Eat More Kale!

Kale is a delicious and nutritious dark leafy green, high in Vitamin C, calcium and potassium, as well as countless trace minerals. Greens are the number one food group missing from the average American diet and the funny thing about it is they are by far one of the most delicious tasting and well-liked vegetables by children and adults…when cooked well. Here are some basic technical cooking instructions to help you enjoy your greens in many ways.

STOVE TOP:
Start with 1 bunch kale, you can use curly green, red russian or elephant ear kale. All are delicious it is mostly a matter of preference and availability. Wash the kale and shake excess water from the leaves before cutting into strips, horizontally about 1/2 to 1 inch thick depending on how big you want the pieces. Use the entire stem, discarding any brown or spoiled parts.

In a skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. When the pan is hot add kale, generously sprinkle with salt and pepper (and other spices, optional). Leave the kale in the pan as is until it steams slightly, about thirty to sixty seconds, then begin to stir and flip as needed. Once the kale has wilted down but is still bright green add 3 - 4 cloves of minced garlic, I like to chop it but sometimes I use a press. Stir in the garlic, sauté for another minute, taste for flavor and enjoy. I prefer my kale still be bright green, cooked until soft but not soggy, if you prefer it more or less cooked plan accordingly.

IN THE OVEN:
Have you ever heard of Kale Chips? They are a tasty snack and a healthy treat. Preheat oven to 425 degrees, and prep kale as above. Heat kale onto two cookie sheets and sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper and other spices if desired. Put into 425 degree oven until crispy. It is important that the oven be hot and that the kale not have an excess of water on the leaves, either will cause the kale to steam rather than crisp into chips. But don’t fear, steamed kale is delicious too and a great way to prepare the stove top recipe. To steam kale in the oven cook at 300 and stir often, waiting to add garlic at the end as in the pan cooked method above. Making kale in the oven is a great way to prepare kale for a large gathering!

Lemon Verbena and Rose Ice Tea

Since my last post, which was far too long ago, I have moved from the hustle and bustle of my Oakland neighborhood to an old farmhouse in Amherst Massachusetts. Here in New England the summer months bring heat and humidity and I have found hot tea to be low on my agenda. I have however been enjoying cooling and calming herbs as the centerpiece of iced tea. To be honest I never actually drink my tea “iced,” sometimes I chill it in the refrigerator, but even at room temperature a Verbena and Rose herbal infusion is the perfect summer treat. It is both relaxing and refreshing…for me, summer couldn’t get any better.

When using roses in tea the best are those that are aromatic and homegrown or grown organically (available dried at your local herb store or health food store). Never use commercially grown roses for anything other than aesthetic purposes. Roses and other flowers are grown with harsh and dangerous chemicals that should not be used internally or externally for medicine. That being said, if you do have access to home grown roses feel free to use them in your tea, the fresher the better! I have two beautiful rose bushes in front of my new house that are in full bloom right now, I have been using them in my tea and drying them to keep for later use.

INGREDIENTS
2 parts lemon verbena
½ part rose petals

Mix the herbs together in a bowl and store in an airtight jar. To brew, use 1 Tbs. of your herbal tea mixture for every 8 oz. of boiling water. Place the herbs in a jar, pitcher or teapot; pour boiling water over the herbs and cover with a lid. Allow the herbs to steep until the liquid comes to room temperature, 6 to 8 hours. Then strain the herbs out and store in the refrigerator; tea should last 2 to 3 days. If you would like to sweeten your tea, add a bit of honey while still hot.

Basil Pesto

Basil is just beginning to pop up at farmer’s markets and in gardens all over the bay area. While there are many different types of basil that are particular to different cultures and dishes all over the word, the most common for pesto is sweet basil, perhaps sometimes referred to as Italian basil. It has broad, light green leaves, thin stems and mature basil shoots will birth small white flowers.

As with many culinary herbs basil is anti-bacterial, helping to eliminate unfriendly food born pathogens as well as other viruses and bugs that you may have been exposed to. Basil is also a digestive aid. As an ingredient in food, as a garnish or in tea basil will help relieve gas, bloating, indigestion, cramping, nausea and even constipation. No wonder it is such a common ingredient in rich, heavy Italian foods!

