Monday, March 26, 2012

Spicy Roasted Colorful Cauliflower

In last week's share many of you were delighted by the purple cauliflower. This purple color is caused by the presence of an antioxidant group called anthocyanins, which are also found in red cabbage and red wine. The following recipe from epicurious.com is delicious and beautiful when using any variety of colorful cauliflower such as purple, green, or yellow and it works just as well with the usual suspect white.

1 lb cauliflower (as many colors as you'd like)
1 organic red bell pepper
1 organic onion
5 cloves fresh organic garlic
1 large fresh ginger
1/4 tsp dried red pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp salt

Cut the cauliflower into small flowerets and slices. Remove the seeds and slice the bell pepper lengthwise; cut each slice in half. Slice the onion. Chop the garlic and mince the ginger.

Put the olive oil, toasted sesame soil, and salt in a zip lock plastic bag and mix. Add all the vegetables, garlic, and ginger; mix very well. Make sure that all the vegetables are coated in oil; add some oil if necessary.

Line a cookie sheet with tin foil. Very lightly sprinkle the dried red pepper on the bottom of the pan. Spread the vegetables evenly in one layer. Broil for 20 to 25 minutes.

Monday, March 5, 2012

The Many Shades of Kale


Kale is a favorite green for health foodies and farmers alike because not only is it nutrient dense, but it's also super hardy so we can easily grow this throughout the year! I laugh that I have kale for just about every meal because it's so versatile, I'll just choose a different color of kale each time. Below is a recipe for an excellent massaged kale salad. I know, massaged kale? What is that? Well by massaging kale with salt you can break down the fibers into a more pleasing texture and tame some of the bitterness so it can be eaten raw. Delicious! And yet another way to incorporate this delicious green into your diet.

1 bunch kale
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 apple
2 medjool dates
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
pepper

Wash the kale and spin or pat dry. Remove the stems and discard. Chop the kale into thin strips and put in a bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and massage with your hands for 1-2 minutes, just like kneading bread.

Wash the apple and chop it into thin slices. Remove the seeds from the dates and cut into bit size morsels.

Using a paper towel squeeze any excess liquid out of kale and transfer to a salad bowl, toss with apple and dates, drizzle with oil and vinegar and season with pepper. Taste and season to your liking.