Monthly Archives: September 2011

Grilled Kale

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I really love kale. My husband, not-so-much. This is one of my favorite recipes I’ve made this summer. It’s easy to do and really healthy. After a first and failed attempt at growing kale in my garden last  year, I decided to try again. This year it seemed to flourish. Maybe it was the cold, snowy spring, better soil, a different variety. Who knows. Either way, I have TONS of kale that I can’t eat fast enough. During the summer, my husband and I love to cook outside and enjoy all the extra sun and cooler evenings. When researching different ways to cook kale I found none for the grill. So I decided to kind of make one up.

Grilled Kale
1 can Garbanzo beans
a bunch of kale, washed and destemmed
1 T paprika
1 tsp red chili flakes
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat the grill to about 450-degrees (you could also do it in the oven, if you’d prefer). Toss all the ingredients together and transfer to a grilling basket. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the kale starts to crisp. Serve over whole grains like quinoa, barley or couscous.

 

Oven dried tomatoes

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I FINALLY have tons of cherry tomatoes on the vine. It’s been a long summer in anticipation. But, just like always, they come all at once and far too fast to eat. It wasn’t worth it to bring out the canning equipment but I wanted a way to preserve them. So I found a recipe for oven dried tomatoes, which condenses the sweet, tomato flavor into a pliable, chewy morsel of deliciousness. They are heavenly. You can toss them in a salad, sneak them into a sandwich or just eat them as is. Thy can be kept in the fridge for short-term storage; freeze for long-term storage.
Oven-dried tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes
Tuscan Herb olive oil from Mountain Town Olive Oil (at the farmer’s market)
Salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 200° F or the lowest setting. Wash the tomatoes and remove the stems. Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise and seed them.*
Spread the tomatoes, cut side up, on the baking sheet, and sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. (You can add other herbs if you like.) Bake the tomatoes in the oven for 2-8 hours or until dry, soft and pliable, like a raisin. The baking time will depend on the type of tomatoes, oven temperature and your preference. I baked my cherry tomatoes for 2 hours at 250° F.
*To seed a tomato, cut it in half lengthwise, push your thumb into the cavity and force the seeds of the tomato. This is best done over a compost pail or sink with a garbage disposal.