Lacinato Kale and Celery Risotto

7 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ cup minced white onion

1 head celery sliced very thin. Reserve the leaves for later.

1 ½ cups arborio rice (any short grain rice can work in a pinch)

1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), minced

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

½ cup dry white wine

1 lacinato kale, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped celery leaf

⅓ cup (1 1/2 ounces) freshly grated parmesan cheese

Put your stock or broth into a saucepan and bring it to a simmer over low heat, with a ladle nearby. Make sure that it is well seasoned.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy skillet or saucepan. Add the onion, celery, and a pinch of salt, and cook gently until just about tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not brown.

Stir in the rice and stir for a few minutes, just until the grains separate and begin to crackle. Add the wine and stir until it has been absorbed. Begin adding the simmering stock, a couple of ladles at a time. The stock should just cover the rice and should be a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring often, until it is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock and continue to cook in this fashion, adding more stock and stirring when the rice is almost dry. Stir often, but not constantly. After 10 to 15 minutes stir in the chopped kale with the next addition of stock. When the rice is just tender all the way through but still chewy, usually about 25 minutes after you begin cooking, it is done. Taste now and adjust seasoning.

Add the chopped celery leaves, and another ladleful of stock to the rice. Stir in the parmesan and remove from the heat. 

Komatsuna and Green Garlic Stir Fry

1 bunch komatsuna or kale

1 bunch radishes with tops, cut into wedges and rough chop the greens

1 stalk green garlic, sliced into thin strips

¼ cup tamari (soy sauce)

1 Tbsp canola oil

2 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp corn starch (optional)

1 Tbsp minced ginger

Serve with rice

Mix sesame oil, tamari (soy sauce) ginger, half of the green garlic and corn starch together with and whisk until corn starch starts to dissolve (don’t worry if it clumps when you add it to the heat it will begin to separate).

Heat wok or sauté pan to medium high heat. Add the remaining green garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until aromatic take care not to burn the garlic (it can get a little bitter).

Add the radish wedges and cook for one minute then add the greens. Sauté until greens begin to wilt.

Push the greens and other veggies to the side of the pan and add the tamari mixture. Wisk to make sure the corn starch is completely dissolved. Once the sauce is uniform and starts to thicken, turn the heat off and then toss the greens and veggies with the sauce that you’ve just made.

Serve with rice.

Kohlrabi with Sautéed Greens and Parmesan

1 kohlrabi, peeled and sliced thin

1 lemon, zested

Juice from one lemon

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 bunch kale or head of bok choy, rough chopped

2 garlic scapes, finely chopped

1/3 cup salted roasted pistachios, chopped

¼ cup parmesan 

Whisk together lemon zest and juice, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss kohlrabi with dressing.

Rough chop greens. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Sauté garlic scapes until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add greens by the handful, turning and stirring with tongs and adding more greens as volume in skillet reduces. When all of greens are wilted, sauté with 1/2 teaspoon salt until just tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Toss greens with kohlrabi, parmesan and pistachios.

Kale Salad with Delicata, Apples, and Turnip

1 bunch red kale, stems removed and rough chopped

Delicata squash cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices, seeds removed

4 apples cut in quarters seeds removed

1 turnip cut into similar size as the delicata

1.5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons light-brown sugar

4 slices of bacon, cut crosswise (1/2-inch wide)

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Blue cheese crumbles (optional)

Apple Cider Vinaigrette 

2 tablespoon onions, minced

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons maple syrup

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

First, start the vinaigrette: In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the onion, vinegar, salt, pepper, and maple syrup. Set aside to let the shallot marinate until squash mixture is finished roasting then whisk in olive oil. 

Toss together squash, apples, turnips, oil, sugar, bacon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; season with pepper. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet, and roast until golden on bottom, about 50 minutes. Flip squash, turnips and apples over, and roast until tender, about 5 minutes more. Sprinkle thyme over mixture, then toss with kale serve immediately. Crumble blue cheese over the salad and enjoy.

Kale and Sweet Potato Gratin

1 bunch kale chopped

2 lbs sweet potatoes, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups shredded parmesan cheese

1 pint heavy whipping cream

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion sliced thin

2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 Tbsp olive oil to coat the pan

1 tsp salt

Black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bring a Pot of water to boil. In the meantime, chop kale into bite-sized pieces. Add kale and heat for about 1 minute or until kale is bright green and slightly wilted. Remove from water and allow to cool slightly.  Squeeze out excess water.  

In a small saucepan add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer.  Add garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and 1 cup of parmesan.  

