Kale Chips!

Every week I am getting another beautiful fresh full bag of kale. Kale is considered a Superfood and websites boast seemingly endless lists of it's benefits. It's touted as a detoxifier, cancer defender, antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory. It's also high in beta carotene, vitamin K and vitamin C (just to name a few). I have to admit though before I started receiving it by the bag full thanks to my CSA box I had only sampled it a handful of times. Most recently, a close friend and long-time vegetarian raved to me about kale chips. By no means do I consider myself a vegetarian but I am attempting to make a conscious effort to eat less meat and more of the fresh veggies that are piling up in my fridge every week.

The next time I went to my Harris Teeter (cue the cheesy commerical song) I picked up a bunch of what they advertised as fresh kale. I came home, followed her instructions and when the kale chips were ready to come out of the oven Andrew was there waiting to sample a few as well. We tasted them. I'm not a picky eater by any means but it was...bitter. Yuck. Andrew quickly scoffed at them and went back to watching SportsCenter. That was the end of kale chips.

Or so I thought. I was a one-trick pony when it came to kale and when I got a huge bag of it from J&S I did what I knew. I made another batch of kale chips. I didn't tell Andrew. He heard me in the kitchen and popped his head in. "Ugh you're not making kale chips again are you?!" Yes, I was. I had a heaping full bag sitting there and I didn't know what else to do! Surprisingly enough when the oven timer went off guess who was in the kitchen to sample another batch? The old man himself. This batch though was different. I made this batch the exact same way as I had with the first. The only difference was the product. I credit the local fresh kale with making this batch (and all of the consecutive batches) delicious. They are crispy, crunchy and a damn good alternative to potato chips when you crave that salty crunch in your mouth. Andrew even asked for a second batch. Success!

Here's my kale chip recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.





2. Take your clean kale and begin tearing it into your preferred chip size. Make sure that you make each piece as similar in size as the others so that they all cook evenly. Smaller ones will burn while larger ones come out half-cooked and gummy.





3. Take your Extra Virgin Olive Oil spray (or Misto - my love) and covered all the pieces really well with oil.





4. Lightly salt the kale with whatever salt you prefer. Remember you can always add salt but you ruin a batch of kale chips with too much salt. (Been there. Trust.)





5. Pop the baking sheet into the oven for 5 minutes. The kale chips should darken in color and feel light and crisp.
   
   
   

Eat the chips soon after they come out of the oven. I think they taste best when they have that slight warmth to them. Enjoy!

Why Hello There, Mr. Beet.

My experiences with beets have never been favorable ones. I usually encountered them on holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter. I was turned-off by the intense fushia color but my Mother always encouraged me to just try a bite. I would but it never changed my mind. Beets were weird. My good friend (and brother's girlfriend) loves beets. She raves about them and uses those holidays as an excuse to prepare her favorite root veggie. So naturally when our 1st CSA box arrived I was wary to find 2 beets resting at the bottom. Fortunately I knew who to go to for some beet advice.


Between speaking with Beth (brother's gf) and extensive research on http://www.foodnetwork.com/ I was able to find a recipe I felt comfortable with to try. Bobby Flay's recipe sounded simple, hearty and heathly. Of course there were some changes made. The recipe calles for yellow beets as well but considering I was experimenting with something I didn't know I would even enjoy there was no way this skeptic was going out and buying more of this unfamiliar root veg. We also opted to cook to the beets in the oven for about 45 minutes at 450 degrees instead of grilling them. The last time Andrew used the grill there were some serious flames involved. We've both been a little leery of using it ever since. Lastly, substituted the arugula for some red leaf lettuce we already had thanks to our fabulous CSA box.

Andrew and I both sat down and eyed each other. Every other ingredient in this recipe were items we loved. Why were we so hesitant to try this crazy colored root veg? I blame it on all the crazy pickled versions we were subjected to as children during the aforementioned holidays. Nevertheless it was go time. The first bite was not my favorite but the more that I ate this salad I was able to pick up on the sweet but pungent flavor the roasted red beet has and I liked it. Alot. I'm sure the yummy vinegarette, goat cheese (my fav), and roasted pine nuts played their part but we each finished our big roasted red beet salad. The next time these show up in our CSA box they won't be given a cautious side eye. I will be able to greet Mr. Beet with a confident smile and a polite 'how do you do?'


The beautiful beet salad!

CSA Box: Week 1

CSA boxes are becoming popular throughout the United States. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and happens when a farmer gets a group of locals who agree to pay for a weekly distribution of his seasonal produce. Sometimes it's only fruit and veggies but it can also contain meat or dairy as well. When one of my favorite local farmers announced in their weekly email that they were adopting a CSA program this Spring I couldn't wait to sign up. J&S Farms has a stand located off Sandy Ridge Road. About a mile or so past the Piedmont Triad Farmer's Market on your right. They are dedicated to providing fresh, local and organic food for our community.

