, diced
* 2 cloves garlic
* 2 TBSP fish sauce
* 2 tsp hot sauce like Siracha
* Curry powder
* Garam masala 
* Cumin
* Cinnamon 
* Olive oil 
* Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Cut the chicken into strips and boil until cooked (about 3-5 minutes, depending on thickness). Drain and rinse with cold water, then shred. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, cut the pumpkin or squash into wedges. Scoop out the seeds and reserve if you're roasting them - incidentally, these same spices make for great roasted seeds! It’s up to you if you want to peel the pumpkin before or after cooking.

3. Arrange the slices flesh-up in a casserole dish. Sprinkle with curry, cumin, masala, cinnamon, and salt, rub with olive oil, and pour about one half-inch of water into the casserole dish to create a steam effect. Roast at 375 for about 40 minutes or until a fork goes in easily. 

4. Peel the pumpkin if you haven’t already. In a food processor or blender, purée the cooked pumpkin with the garlic cloves, coconut milk, ½ cup broth, and fish sauce.

5. In a large soup pot, sauté the onions on medium heat in a tablespoon or two of olive oil with a generous dose of curry and a sprinkling of all the other spices. 

6. Once the onions are translucent, add the shredded chicken and ½ cup broth; bring to a simmer.

7. Add the blended mixture and let cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more spices/salt/pepper as desired, plus more broth if you like a thinner soup. 

8. Serve with crusty bread and a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, plus a drizzle of hot sauce or squeeze of citrus to brighten the flavors. This soup also freezes beautifully if you somehow manage not to eat it all!

Happy Fall!

Looking for more cooking inspiration?  Click here for past recipes from the Real Dirt Blog!

Try it! Lebanese Kale Salad

Lebanese Kale Salad with Caramelized Shallot
1 bunch Red Russian Kale
3 medium shallots
1/3 C Garbanzo beans
1 medium carrot
¼ C Juice of Meyer Lemon
1 T Za’atar seasoning
1 T Tahini paste (heaping)
3 T Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
¼ t Kosher Salt
¼ t Pepper (coarse)


[Total prep time: 25 minutes; Active prep time: 13 minutes]

    Begin by peeling and slicing shallots lengthwise. Add to a medium heat sauté pan with 1 teaspoon olive oil. To promote caramelization add ½ teaspoon cane sugar (optional). Sauté shallots for 8 – 12 minutes, stir sparingly.
      While shallot sautés pull Kale leaves from stem. Pull from bottom up, leaves should free themselves easily. Rinse leaves with cold water. While leaves dry, prepare Za’atar dressing. Combine lemon juice, Za’atar seasoning, tahini, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Whisk ingredients together.
      Shave carrot into strips with a vegetable peeler. Rinse and drain cooked garbanzo beans. At this juncture salad can be served hot or cold. Toss kale with dressing, carrots, and beans; then top with shallot. Or add to sauté pan warming everything through; dress last.   
     
     

Green Tomato Salsa Verde

Autumn is bursting with ripe vegetables—and some not-so-ripe ones.
If you’re looking for a way to use your green tomatoes without having to roast or fry them, try this recipe, courtesy of Live Power Community Farm:

Green Tomato Salsa Verde
-1.5 lb green tomatoes, halved
-6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
-Half an onion, chopped
-1-2 hot peppers, minced
-Juice from 1-2 limes
-Cilantro, parsley, or mint minced

Place tomatoes (cut side down) and garlic cloves on sheet pan, and place under broiler for 5-7 minutes until skin on tomatoes starts to turn black, or roast for longer at a lower temperature. Combine roasted tomatoes and garlic (after removing the skin from the cloves) with remaining ingredients in a blender and pulse until combined, or chop and mix by hand. Add salt to taste.

Farm-Fresh WATER? Yes!

Ever try fruit/veggie/herb infused water? Well, if you came to last Saturday's Ukiah Farmers Market you know that there were over 20 water "recipes" available for tasting in the Rethink Your Drink Taste-Off.  Here's a sampling of the farm-fresh recipes from a few of the local farmers...

Floodgate Farm's recipe: water, holy basil, anise hyssop, and orange bergamot... TASTY!

Lover's Lane recipe: water, mint, cantaloupe, and a touch of honey... WHAT A TREAT!

Petit Teton's recipe: water, anise hyssop, fennel, cinnamon, and clove... LIQUOR-ISH and DELISH!
And here's a "cheers" from a few happy farmers' market tasters! There are all sorts of ways to stay healthy... one easy way is to choose water instead of sugary drinks.

Farmhouse Pasta

This rustic pasta recipe has the feel of coming directly from a kitchen garden behind your very own Tuscan Farmhouse... from your community garden plot... or from the CSA basket you just picked up from your local farmer!

It's simple... start with an olive oil sauté with onions. Add chopped greens (I used chard and beet greens), minced garlic, chopped veggies (I used snap peas), and cherry tomatoes (I used the last batch of frozen tomatoes from last year's garden). Sauté until tender, then remove from heat. Season with salt, pepper, a squeeze of lemon, and stir in chopped, fresh basil. Serve over your favorite pasta... enjoy!

A Thai Twist on Salad!

