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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: June 29 2010 at 2:59pm | IP Logged
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We've been getting our CSA share for a few weeks now, and I do love how it challenges us to eat lots of vegetables that we don't necessarily dislike but probably wouldn't think to pick up at the store.
So, while I love it, it IS a challenge at times to prepare meals around them to eat them all fresh! I have tried some unusual (for us) recipes, and I thought I'd share. I hope others will chime in with some of their favorite veggie recipes!
I recently found this recipe which was surprisingly yummy. I modified it a bit and made an enchilada casserole by doubling it and layering the ingredients rather than making individual wraps:
Chard Enchiladas
Quote:
CHARD ENCHILADAS
2 tbsp.
2 cloves
1
4 cups
1 tbsp.
1 tbsp.
1/2 cup
1/2 cup
6
1/2 cup canola oil
garlic, peeled and chopped
onion, peeled and chopped
chard, coarsely chopped*
butter
flour
milk
cheddar cheese, grated
corn tortillas
hot salsa
Preheat oven to 375 F. Heat oil; saute garlic and onion until golden. Add chard (in small amounts) until it is cooked down. Make a bechamel sauce: melt butter, stir in flour, add milk and cheese. Stir until thick, then mix into cooked greens. Fill center of each tortilla, roll up, place in lightly oiled baking dish. Spread salsa over all; bake in hot oven for 25 minutes.
Recipe developed by Ellen Ogden. In "The Cook's Garden" catalog. Vol. 8, No. 1. Spring/Summer 1991. Pg. 7. |
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And these Crispy Kale Chips. I can't think of another way that my 22 month old would devour a half plate of kale. It still has a bit of a bite like kale, but if texture is your child's aversion, I'd try them. We liked them!
Quote:
The biggest secret to getting the kale super-crisp is to dry them in a salad spinner. If there is moisture on the leaves, the kale will steam, not crisp. Also, do not salt the kale until after they have come out of the oven. If you salt beforehand, the salt will just cause the kale to release moisture…thus steaming instead of crisping. I’ve also found that the convection setting on my oven works really well too – I set the convection on 325F and bake for about 10-15 minutes. Have fun with this recipe, I sometimes mix the salt with Cajun or Creole seasoning.
4 giant handfuls of kale, torn into bite-sized pieces and tough stems removed (about 1/3 pound)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt or kosher salt
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the kale leaves into a salad spinner and spin all of the water out of the kale. Dump the water and repeat one or two times more just to make sure that the kale is extra dizzy and dry. Use a towel to blot any extra water on the leaves. Place the kale on the baking sheet.
3. Drizzle olive oil over the kale leaves and use your hands to toss and coat the leaves. Bake in the oven for 12-20 minutes until leaves are crisp. Take a peek at the 12 minute mark – the timing all depends on how much olive oil you use. Just use a spatula or tongs to touch the leaves, if they are paper-thin crackly, the kale is done. If the leaves are still a bit soft, leave them in for another 2 minutes. Do not let the leaves turn brown (they’ll be burnt and bitter) Remove from oven, sprinkle with salt and serve. |
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: June 29 2010 at 4:34pm | IP Logged
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How do they decide what to grow for those places? I mean it seems like everyone I know who's used them gets "weird" items to use.. of course they may not be weird for some people.. I just was wondering how they decide.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: June 29 2010 at 5:11pm | IP Logged
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I don't think its weird, its just seasonal. I might buy kale every once in a while, but I'm not going to buy 2 bunches of it every week for a month. Same with Collard greens or chard. Dark greens are something that you can plant early and will be ready in abundance early in the summer, but it doesn't do well in the heat, so we'll stop getting it, probably week after next. We've had salad almost every day for a meal with all the lettuce, and there is a lot of fresh spinach, too. There aren't that many vegetables to choose from that are ready in the early summer.
I'm sure we'll get "normal" things like summer squash and tomatoes and carrots, but they aren't ready yet locally. And still, I would probably want some creative uses since we're getting so much of it on a weekly basis, the same ole uses get a little dull. Its not like picking up one from the grocery store for a designated purpose, yk?
But, we've actually really enjoyed it. It isn't that we don't like getting those particular vegetables, is just that we aren't used to them. But they are really healthy foods. Take beets. We really LIKE beets, we just never think to buy them. But now we have them and have to use them. It is fun, in a way.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: June 29 2010 at 6:05pm | IP Logged
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Like I said.. I just wonder how they decide what to grow.
of course here we don't have early crops and late crops and ones for high heat etc. We sorta have one season and hope what we want will grow fast enough
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: June 29 2010 at 6:08pm | IP Logged
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I imagine that people growing early/late crops in climates like yours would use cold frames early in the season. People here can grow things like spinach all year round in a cold frame in all but the coldest of winters.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: June 29 2010 at 6:11pm | IP Logged
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you'd have to use a green house or hot frames.. still gets too cold at night for cold frames.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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Chris V
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| Posted: June 29 2010 at 8:01pm | IP Logged
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Ooooo, I'm going to enjoy this thread! Our CSA farm owner provides us all with a weekly newsletter of what we'll be getting for the week, happenings or events on the farm, AND she provides a recipe for EVERYTHING you'll be getting in your share  !
I have no shortage of kale and chard in my refrigerator right now; I'll be trying your recipes Lindsay and sharing a few of what I learn of as well.
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Mama to My Five Girls ('04~'07~'09~'11~'11) 
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Chris V
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| Posted: June 30 2010 at 3:58pm | IP Logged
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Since I've just finished eating my lunch, I've got kale and chard on my mind (and now in my belly), so I thought I'd share my standard lunch during this time of year. As I mentioned, our farm owner (Terry) always provides share owners with recipes of all the delightful things you'll be taking home each week and over the years of being a member, I've taken her typical braised-greens meal and adapted it to my own taste:
Grab a heaping handful of your favorite greens (kale, spinach, chard, mustard, arugula, or even bok choy - whatever suits you).
Give it a rough chop (since they all braise down to practically nothing).
Heat up your saute pan and throw in a pad of butter (or two ), let it melt, then add some minced garlic. Let the garlic brown for about two minutes.
Throw in the greens, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Braise for a few minutes.
Throw in some chopped tomatoes and your favorite cheese (I tried smoked gouda yesterday - WOW, this added such a good flavor, it was amazing! I used sharp cheddar today because my girls polished off all my gouda  , and it was still delicious).
If you want to add other cheeses that don't take heat too well, you can add feta (I happen to love melted feta, but my husband says it makes things stink to holy heck), and mizithra is EXCELLENT on top once you taken your greens off the heat.
I try to get creative with my standard greens-meal and add garlic-greens, even beets or radishes. To give my meal some protein I also add any left over steak or BBQ chicken from last night's dinner, and if we don't have left overs I often just scramble a egg separately then add to the greens once they're off the heat and on my plate.
Things like kolrabi or broccoli rabe can be sauteed, but they actually do really well in a coleslaw salad with cabbage.
When we get fava beans I always like to make a fava-bean dip that has a similar consistency to humus, and then broil/brown some crostini bread and use the fava-bean dip as spread (my kids love this). I'll dig up that recipe and post it.
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Chris
Happy Wife with my Happy Life
Mama to My Five Girls ('04~'07~'09~'11~'11)
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Seasonal/ CSA Recipes