This past Sunday I picked up our 1st box. They had indicated in the email that due to the recent weather the amounts would be smaller than expected. Please note that this is a chance you take whenever you sign up for a CSA box. No one can predict how Mother Nature will allow the produce to grow and at what rate. I was still pleased with what I brought home. A bunch of kale, spinach, and leaf lettuce as well as red beets and greenhouse tomatoes. I've already made a bunch of kale chips (recipe provided shortly!) and Andrew - who hates kale chips - could not believe what a difference this fresh organic produce made! I even made a second batch today. I made salads for lunch today with the leaf lettuce and it is unbelievable how much of a difference this produce makes. It's like I am tasting these veggies for the first time. I cannot wait to see how the rest of this CSA experience goes!

We are very lucky to have honest and dedicated farmers like J&S nearby. Unfortunately not everyone shares those same values. My sister-in-law signed up for a CSA program outside of Roanoke, VA and was completely scammed. The "farmer" ran off with everyone's money. Apparently this guy already had a criminal background filled with forgery and other red flags but it was all discovered afterwards. Please make sure to do a little bit of your own research to confirm that your CSA program is legit. I will be providing updates on our weekly produce!

Piedmont Farmer's Market

Have any of you ever taken advantage of the Piedmont Triad Farmer's Market? If you have, good for you. If not - what are you waiting for?! We are so lucky to have such an amazing resource right around the corner from us. I'll admit, the first time I went it was intimidating. There's an indoor market and an outdoor market so I stressed over which area I should buy from. Gradually as I went more and more I became more comfortable with the experience and enjoyed being able to converse with the farmers or representatives from the farms. The produce I brought home is definitely the highlight of the experience. You can taste the difference between a day or two old tomato and one that was shipped across the nation.

Due to it being local produce you are also contributing to a smaller carbon footprint that buying produce from Harris Teeter or Food Lion doesn't. You're supporting your neighbors and your local farmland. They don't only have produce either - Farmers come with everything from plants and flowers, the famous Goat Lady cheese, honey, and you can get fresh meat there as well. The Moose Cafe located towards the back of the Market serves delicious fresh Southern food. It is a must everytime we visit. Instead of bread and butter they serve biscuits and their famous homemade apple butter. It's so good they sell it in the small general store in the front.

Now that Mother Nature is providing us with gorgeous sunny days there is no excuse! Get out there and check out the Piedmont Triad Farmer's Market! http://www.ncagr.gov/markets/facilities/markets/triad/

The Aerogarden

This past Christmas I was lucky enough to receive two 3 pod AeroGardens as presents. What would I need with 2 individual AeroGardens? They have an option of larger models that hold up to 6 pods however they are large and it seems as though the nutrients they provide in the pod kits are created especially for either herbs, flowers, or veggies. By owning two I am able to grow fresh herbs in one and veggies (fresh lettuce!) in the other (I don't have any interest in growing flowers in them).

The set up could not have been any easier! We had it up and running in less than 10 minutes. Once you put water in and the nutrients the AeroGarden is off to a running start. The light will stay on for 17 hours and be off for the remaining 7 of the day. My AeroGarden is hanging out downstairs in our kitchen so the light being on at night doesn't impact us at all. In fact, it acts quite nicely as a nightlight! It does have a small motor and makes a little bit of noise but I hardly notice it. I opted to only set up one of the AeroGardens at this point in time because I am receiving fresh leaf lettuce through our organic CSA boxes.

AeroGardens are supposed to provide an excellent alternative to buying expensive fresh herbs at the grocery store. It drives me crazy when a recipe calls for one or two tablespoons of a herb and I have to make the decision to use dried herbs vs. store bought packaged ones. Dried herbs work well in case of an emergency but I personally believe nothing compares to that fresh flavor newly picked herbs provide. I also get sketched out buying the packs of fresh herbs at the grocery store. More often than not the herbs are already halfway to spoiling or I'm paying $3.99 when all I need is a tablespoon of fresh thyme. Not to mention the AeroGarden provides this opportunity year round - in any climate!

AeroGardens also are a great option for condo/apartment/townhome dwellers who may not have the convenience of soil. They also claim to provide a foolproof growing method. When the water is low, a light goes off. When the water needs more nutrients, a light goes off. Sounds pretty simple! I will keep you updated as AeroGarden #1 progresses!


Here's a look at a freshly set-up AeroGarden. The biodomes on top of the pods only stay on until the seed starts to sprout.