Kale & More Kale - First Week Back with the CSA

It was the first week back with Great Country Farms CSA plus I finally got everything planted in the garden and on my patio. If everything comes in from the garden, I'll definitely need to get the vacuum sealer and get a lot more in the freezer this year.

I planted more herbs including chives, savory, cilantro and lemongrass to go along with the tarragon, rosemary, sage and mint that's already thriving. I put in handfuls of pumpkin seeds plus sweet potatoes to join the potatoes already there. I'm trying onions instead of shallots this year (though I may still add some shallots - they were a treat last year). I'm trying different eggplant this year, 2 squash, cucumbers again (let's hope they do better this time), more tomatoes, and some beans that Sonya said "just scatter the seeds." So that's what I did. Sadly, one one of my artichoke plants made it through the winter so we'll see what happens. I'll keep trying. On the patio I have more tomatoes, lavendar, a few herbs and a kitty garden for Bandit. I'm also trying a few melons since they always got eaten by the voles at the garden. We'll see if they fare any better here.

I cut my first greens and had salad all week (mostly red and butter lettuce) from the garden and the farm all week. And over the weekend, I made myself a treat - eggs and asparagus.

But then there's the kale. And I have to use it all before the weekend, because we're getting collard greens next week. (I love greens, but they do come all at once at the beginning and end of the season.)

I've made kale chips a couple of times (such a great alternative to chips when you want something crunchy). Just tear the kale into bite size pieces and toss lightly with olive oil. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet (I line mine with parchment) and sprinkle lightly with salt or other spices. I just tried a batch with Penzey's Turkish seasoning and they were amazing. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes.

I also found a great recipe for Chickpea and Kale soup. I modified it a bit - since I'm not vegan and wasn't particularly looking for a fat free recipe, I sauteed the vegetables in a swirl of my good olive oil and used the onions we got in our boxes this week. And I used chicken stock that I'd made earlier in the week. And half the fun is playing with the seasoning - I used aleppo peppers, smoked paprika, tumeric, cinnamon, ginger and saffron and then ground some pepper over it all. The kale took a bit to soften up, so I let it simmer for about 20 minutes. The smoked paprika added a flavor and aroma that make it seem like it had been cooked over a fire for hours - perfect even on a hot summer day.

I still have more kale though. I guess I'll just make a batch of my green chicken chili and blend it in with the chicken broth - it's a great way to add more fiber and vitamins to the chili. I could also make kale-sesame salad. But I know I'll be doing that with the collard greens next week.