Basil is also high in Vitamins A & C, making it a good herb to include in your diet for nutritional purposes as well. Basil also promotes circulation and is relaxing to the nervous system. Basil tea or fresh basil leaves bruised and placed on the forehead is an effective remedy for a headache, especially one related to stress or tension! With this in mind, basil makes a good evening time tea, perfect for after dinner or before bed. It will help you digest your food and calm you down for a good nights rest. Try making fresh basil tea with a bit of rosemary, orange peel or cinnamon and sweeten with honey to remove the bitter edge.

Possibly the most common basil dish is pesto! Pesto is a condiment that is made with basil, olive oil, nuts, garlic and sometimes parmesan or other hard, salty cheeses. It is delicious on pasta, eggs, sandwiches, as a dip or sauce for greens and steamed vegetables or as a garnish on soups and other dishes. Pesto is delicious, and it will help you digest and thus enjoy any food you eat it with.

I don’t always include cheese in my pesto; it keeps better and is lighter without cheese. This recipe is for very classic pesto and I use a bit of cheese, but I encourage you to make the choice to include it or not depending on the circumstances and what you are in the mood for. Most importantly enjoy every minute of it and don’t be afraid to include other herbs, this spring I have been particularly ravenous for parsley pesto!

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch, about 2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
¼ cup walnuts or pine nuts, preferably soaked for 8 hours.
¼ cup fresh parmesan cheese
¾ - 1 cup cold pressed olive oil
3 cloves fresh garlic
salt and paper to taste

If you can remember, soak your nuts or seeds the night or morning before you make your pesto. Strain the soaking liquid and set aside along with ¼ cup coarsely grated fresh parmesan cheese. Wash and pick the leaves from 1 bunch of fresh basil, anywhere from two to three loosely packed cups of basil leaves. Peel garlic cloves.

Method 1: Blending
Combine olive oil, garlic, nuts, parmesan, a pinch of salt (you won’t need much because the cheese is quite salty) and a twist of pepper in the food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Once smooth gradually add basil leaves. Taste for salt and adjust flavors as necessary, if it is too think, add more oil. Serve fresh and enjoy!

Method 2: Chopping
This method demands a lot of chopping but is well worth the effort if you have the time. I particularly recommend it if you are going to eat the pesto fresh that day! On a large cutting board begin to chop nuts with a large chef’s knife. Once small add garlic cloves and continue chopping. Once the nuts and garlic are somewhat finely minced begin to gradually add the coarsely grated cheese. Chop until all are delicate and small with no large chunks. At this point you will probably need to separate the pile into two. Start with one pile and gradually add basil leaves continuing to chop until the leaves are in small pieces and well blended. Follow with the second pile until all leaves are finely chopped and well blended. Mix the two piles, give one last chop and transfer into a bowl. You can pack it into a shapely bowl to make a “cake” and then pat the cake onto a bowl or plate; this looks particularly nice when served as a dip. Pour olive oil over the mixture and finish with a twist of black pepper!

Miso Soup... for the springtime soul!

It’s easy to think that colds and the flu disappear in the spring and summer. But in fact spring can often “spring” a wave of cold and flu viruses, if for no other reason than because we were least expecting it and because of those sunny days that urge us to forget our jacket and scarf when we leave the house! When the body is sick it is important to nourish it with simple foods that provide optimal nourishment in an easily digestible form. Hence chicken and other nutrient dense easy to digest soups that most kids remember being fed while sick and home from school.

My boyfriend got sick this week and I had to pull out all the stops. My stash of home made stock in the freezer had run low, most likely because of the springtime shift and there were only a few vegetable odds and ends floating around from last weeks farmer’s market. This is what I threw together and it was delicious!

Miso is a salty flavoring paste traditionally from Japan that is made from fermented soy beans, rice barley and/or other grains. Unpasteurized miso can be found in the refrigerated section of most natural health food stores and is a good source of protein, vitamins, minerals and live active cultures! There are many different types of miso, I prefer the rich taste of the darker brown or red varieties of miso, while white miso is usually on the sweeter side.

