Braised Kale

(Serves 2)

1/2 head of kale, thick stems removed, leaves torn
1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
2-3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
olive oil
salt & pepper
dash red pepper flakes
dry white wine

- In a pan saute the onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until just softened, seasoning with salt, pepper and a dash of red pepper flakes.

- Add the kale and cook until it begins to wilt.

- Add enough white wine just to cover the bottom of the pan. Turn heat to medium low, cover pan and let steam until the liquid has been absorbed. Try a piece, if the kale is still tough add a little more wine and repeat.

Sunday Supper - Tuscan Style

Fall is definitely in the air. Cooler evenings are beginning to lend themselves to jeans and sweaters. We pulled out the crock pot last weekend to make a large batch of Tuscan white beans, dried cannellini cooked with sage and garlic. Beautiful plum tomatoes from my mother's garden needed to be used and were slow roasted in the oven for hours with a dash of oil, salt, pepper, and herbs. We decided to eschew the Tuscan tradition of salt-less bread and picked up a crusty french baguette. A beautiful rib eye grilled with rosemary, a side of braised kale, and dinner is served.

Tuscan Beans with Sage and Garlic

Slow Roasted Plum Tomatoes

Braised Kale

Ribeye Grilled with Rosemary

Sauteed Chickpeas with Ham and Kale

Catching up with the blog...  This was a really yummy dish from Food & Wine.  I didn't realize it was intended as a side dish so it really only produced about 3 meal size portions.  In the future I might double it to have as a dish for two people to eat several times throughout the week! 

I had also never cooked with annatto seeds before, also called achiote.  After some internet research I found that annatto is often referred to as "poor man's saffron" and is used to give color to dishes.  A pinch of paprika or turmeric or a combo of both was most often recommended as a substitute. Turns out the Dill Pickle Co-op does sell bulk annatto seeds so I proceeded with the recipe as described.  Your local grocer might have some as well, if not try the pinch of paprika/turmeric substitution.

SAUTEED CHICKPEAS WITH HAM AND KALE

2 Tbso annatto seeds
6 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion cut into 1 inch dice
1 small can of diced tomatoes, some liquid drained off
one 4oz piece of smoked cured ham, sliced 1/2 inch thick and diced
salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves finely chopped
one 19oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp ancho chile powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup water
1/2 pound kale, stems discarded and leaves chopped
fresh lemon juice

--In a small sauce pan cook the annatto seeds in the olive oil over low heat for 5 minutes.  Strain the oil through a seive over a bowl or jar and discard the seeds.  Set the infused oil aside

--In a larget skillet or dutch oven, heat 2 Tbsp of the annatto oil.  Add the onion and cook over medium heat until the onion starts to brown, about 8 minutes

--Add the tomates and ham and season with salt and pepper.  Cook over high heat for about 3 minutes.  Scrape the mixture into a bowl

--Wipe out the skillet or dutch oven, add the rest of the annatto oil (I didn't quite use all of it) and the garlic and cook over medium heat about 2 minutes. 

--Add the chickpeas and cook on med-high heat about 3 minutes, or until the chickpeas are about to brown

--Add the ancho chili powder, oregano and cook 1 minute

--Add the tomato and ham mixture and water and bring to a boil

--Lower the heat to medium, add the kale leaves, cover and cook until the kale is tender, about 5 minutes

--Stir in some lemon juice to taste (1-2 Tbsp) and season with salt and pepper

Late Harvest Greens Pasta

I recently read a wonderful book, The Season's on Henry's Farm.  Literally, it is the story of a year in the life of a small, sustainable, family farm in Central Illinois.  Appropriately, the book starts in November and gives a glimpse into the day to day workings of a small producer, the story of the family themselves and their history, recipes and incredible insight into the life cycles of vegetables and herbs.

One of the most interesting tidbits I picked up from the book had to do with greens.  In my mind, I think of most greens as a spring and early summer delight, while knowing I will see kale and some of the hardier greens throughout the summer.  What I didn't consider is that greens can continue to be grown and harvested into the late fall.  The book discussed how the late fall greens are often an overlooked culinary delight.  Because of the lateness of the season and cool weather, the flavors of the greens are even more concentrated than in the spring.  I guess it makes sense.  We know that the most flavorful wine grapes are often grown in stressed conditions to concentrate their flavors, a kind of survival of the fittest. 

With this idea in mind I came across a pasta dish using late fall greens on the website 101 Cookbooks that I had to try.  I played a bit with her original recipe and was really happy with the results.  As an added bonus I threw in some rotisserie chicken pieces for a more wholesome meal that both of us loved.  It was also a great way to use up some greens and cheese I had in the fridge. 

LATE HARVEST GREENS PASTA  

1/2 bunch kale
Equal amount arugula
2 cloves garlic peeledand sliced in half
2 shallots peeled and sliced in half
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup goat cheese
12 oz gluten free rotini (I used gluten free, feel free to substitute your favorite here)
salt and pepper
lemon juice
**optional - chicken

--Bring a large pot of salted water to boil

--Add the garlic and shallots and boil for 2-3 minutes

--Add the kale and cook for another 30 seconds

--Using a slotted spoon remove the garlic, shallots and kale and transfer to a food processor

--Add the oil and cheese and process until smooth.  Add a little bit of the pasta water if needed to thin out the sauce

--Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice and set aside

--While the water is still boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente

--Drain and toss with the green sauce

**optionally, add in some chicken pieces.  We had a rotisserie chicken that we added to the dish on the second day that was delicious.