Add a layer of sweet potatoes to the bottom of a baking dish.  Begin layering kale and cream mixture with the sweet potatoes until the ingredients are gone. Add sliced onion and pour some of the cream mixture over the top. Top with remaining parmesan cheese and cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 40-50 minutes.  Remove foil for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Kale and Asian Greens with Maple Sesame Vinaigrette

1 bunch green kale, stems removed then sliced thin 

1 bunch Tokyo Bekana (or Bok Choi), sliced thin, stems included

2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 Tbsp sesame oil

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 

1 Tbsp maple syrup

1 Tbsp Tamari or Soy Sauce

1 bulb green garlic, finely minced

Heat option – 1 tsp dried chili flakes

In a small bowl, whisk 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil, the sesame oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, soy sauce and minced garlic (add chili flakes if using).

Strip the stems from the kale leaves and roll the leaves and slice into very thin strips. Do the same with the Tokyo Bekana, but don’t remove the stems.

In serving bowl combine the greens and dressing tossing well to coat. Let the salad stand for 10 minutes to marinate.

Top with toasted sesame seeds and season with freshly ground pepper to taste if desired and serve.

Grilled Kale and Summer Vegetable Salad

1 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 bunch of kale, washed and dried

Summer squash and bell pepper sliced tossed in oil, salt and pepper - grilled 

2 oz crumbled feta

1-2 tomatoes sliced

1 Tbsp parsley chopped

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat grill.

Grill assorted veggies then chill.

In a large mixing bowl combine olive oil, garlic, vinegar, juice, zest and kale. Toss until well coated.

Lay kale side by side in a single layer on top of the grill until crispy, 1 - 2 minutes per side.

Remove kale from grill and cool until workable. Then rough chop.

For salad add grilled assorted veggies, feta, parsley and sliced tomatoes.

Vinaigrette Recipe 

3 parts good olive oil to 1-part wine vinegar, a splash of balsamic, 1 smashed garlic clove, a dollop of Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of oregano, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, ground pepper to taste. Whisk everything together.

Garbanzo Bean and Kale Soup

Garbanzo beans, or chickpeas, pair very well with this hearty Kale Variety. This vegetable and bean soup helps utilize what this week’s share has to offer.

2 cups garbanzo beans, drained (if using canned beans, ½ cup dry beans if cooking)

½ a bunch of kale cut in half length-wise then chopped

2 turnips  - chopped

2 zucchini or patty pan- chopped

2 garlic scapes – minced

¼ cup scallions- chopped (reserve the tops as an herb to finish the soup)

2 oz olive oil

2 cups stock (vegetable or chicken) (water also works)

Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté ¼ cup scallions and garlic scapes in olive oil until aromatic. Try not to let it brown. Add turnips and zucchini and cook for 1-2 minutes add kale and 1 cup of stock and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the beans and the remaining stock and cook until all ingredients are tender (not mushy).

Add salt and pepper to taste. Then finish with minced scallion tops.

Several variations can be done to this dish. By adding some curry powder or chili powder you can definitely kick it up a bit. This recipe is a basic starting point. Feel free to experiment. Also, if you make a grilled cheese sandwich with the pesto jack in the cheese, share and dip it into this soup. That would be a tasty addition. 

Curried Kale with Sautéed Vegetables

1 bunch green kale, roughly chopped

2-3 mini onions sliced

2 cups summer squash (zucchini), diced

1 cup broccoli cut into small florets

½ cup fennel bulb sliced thin across the grain 

1 can coconut milk (plus one can of water)

2 teaspoons curry powder

2 Tbsp coconut oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Serve over jasmine or basmati rice

Bring coconut milk plus can of water to a simmer in a pan and then add chopped kale and reduce by half over medium heat.

While the kale is stewing, heat a sauté pan over medium high heat then add coconut oil. Once the oil has liquefied, add the vegetables and sauté until lightly browned. (Stir Frequently) 

Add curry powder to the sautéed vegetable mix while stirring to ensure an even coating. Then turn to low and add the stewed kale with coconut milk to the sauté pan and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Salt and pepper to taste

Serve with rice.

As an option, you could add ground pork to the vegetable medley. Brown ½ pound of ground pork in the coconut oil first, then remove while cooking vegetables, and replace it just before adding the coconut stewed kale back to the sauté pan.

Greens and Potato Stew with Spicy Sausage

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch green kale or collard greens, center stems cut away, leaves thinly sliced

1 pound fully cooked spicy sausage cut into rounds

2 cups chicken broth

1 pound Carola potatoes, diced

1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Heat olive oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. Sauté until onion is soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add kale and sauté until wilted, about 4 minutes. Add sausage and sauté 5 minutes. Add broth and potatoes.