INGREDIENTS
2 stalks fresh green garlic, sliced into moons
¼ cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 cup broccoli crown and stems, split into bite sized pieces
1 cup brown rice, cooked
2 heaping Tbs. red miso paste
small handful daikon radish sprouts, although any fresh sprouts will do

In a medium saucepan bring 1½ - 2 cups of water to a simmer. Add broccoli, green garlic and cooked brown rice and cover. Let simmer for 2 – 3 minutes, turn off heat add cilantro and cover. Meanwhile place 2 heaping Tbs. of red miso paste into a mug, pour boil water into the cup, leaving yourself enough room to stir. Then stir the mixture together until the miso is fully dissolved and all chunks are gone. Pour the miso concentrate into the soup, stir well and serve. Garnish with sprouts and a twist of fresh black pepper!

Variations: Add 1 – 2 tsp. raw tahini to your miso/water mixture for a little extra flavor and nutrition (it really tastes great). Tahini is a nut butter made from sesame seeds, which are high in protein and calcium!

It's the season for...ASPARAGUS!

Asparagus is native to parts of Europe, northern Africa and eastern Asia. It grows wild in its native homes as well as in some parts of the United States and is widely cultivated as a vegetable. We eat the tender young shoots of the asparagus plant; left to mature it will grow tall with feathery, thin almost wiry leaves. If you see it growing wild you will most likely identify it from afar by its fragile and feathery appearance, often blowing in the wind along roadsides or by railroad tracks.

The tender shoots begin to appear in early spring, after some moisture and heat have given the roots the signal that it is safe to start their seasonal push. The roots will produce “spears” or shoots continually, until at the end of the season they will be allowed to grow to full maturity and nourish their roots in preparation for the winter and following spring.

I love asparagus and while I could see myself getting tiered of them if I eat too many, the short growing season and high price make asparagus always feel like somewhat of a treat. Don’t be fooled by those thin asparagus spears either, while they too are delicious the fat ones are often more flavorful!

I have two favorite ways to eat asparagus and I look foreword to them partially because of these much loved preparations. To prepare asparagus wash the spears well, then gently snap the hard base from the tender shoot. If you just bend or break the spear gently it should snap at its natural breaking point separating the tough part from the delicate top. From there, follow one of the following simple preparations:

ASPARAGUS WITH GARLIC OR LEMON AIOLI

Gently steam washed and “snapped” asparagus until tender and bright green. Remove from heat and set aside on a platter to cool. Serve asparagus cold with fresh home made aioli as a dipping sauce (see rosemary aioli, 3/28)! I often use plain salted aioli or add a garlic clove cut into a few pieces to the aioli as I whisk. The oils from the garlic give the aioli a mild garlic flare, without overpowering the sauce or the asparagus. I also sometimes add a small twist of lemon to my aioli at the end, perhaps just a tsp. or so, this also goes great with asparagus.

ASPARAGUS SLOW SAUTED IN OLIVE OIL

Slice washed and “snapped” asparagus into thirds on the diagonal, and in half if they are on the thicker side. Sauté the asparagus pieces in 1 Tbs. of olive oil over medium heat. They will take about 10 minutes to fully cook, you may want to cover them for just a minute or two but not for too long or they will begin to steam rather than sauté. Sautéd this way the flavors and sugars will develop and richen and the edges will become nicely browned. Before serving, toss with a bit of salt and fresh ground pepper.

It is amazing how fresh food prepared simply, but carefully can taste so good!

Rosemary, dew of the sea

I have been thinking and talking an awful lot about rosemary lately! With my students and in my own life Rosemary seems to be all around. Perhaps it is the spring season, and those lovely little purple flowers that pop between rosemary’s beautiful bounty of green leaves, or perhaps the taste has just been calling to me. Regardless, just as with spring, rosemary gives us a lot to celebrate. A member of the mint family, rosemary is stimulating to the skin and the senses. It can be helpful as a facial steam for relieving acne, dry skin or sinus pressure and as a hair rinse to stimulate hair growth and relieve an itchy scalp. Rosemary is anti-bacterial and has a rich tradition as a culinary herb. It is also renowned amongst herbalist for its nourishing and healing actions on the heart muscle.

There are two types of rosemary commonly found throughout the bay area. One is the upright rosemary with long, thin leaves and the other is crawling, creeping or hanging rosemary that has a tendency to be more decorative and aesthetic. What I call hanging rosemary usually has smaller, dark green leaves with a lighter underside. While both are edible and tasty, you can probably tell from my description that I prefer the upright rosemary for cooking. If you purchase fresh rosemary at the store or farmer's market, this is the kind you will find.

