Kale Salad

In the summer, I eat a lot of raw food. It's just too hot to turn on the stove in my un-air conditioned house located on a concrete island, so I have amassed many great recipes for meals sans cooking.

This kale salad recipe was given to me by Baltimore Health Coach (Luke and Richele are awesome and has forever changed the way I look at food). They explained that the acidity of the lemon and the saltiness of the soy sauce breaks down the kale, so after letting the salad sit for a while, the greens become soft and tender. I have served this to people who swear they do not like kale, but they love this salad. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 large bunch kale, chopped
3 Tbsp. tahini
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. maple syrup (or honey)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

Mix all the above ingredients except the kale in a small bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the kale and mix well until the dressing incorporates with the kale. If needed, add salt to taste.

Let salad mix sit for at least 30 minutes. For best results, let sit overnight in the fridge and serve chilled.

Bell Pepper Soup??

Believe me its good! My husband writes a weekly column for the Taste section of the Baltimore Sun. Each week he chooses an item from the farmers' market (or our CSA share) to focus on and create a recipe for. This week its bell peppers and it is a refreshing, cold summer soup with options for green or red!

Check it out!

Spring Onions or Scallions - What's the difference and what do I do with them?

Scallions are young onions that are harvested when their tops are still green and are also called green onions with their peak in spring and summer. Spring onions have larger bulbs and are only available in May and June. They are somewhat interchangeable though depending on what part of the onion your recipe calls for - green or white. For longest life store them in a ziptop bag in the crisper drawer. (adapted from Martha Stewart online)

Spring Onion Recipes

Spring Onion Soup 

Six Onion Pizza

Spring Onions Calçot Style 

Scallion Recipes
Scallion Cakes
Creamed Scallions on Pasta
Scallion Ginger Broth

The Wonderful World of Eggplant!

Eggplant - or aubergine as the lovely French call it - comes in all shapes, sizes and colors. The most common variety is the globe which is deep purple egg shaped fruit that widens at the bottom. We start out the season with the purple variety of globe but may see white later in the summer (which is actually the namesake for the fruit). Another variety that we will probably receive this year is the Japanese eggplant which is much smaller and slimmer with its purple skin streaked with white. 

Storage tips: Eggplant can be stored for several days outside the refrigerator but only if the skin has no punctures. Uncut eggplant will keep in the refrigerator for around one week. To freeze, wash the eggplant, peel and slice the eggplant (about 1/3 inch slices), blanche in hot water for about 4 minutes, then chill in ice. Store these in vacuum-sealed bags and freeze. (You can also store them in plastic bags). Freezing will preserve it up to 5 months.

Cooking tips: Bake, grill, roast fry, stuff with vegetables or rice, use in stews, or as dip  

Recipes:

The Classic Ratatouille

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Ratatouille-350730  

Roasted Eggplant with Tomatoes and Mint

http://smittenkitchen.com/2011/09/roasted-eggplant-with-tomatoes-and-mint/

Roasted Eggplant Salad with Smoked Almonds and Cashews

http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-roasted-eggplant-salad-with-smoked-almonds-goat-cheese-164756

Eggplant Chips with Cilantro Pesto

http://whatsgabycooking.com/eggplant-chips/

I couldn't resist ;-)

My favorite way to eat beets

A simple, delicious way to enjoy beets...

Pre-heat oven to 325. 

Cut beets in coins, approximately 1/4 in thick.

Brush both sides with a little olive oil and lay in single layer on a baking sheet. 

Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Bake, flipping occasionally, until tender but not charred. 

Remove beets from the oven. While still hot, spread soft, fresh goat cheese on top. 

Sprinkle with fresh chopped mint and serve!

Summer Potato Salad

This recipe is from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, with some slight adaptations. If you are interested in the food system, eating locally, or are cooking enthusiast, I would definitely recommend reading it. (Check it out here). I made it last night and dressed it this morning before eating it, and it seemed to keep well. Also, it can be easily adapted to whatever is in the CSA each week (in addition to substituting sweet potatoes for the red potatoes, or even a combination of the two). 

