Thinking Green, Ready For Spring …& Loving Kale
Kale and other cold weather greens are one of the first fresh, seasonal veggies to pop up as farmers markets reopen for the spring. Here are two of our favorites: Kale Chips and Kale Pesto.
Grab a few bunches of early spring kale and enjoy!
Super Easy! But, beware, these are addictive!!!
Ingredients
- 1 bunch curly kale, rinsed, dried, stems removed, leaves torn into 3” pieces
- 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Toss rinsed and dried (very important!) kale with olive oil and salt. Place in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 300° for 20-30 minutes, or until crisp, watching carefully so they don’t burn.
Excellent with Alaska Pure artisan sea salts!
For Flavor Variations, add:
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce (such as Siracha® or Tobacco®) for spicy chips
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika for smoky chips
• zest of 1/2 lime and ½ teaspoon chili powder for lime-chili chips
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 1-2 tablespoons sesame seeds for Asian chips
https://localgoodness.com/blog/local-goodness/thinking-green-ready-spring-loving-kale/
This delicious, healthful pesto is excellent with whole-wheat pasta, grilled chicken, and on flatbreads and sandwiches.
Ingredients
- fresh garlic (5-10 cloves, to taste), peeled
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 3 large fresh bunches kale, rinsed
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil plus extra for topping
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- zest from 1/3 lemon
Instructions
Remove and discard ribs from the kale leaves. Steam the leaves for 5 minutes then plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Drain well and squeeze out extra moisture.
Place garlic cloves and sunflower seeds in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until finely chopped. Add in the steamed kale, pulse until finely chopped and combined with the nuts and garlic.
Scrape into a mixing bowl. Stir in the olive oil, cheese, salt and pepper and lemon zest.
Refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze for several months.
For pasta with kale pesto, toss 1 cup pesto with one pound of freshly cooked pasta and 1/4 cup of pasta water. Top with shredded parmesan cheese.
https://localgoodness.com/blog/local-goodness/thinking-green-ready-spring-loving-kale/