In cooking I usually chose to pair the strong taste and fragrance of rosemary with saltier foods, although nothing beats a honey mustard salad dressing with a splash of balsamic vinegar and a handful of fresh rosemary leaves. I love fresh rosemary on pork, chicken, steak, lamb and most other meats, on potatoes and other root vegetables and in soups. I also enjoy rosemary as an accent in pesto and combined with orange peel and warming spices in teas, see Rosemary Spice tea below. I also like to add rosemary leaves to my bread and I always enjoy it paired with thyme, sage and winter savory.

Rosemary’s Latin name, Ros Marinus means dew of the sea. I always thought this seemed appropriate, especially in the bay area where rosemary bushes are common and plentiful, those little green leaves as tasty and magical as the dew drops of the sea.

Rosemary Spice - Herbal Tea

INGREDIENTS
2 fresh rosemary branches, or 2 Tbs. dried leaves
½ cinnamon stick, or 1 tsp. cinnamon chips
1 Tbs. orange peel, or the peel of one small organic orange or tangerine

These measurements are approximate; follow your nose and your tongue. This recipe makes about 1 quart of tea, about the size of a large teapot.

To make an herbal tea/infusion place the herbs in a cup, teapot or glass jar and pour boiling water over to fill the jar or pot. Place on a tight fitting lid and let stand for anywhere from 15 minutes to up to 8 hours. The longer you let the herbs sit the better, especially with these herbs the flavors will release and become richer over time. You can strain your tea before you drink it or let the teapot catch the big pieces and enjoy the little tid bits that make it into your mug. If you do a long steeping infusion you may want to heat your tea slightly on the stove, or add a little fresh boiling water to your tea to heat it up before drinking.

Rosemary Aioli

Aioli is essentially mayonnaise, a beautifully whipped blend of egg yolk and olive oil, flavored with a little salt and sometimes herbs or garlic. It makes a great dip for vegetables, as an ingredient in salad dressing or as a sauce for fish and other fine foods. Once you have a little practice aioli is fun and easy to make… not to mention it can turn any meal into a fancy feast! I am including it here as an accompaniment to my earlier posting for celery root hash. The hash sautéd nicely into hot cakes and I used the aioli sauce with a hint of fresh rosemary to bring out the rosemary in the hash and the creamy undertones of the celery root. Even if you have not yet tried making the hash, don’t wait to make aioli!

Aioli is one of those simple foods that must be made with quality ingredients to taste good. Use fresh flavorful egg yolk and good olive oil! The trick to making good aioli with the perfect consistency is to whisk it vigorously the whole time and add the oil slowly. The oil should be at room temperature and the egg yolk too, although it works fine for me right out of the refrigerator!

INGREDIENTS
1 egg yolk
¾ to 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
pinch of salt
1 tsp. filtered water
1 tsp. fresh, finely chopped rosemary leaves

Separate the egg yolk from the white and store the white for another use. Add a generous pinch of salt to the yolk and begin to whisk, slowly add 1 tsp. filtered water. When the water and yolk are well blended slowly begin to add the olive oil in a thin stream, whisking all the while. As you whisk your aioli will slowly start to thicken, as it thickens you may slowly add more olive oil. Again, whisk it until thick and slowly add a bit more. The oil will initially dilute your aioli and alter the texture, but as you whisk it in they will combine and become thick again. Handmade aioli will rarely turn out as stiff as commercial mayonnaise, but it should be stiff and form peaks similar to whipped cream.

The amount of oil you add is up to you, you may decide you like your aioli to have more of an egg flavor or more of an olive oil flavor. In theory an egg yolk should be able to “take” up to a cup of oil. Meaning that an aioli made with one yolk will continue to thicken with up to a cup of oil, after that it may begin to thin it out. When you have added all the oil you wish to use, add the finely chopped rosemary leaves, this is also a nice time to add finely chopped garlic, parsley, a little lemon juice or other herbs. Make sure the rosemary is finely chopped so that the flavor remains subtle, we do not want it to overpower the delicate flavor of the aioli. Experiment, 1 tsp. of fresh herbs may be too much for you, start with ½ and then add more as desired. You can serve aioli with anything! Aioli keeps in the refrigerator for a few days, but I always prefer it fresh. If you know you only need a little bit for that occasion, use less oil and enjoy a small amount of fresh aioli with a more pronounced egg flavor.