Summer Potato Salad 

Cut about 2lbs (I used the whole bag from the CSA) of red potatoes into one inch chunks. Roast with olive oil and 3 tbsp salt at 450 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. For the last ten minutes, add sugar snap peas, green peppers cut into chunks, and 1-2 ears of corn slightly oiled. Take out, let cool, and cut corn off the cobs. Toss all the veggies together with wedged tomatoes (I would maybe recommend baby tomatoes instead so they don't fall apart) and refrigerate. When cold, toss with dressing. I used a mixture of balsamic vinegar and olive oil, but experiment as you like! Also, add basil at the end before serving. The recipe calls for about 1/4 of a cup, but let's be honest, you can never have too much basil! 

Super easy and super flexible - I think any veggie would work well. Enjoy! 

What to do with Red Cabbage?

Cooking tips: Sautee it, braise it, use in soups (or gazpacho, maybe, for these crazy hot days?), as garnish or on sandwhiches, or eat it raw in slaws and salads. 
Storage tips: Store whole head in plastic bag in your refrigerator for up to two weeks. Once cut, red cabbage will lose its freshness quickly (probably within two days). Can also be frozen (blanch first) or pickled! Check out Alexis' post for pickling how-to's!
Fun fact: They're awesome for you; chock full of dietary antioxidants, act as an anti-inflammatory, and even "potentially preventive and therapeutic roles" to several diseases. 


Cabbage and Lime Salad With Roasted Peanuts
1/2 red cabbage, trimmed, cored, shredded (approx 6 cups) 
1/2 green cabbage, trimmed, cored, shredded (approx 6 cups) 
1 tbsp salt 
1 bunch baby spinach 
1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 small limes) 
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup peanut oil 
1/2 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts, chopped 
freshly ground black pepper
First toss the cabbage, let drain for 2 hours. Mix the liquid ingredients and toss salad with it. Add peanuts on top and spices to taste. 
(recipe: http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/04/cabbage-and-lime-salad-with-roasted-peanuts/)


If you're searching for something a little more exotic (or perhaps have just had enough salad the past few weeks), there's also tons of taco-wrap-sandwich recipes, oft pairing cabbage with avoacodo and lime various meats and fish. Here are links to some of the tastier looking ones. 


Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos with Spicy Slaw and Avocado
http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2012/05/recipe-for-slow-cooker-shredded-beef.html 
Steak Tacos with Cucumber-Aocado Salsa
http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/steak-tacos-cucumber-avocado-salsa.aspx
Avocado, Feta, and Cabbage Wrap 
http://www.marthastewart.com/338938/avocado-feta-and-cabbage-wrap

4th of July Veggie Storage

The 4th of July is already here (!) which probably also means a Baltimore getaway. Here are some quick tips for how to store the veggies while you're gone, and several recipes if you're trying to eat it before the holiday.


Chard: Best eaten ASAP but will keep 2-4 days in the refrigerator. It also freezes well - blanch first then freeze in plastic bag or container. 

Cucumbers: Refrigerate for use within 5 days. For optimal keeping, wrap cucumbers individually in paper towels, then place inside a closed plastic bag.

Turnips: Remove the greens and store them separately (you can also eat these, but they will only keep about 3 days). The root will keep for roughly a week in a plastic bag in the fridge. 

Zucchini: Best within 4-5 days in your fridge's crisper section. 
Cauliflower/Broccoli: Keep in perforated or open plastic bag to keep 5-7 days. 
Kale: Keep in sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator for 5-7 day storage.
Kohlrabi: Keeps for 2 weeks in the fridge.


Eggs in Sauteed Chard: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/eggs_nested_in_sauteed_chard_and_mushrooms/
Tropical Cucumber Salad: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/tropical_cucumber_salad.html
Zucchini bread: http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/07/summer-of-the-bats/   
Simple Cauliflower: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/simple-cauliflower-recipe.html
Broccoli, Kale, & Cauliflower Tart: http://www.cookyourdream.com/2010/05/sprouting-broccoli-kale-and-cauliflower.html 


Made a great dish for the 4th with your veggies? Post it! Happy 4th!