This week, I got a basket full of fresh produce from Live Power Farm. It included various Asian greens, mustard greens, Bok Choy, turnips, lettuce and more. I was feeling a little tired of the same ol' classic garden salad... so I dug through my recipe file and found this tasty "Tangled Thai Salad." It just needed a few adaptations to fit the fresh veggies I had on hand from my CSA basket, the farmers' market, and my garden.

Tangled Thai Salad (adapted from "Fresh Vegetarian Restaurant")
Bok Choy, chopped (about 2 cups)
Asian greens, thinly sliced (chiffonade... about 1 cup)
Mustard and turnip greens, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
Turnips, cut into small sticks (about 1 cup)
Carrot peels (long strips made by the veggie peeler... one medium carrot)
4 tbsp Peanut Lime Dressing  (recipe follows)
3 slices cucumber, halved
2 tsp chopped raw peanuts
1 lime wedge
2 to 3 tbsp chopped cilantro (from the garden!)
1. Put Bok Choy and greens in a large, shallow serving bowl (or plate). Top with turnips.
2. Pile the carrot on top and drizzle with dressing.
3. Garnish with the cucumber, peanuts, lime, and cilantro.
Peanut Lime Dressing
This dressing will keep for up to a week in the fridge. It is delicious on the Tangled Thai Salad, but would be equally good on any salad or even poured on top of cold noodles.
Makes 1 cup
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tbsp)
2 tbsp tightly packed cilantro
2 tbsp natural peanut butter
2 tbsp + 2 tsp lime juice
1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp tamari
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp peeled and chopped ginger
2 tsp coconut milk
1 1/2 tsp organic sugar
3/4 tsp sesame oil
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1. In a blender, puree all ingredients except the sunflower oil.
2. With blender running, add sunflower oil in a thin stream until dressing is emulsified.

Cooking Up Fresh Veggies

I just received my first CSA share!  Here’s how I cooked up this week’s produce…

1)      Italian Sauté with Polenta (a tasty dinner for two)
Cook polenta (1 cup of polenta, 4 cups of water, salt) for 40 minutes (heat the water to boiling, then stir in the polenta for 3-5 minutes, cover with a lid, then stir every 10 minutes or so, thereafter).

While polenta is cooking, gather CSA vegetables and a tomato/marinara sauce:
1 leek, 1 Bok Choy, 1 bunch of spinach, 2-3 cloves of garlic, herbs – Sauté in olive oil (starting with the leek, thinly sliced, for the first 5-7 minutes; then adding Bok Choy, chopped, for the next 5 minutes; and lastly the spinach, chopped, and minced garlic). Salt and pepper to taste and add an herb of your choice (rosemary, oregano, or basil).  Remove from heat and add squeezed juice from a small wedge of lemon.

Spoon polenta onto plates, top with two layers: a ¼ cup tomato/marinara sauce of your choice, and sautéed veggies. Optional toppings: add freshly grated parmesan and/or Italian-style sausage.

2)      Squiggly Salad (a wholesome lunch or side dish for the rest of the week)
Cook red quinoa (1 cup quinoa, rinsed, 2 cups of water, salt) for about 20 minutes (heat the water and quinoa, simmer for 15-20 minutes or until “squiggles” come out of the quinoa and it is al dente… drain off any excess water and rinse with cold water)

While quinoa is cooking, gather CSA vegetables and oil/vinegar:

4 radishes, 1 small head of lettuce, cucumber (from the market), 1-2 cloves garlic – Slice radishes and cucumbers, chop lettuce, then stir these vegetables into the cool cooked quinoa. Make a dressing with 1 Tbs. olive oil, 1 Tbs. red wine or balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour dressing over salad and add squeezed juice from a small wedge of lemon.

3)      Green Smoothie (a great way to start the day)
1 bunch of CSA greens, ½ banana, handful of frozen grapes, ½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, small handful of cashews – Blend until smooth, then serve.

It's easy to have fresh produce all year long!

Now is the time to get your cool season crops in the ground because even though many vegetables will mature and keep well during cold weather, most need warm soil temperatures to germinate and grow to a sufficient size in order to withstand those cooler temperatures. There are many crops that fair well in the winter months. These include:

-Fennel

-Beets

-Carrots

-Turnips

-Lettuce

-Peas

-Spinach

-Cauliflower

-Broccoli 

-Cabbage

-Onions

-Swiss Chard

-Kale

Here is a great winter salad recipe from seriouseats.com made with the very nutritious and delicious green: Kale!

Kale, Apple and Pancetta Salad

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces sliced pancetta, diced
•  1/4 cup Champagne vinegar
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small head radicchio, shredded
• 1 8-ounce bunch kale, stems discarded, leaves shredded
• 2 tart yet sweet apples, sliced into thick matchsticks
• 3/4 cup pecans, toasted if desired

Procedures

1. 1
   Combine the olive oil and pancetta in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until pancetta is golden and crispy. Strain the pan drippings into a small bowl and leave the crispy pancetta off to the side to cool. Add the Champagne vinegar, maple syrup, salt and pepper and whisk well.
2. 2
   Combine the radicchio, kale, apples and pecans in a large bowl. Toss while adding the dressing, little by little, until salad is well dressed. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Garnish with crispy pancetta.

For more information about seasonal planting check out the Mendocino Local Food Planting Guide.