Kale Chips

I know, I know, you've heard of kale chips.  I've made them in the past, but this time I used Dinosaur Kale and I found it to be the perfect variety for chips.  While not for everyone, I find kale chips to be delicious.  They get so paper thin and crisp.  The trendy way is to dehydrate them, so as to retain all their nutrients, but I'm not hip enough to have a dehydrator.  I served these along with some olives as an appetizer for Father's Day dinner and it was a nice light and healthy snack before we dove into bowls of spaghetti bolognese.  So give these a try if you find yourself with lots of greens and in the mood to do something unique to do with your kale.  I recommend consuming them within two hours or so of cooking.


~10 kale leaves, washed, stems removed, sliced into strips (the size of a chip), there will be long thin strips and more square ones, of course
olive oil
sea salt


Preheat oven to 325.  Line two baking sheets for easy clean up (parchment). Toss kale with some olive oil and salt and arrange on sheets in a single layer.  Bake for about 20 minutes, or until crisp.     

Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches

The perfect summer treat.  I brought these to our friend's dinner party and we enjoyed them on his rooftop with a beautiful view, nice conversation and a warm breeze.  We were all incredibly stuffed but I guess you somehow find room for an ice cream cookie sandwich.  The concept is easy; make chocolate chocolate chip cookies, buy some ice cream, assemble, wrap, and freeze.  You do really want to freeze the sandwiches as the ice cream fuses to the cookie and makes them easier to eat (the ice cream doesn't push out the sides).  I did chocolate and vanilla ice cream but choose your favorite (like salted caramel).  You could also roll the sandwiches in sprinkles or crushed nuts along the ice cream sides, but I was not in the mood for that much production.  I adapted the cookie recipe from this blog.  

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks butter (1 cup)
2 1/4 c flour
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1 t baking powder
1/2 t espresso powder
2 c chocolate chips (semi sweet or dark if you prefer)

Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer in a large bowl.  Add eggs and blend.  Add cocoa and espresso powder and combine.  Add flour, salt, baking powder and espresso powder and mix on low until combined.  The dough will be very thick and a bit unruly.  Just work with it.  Stir in chocolate chips.  I dumped the dough out onto parchment paper and formed it into a log and wrapped it up.  This way I could slice the cookies to be a bit more uniform for the sandwiches.  Do what you please.  I let the dough chill in the fridge overnight.  When ready to bake preheat oven to 350.  Form flat, medium sized cookies.  Bake for 10 minutes.  You want them to be on the undercooked side.  Let the cookies cool completely.  With soft ice cream scoop a ball onto underside of one cookie and spread slightly.  Press another cookie on top.  With a knife, add ice cream to fill in the sides.  Wrap individually in plastic wrap.  Freeze for about 2 hours.          

Basil Pesto

When it comes to food, there are few things that make me happier than a bowl of pasta tossed with fresh basil pesto.  Those who know me well, as well as loyal readers, know that I make basil pesto all year round.  But there is nothing quite like that first bowl of pesto made from the farmer's market bunches.  The smell of the basil is so strong and the pesto is so sweet, nutty and divine, it just sings off the pasta.  I've been eating pesto with pasta since I was a little girl and it's just one of those things I'll never grow tired of.  Everyone has there own preference for the ritual, and here is mine (I've shared it before but here it is again).

Basil Pesto

~ 4 cups of basil leaves (the leaves from about 8 oz of basil)

~ 1/3 c olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic

juice from 1 lemon

1/4 c toasted pecans

salt, pepper

2 T parmesan cheese

Combine ingredients in a food processor, or Vitamix and puree until smooth.

Citrus Smoothie

What is it about citrus that just wakes you up in the morning?  The farm box we receive isn't a true CSA in that it isn't exclusively local produce, but rather, local and regional organic and non-organic fruits and veggies.  So things like oranges and grapefruits from Florida show up at our doorstep which inspired me to make a refreshing citrus shake instead of my usual green smoothie.  A banana, some almond milk and a touch of vanilla give this smoothie a creamsicle quality (yes, please!) while still being packed full of nutrients.  This recipe will serve two very large glasses.


1 grapefruit, peeled
2 oranges, peeled
1 peach
1 banana
1 t agave
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 c almond milk (or soy, or regular milk)
1/2 c ice (or more)


Place all ingredients into blender (Vitamix it, you guys!) and blend until smooth.

Vegetable Soup

Of late, soup is one of my favorite things to make when I have a lot of vegetables in possession.  Even in warm weather, soup can feel completely seasonal and light.  Aside from the roast chicken and homemade stock, every single ingredient was either from our farm box or the farmer's markets and I know that made a huge difference in the flavor.  Though there was chicken in this, the veggies were really the star, particularly the corn.  The vegetables just really popped and the soup was only dusted with some seasonings.  A recipe isn't important when it comes to this kind of vegetable soup, I just hope you feel inspired soon to make some filled with fresh veggies.  I included scallions, garlic, red potatoes, cherry tomatoes, sweet corn, zucchini and red kale.  I had two chopped up chicken breasts saved aside after making roast chicken salad this week.  Feel free to include some, or leave out.  I think in place of chicken some small pasta like cous cous would be perfect.