Simmer soup uncovered until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Transfer 2 cups soup (without sausage) to processor. Blend until smooth; return to pot of soup and bring to simmer.

Mix in crushed red pepper. Season with salt and black pepper.

Chopped Greens Salad with Feta

1 head of romaine, chopped and rinsed

1 bunch green kale, chopped and rinsed

1 head of Koji (Tatsoi), Chopped and rinsed

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

½ cup Feta crumbles

½ cup Pine Nuts toasted

Chop all of the greens into bite sized pieces, wash and spin in salad spinner or drain and pat dry.

Toast pine nuts

Toss and combine all the salad ingredients with the dressing until thoroughly mixed.

Butternut and Rutabaga Gratin

1 small butternut squash peeled and seeded

1 medium rutabaga peeled

1 onion sliced thin

Kale or collards if you have them available (optional)

2 teaspoons fresh thyme minced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup Gruyere cheese grated

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly spray a large shallow baking dish.

Heat a small pot over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add sliced onions and cook until they are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in thyme, salt, pepper and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes until broth has reduced to 3/4 cup or about half.

Slice the squash and rutabaga into very thin rounds. If using Greens, slice very thin and add to the mixture as you are layering in the next step.

Place 1/3 of onion and broth into the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange butternut squash and rutabaga in an overlapping layer. Scoop 1/3 of the onions and broth over the vegetables and sprinkle with half of the cheese. Top squash with another layer of squash and rutabaga, followed by the remaining onions and cheese.

Spray a piece of aluminum foil with vegetable spray, cover the gratin (sprayed side down) tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes (this will prevent the cheese from sticking to the foil). Remove the foil. Continue to bake for 15 more minutes, until top of the gratin is crisp and brown. Let the gratin rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Butternut and Kale Gratin

1 small butternut squash peeled and seeded

1-2 onion sliced thin

1 bunch kale

2 teaspoons fresh thyme minced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup Gruyere cheese grated

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly spray a large shallow baking dish.

Heat a small pot over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add sliced onions and cook until they are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in thyme, salt, pepper and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes until broth has reduced to 3/4 cup or about half.

Slice the squash into very thin rounds. Thinly slice kale and add to the mixture as you are layering in the next step.

Place 1/3 of onion and broth into the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange butternut squash in an overlapping layer then add some kale. Scoop 1/3 of the onions and broth over the vegetables and sprinkle with half of the cheese. Top with another layer of squash and kale, followed by the remaining onions and cheese.

Spray a piece of aluminum foil with vegetable spray, cover the gratin (sprayed side down) tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes (this will prevent the cheese from sticking to the foil). Remove the foil. Continue to bake for 15 more minutes, until top of the gratin is crisp and brown. Let the gratin rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Asian Greens Mix and Green Garlic Stir Fry

1 bunch Komatsuna or Kale

1 Bunch Radishes with tops, cut into wedges and rough chop the greens

1 stalk Green Garlic, sliced into thin strips

¼ cup tamari (soy sauce)

1 tbsp. canola oil

2 tbsp. sesame oil

1 tbsp. corn starch (optional)

1 tbsp. minced ginger

Serve with rice

Mix sesame oil, tamari (soy sauce) ginger, half of the green garlic and corn starch together with and whisk until corn starch starts to dissolve (don’t worry if it clumps when you add it to the heat it will begin to separate)

Heat wok or sauté pan to medium high heat. Add the remaining green garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until aromatic take care not to burn the garlic (it can get a little bitter) 

Add the radish wedges and cook for one minute then add the greens. Sauté until greens begin to wilt.

Push the greens and other veggies to the side of the pan and add the tamari mixture. Wisk to make sure the corn starch is completely dissolved. Once the sauce is uniform and starts to thicken, turn the heat off and then toss the greens and veggies with the sauce that you’ve just made.

Adirondack Red Potato and Kale Curry

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 medium Red onion, chopped

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

2-inch fresh ginger root, minced

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper

¼ tsp ground black pepper

4-6 paste tomatoes

1 Can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1# Red Prairie potatoes, chopped into 1½-inch chunks

1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped into small pieces

1 can coconut milk

Salt, to taste

In a small bowl, combine the spices (minus the salt) and set aside. In a blender, puree the whole tomatoes and set aside. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat and add onions with a small pinch of salt. Stir occasionally until onions are browned, 5-6 minutes.