Kale | Eating Out of the Local Box

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Kale Chips

By Christy on May 3, 2012 in Appetizers & Snacks, Gluten-free, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan

My poor kale was starting to yellow. One too many days in the fridge. I needed to cook it right away but was not in the mood for cooked greens. A quick toss with some oil, salt, and sesame seeds and I had a delicious crunchy snack of kale chips. Even the kiddos will like this one.

1 tablespoon sesame oil or chili oil if you like it spicy

1 head kale, thoroughly washed and dried

salt to taste

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Remove tough stems from kale. Toss with oil. Sprinkle with salt and sesame seeds. Bake for 40-50 minutes, stirring after about 20 minutes.

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Get Keen with Local Leafy Greens

By Aspen on February 22, 2012 in Greenling DFW, My Greenling

We are up to our elbows in green goodness here at Greenling DFW, and we couldn’t be happier! It’s a popular sentiment around here that dark leafy greens season is the best season (though once local blueberries and peaches start coming in, you might hear the same crew changing their tune) Either way, local leafy greens are in peak season right now, and they have so much more flavor than their non-local counterparts- which really cuts the groundwork out of convincing your family to eat ‘em.

Trying to choose just one favorite green is arduous, so we’re celebrating all of them. They are often interchangeable in recipes, but they do have unique qualities all their own too:

Collard greens, have thick, yet supple leaves and a propensity to taste amazing sauteed with bacon.
Mustard greens, their peppery cousin and Southern cooking staple, are perfect sauteed with just a little oil, chopped onion, and salt & pepper (Alright, they’re pretty good with bacon too)
Kale, with it’s chewy, curly leaves that soften delicately when cooked, is a great way to “sneak” nutrition into a non-veggie-centric meal like Shells & Cheese. It’s great raw in a salad too, just give it a little massage!
Swiss Chard, probably the green with the largest, most bountiful leaves, is soft, tender, and very versatile - saute the leaves and then use the ribs in a creamy pasta, or even use it as a pizza topping.
Spinach, the most widely accepted leafy green, can really be added into anything you can think of- stuff some local portabellas with it, make a warm salad, or use it in a lasagna- the possibilities are endless.

Whichever green you choose, you know you’ll be doing your body (and your brain) good- all of them are an absolute goldmine of nutrition, chock full of the most naturally occuring vitamins you’ll find in a food. So get your local greens on and please, share with us on Facebook if you discover an amazing recipe with your greens!

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Kale Berry Smoothie

By Megan on December 8, 2011 in Beverages, Desserts, Recipes

I used to be afraid of kale. I definitely used to be afraid of the idea of putting greens in drinks. I like green foods, but there is just something about green liquids that make me want to run in the other direction.

It’s a good thing I changed my mind about kale. It’s not just fantastically healthful; it’s extremely versatile. I eat it in everything now, from soups to pasta to simply sauteed for a side dish. And even, yes, in smoothies.

As you can see, these smoothies aren’t green, which helps get my entire family past the weird factor and on their way to drinking up a treat. But don’t be fooled – each smoothie has two cups of raw kale, giving you lots of potassium, calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C. Plus, the sweetness comes from the fruit, not from the added sugar many smoothie businesses sneak in.

A kale berry smoothie a day keeps the doctor away? Well, it couldn’t hurt.

Kale Berry Smoothie
serves 1

1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
2 cups torn raw kale
1 cup cold water

Layer ingredients in a blender and blitz for about 5 minutes, until smooth. Enjoy and conquer the world.

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Spiced Coconut Kale

By Stephanie on May 23, 2011 in Uncategorized

This sounds awesome, right? It’s just as good as it sounds, too. You get sweet flavors of coconut and curry seasoning some greens that are cooked just right – not tough but not soggy.

I riffed off of this recipe, changing it to use kale instead of spinach and modify for other ingredients I had on hand.

UPDATE: I made another batch of this tonight and used lime juice instead of lemon. Heaven! I think I like it better this way. Also, I dare you to make this dish and not sing this song as you cook.

Spiced Coconut Kale (adapted from 101 Cookbooks)

1 small spring onion (or shallot)
1 large clove of garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 bunch of kale, chopped
squeeze of lemon
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes, lightly toasted

Place the onion and garlic on a cutting board, sprinkle with the salt, and chop/mash everything into a paste.

Heat the oil in your largest skillet over medium heat. Add the seeds, cover with a lid, and let them toast a bit. Remove the lid, stir in the red pepper flakes and let cook for a minute. Stir in the garlic-shallot paste and all of the kale. Stir until the kale starts wilting and brightens up in color. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until kale is tender but not mushy. Drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle with coconut.

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Local Box Meal Plan: May 9-13

By Stephanie on May 10, 2011 in Uncategorized

Have y’all seen Yummly yet? It’s a database that searches all (or at least most) recipes online. You can sort by a ton of factors, including ingredients, tastes (sweet, salty, etc.), food allergies, diets, and so on. It’s the best database of its kind that I’ve come across. Check it out if you get a chance – I came up with most of the recipes in today’s meal plan using that site.

Yellow Beans – Animal Farm
Kale – Green Collar
Carrots – Acadian Family Farm
Red Beets – Massey Farm
Purple Top Turnips – Gundermann Acres
Watermelon Radish- Tecolote Farm
Radicchio – Tecolote Farm
Red Leaf Lettuce – Acadian Family Farm
Spring Onions – Bar W Ranch & Farm
Garlic – Fruitful Hill Farm

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tIXfG9Vh1I&w=448&h=252&hd=1]

Portuguese kale-carrot soup–This version calls for soy chorizo, but sub the real thing (the Spanish smoked kind) if you wish.

Sweet and sour beets

Radish and pine nut salad – An easy, but not boring, salad.

Grilled sausage with potatoes and beans – A great grill recipe. Use your yellow beans in place of the green ones.

Grilled radicchio – I posted something similar to this recipe last year, but it bears repeating as a reminder to you. This is one of the most awesome ways to prepare radicchio (and romaine and endive, for that matter). Don’t knock grilled lettuce till you try it.

- Stephanie