4 scallions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 red potatoes, cubed
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
1 large zucchini, diced
3 ears corn, kernels sliced off
5 leaves red kale (or any variety), chopped
2 roasted chicken breasts, chopped
~ 4 cups chicken stock
salt, pepper, 1/4 t garam masala, 1/4 ground cumin, 1/2 t paprika


In a medium large pot heat some olive oil and saute scallions and then garlic.  Add all vegetables (well, and tomatoes) and let saute.  Salt, pepper and add seasonings.  Add chicken and then broth and let come to a simmer.           

Zucchini Fritters

The amount of produce we had in our fridge this week was, well, alarming.  In addition to our farm box the local farmer's markets have been so enticing as everything is coming into season so early.  I've had so much kale and swiss chard lurking around that our "green" smoothies each morning that are normally purple in color were actually closer to a true green despite being packed with berries, whoops.  I also made way too much baby food this week and was tempted to have a baby food dinner party....I'm sure that will be the latest parenting trend.  Ah, yes at 7 months my daughter insists upon an organic, locavore diet.  Yeah, just kidding, we're not those people.  So anyway, on to some delicious zucchini (one of my daughter's favorites).  I was inspired to make zucchini fritters after reading my farm box's blog.  This recipe is adapted from Smitten Kitchen.  I accidentally used 2 eggs, which created too runny of a batter, 1 is perfect, and yours will probably be more photogenic than mine.               


2 large zucchini
2 small red potatoes
1/4 onion or 2 scallions
1/2 cup flour
1/2 t baking soda
1 eggs
1 T goat cheese
paprika, salt, pepper


Grate zucchini, potato and onions (I used the shredding attachment of my food processor).  Salt and let stand for a few minutes.  Squeeze excess water out, either with a dish towel, a cheese cloth, a mesh strainer or your hands.  In a medium bowl beat egg, salt, pepper, add paprika.  Stir in goat cheese and then grated mixture.  Stir in flour and baking soda.  Heat some oil in a cast iron skillet.  Pour/drop small circles of batter (like pancakes) and cook on each side until crisp and brown.  Let cool on a paper towel lined plate.         

Cookies

Oatmeal, chocolate chip, pecan cookies with dried blueberries to be exact, but that would have made a really long title.  There are so many cookie recipes out there, it makes my brain hurt.  I don't often find myself baking cookies, but this recipe was so intriguing I soon found myself craving them.  I had the patience to let the dough age, because apparently that's the trend of late, you let cookie dough age, for, like two days.  I waited a day, baked them and shared them with my neighbors.         

There are several things I love about these cookies.  I love the ease in making them, I love the fact that they are packed full of filling oats and pecans, and I love the tiny bursts of blueberry sweetness.  These cookies are coined "Subi Snacks" by a dear friend who was kind enough to share this personal recipe of his that is apparently quite popular in his circle.....and now it may be in mine.        

Bowl 1
1 ¼ C flour
¾ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt


Bowl 2
1 ¼ C old fashioned rolled oats 
1 C toasted pecans
1 C dried blueberries (I used Trader Joe's wild blueberries)
1 C chocolate chips


Stand mixer with paddle attachment
1 ½ stick butter – room temp
1 ½ C brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla


Toast pecans if not toasted.  Whisk together dry ingredients in bowl 1 and stir ingredients in bowl 2..  Cream butter and sugar until no lumps remain.  Add egg and vanilla, beat until fluffy.  Add flour mixture in thirds so that flour can be incorporated thoroughly.  Add a third of the oat/nut mixture with mixer on low speed.  Add remaining mixture and stir until incorporated.  Allow dough to chill in fridge for a few hours, overnight, a day, or two days.  Preheat oven to 350, and scoop out small balls onto a baking sheet.  Bake for about 8-11 minutes, depending on your oven.  You want them slightly undercooked and not quite toasted on top.  Let them form together for a minute on the pan after removing from the oven, and then let cooking on a wire rack.   

Swiss Chard Quinoa Cakes

I'm just going to ignore the fact that I probably need a swiss chard intervention and instead focus on the quinoa in this recipe.  Quinoa is so in right now, isn't it?  This whole grain is like pasta in that it absorbs marinades and pestos incredibly well.  You could make any kind of pesto for this recipe, really - basil, spinach, kale or swiss chard.  And you can enjoy this any way you want.  It's so packed full of flavor I feel like it could make a great veggie burger, or in a pita with some hummus, falafel style (it sure looks like falafel).  It was delicious on an arugula salad with sliced avocado and a fried egg on top (poached would work as well) because everything is better with a runny yolk.  Everything.


1/2 c white quinoa
3-4 large leaves of swiss chard, washed, with ribs
1 large clove garlic
2 T olive oil
1 egg
1/4 c panko
salt, pepper


1/2 cup uncooked quinoa makes 6 patties.  Wash the quinoa and cook similar to rice (I used my mini rice cooker) with a 1 to 2 portion of quinoa to liquid.  You can use water or broth, and add seasonings like salt and pepper to the liquid.  Meanwhile, make a small batch of pesto by blending the swiss chard, olive oil and garlic along with salt and pepper.  It can be chunky.  Once quinoa is cooked fluff with a fork into a bowl.  Stir in pesto.  Add beaten egg and panko and mix.  Form into medium sized patties and place on a plate.  I think with the egg and the panko the quinoa binds really well but they are still delicate and require a little gentle handling.  Heat a non-stick pan with a bit of oil (grape seed or other variety) and sear patties until brown on each side.