Kale Chips
These crispy chips are wonderful for snacking!
Ingredients:
1 bunch Lacinato kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Wash the kale then gently pat it dry. Remove the tough stem from each leaf, then tear the leaves into large pieces.
2. In a large bowl drizzle the olive oil onto the kale, using your hands to massage the oil into the leaves. Sprinkle the cumin and paprika onto the kale (you may need to use your hands to evenly distribute the spices).
3. Lay out the leaves on a baking sheet covered in parchment or a silpat. Dust with sea salt, then bake for about 16 minutes, turning halfway through. Bake until just crisp, leaves should be just curled at the edges.
Fried Corona Beans with Kale-Lemon Pesto
Pan-fried and then tossed with a bright kale-lemon pesto, these crispy beans are incredibly satisfying.
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked Corona beans (see method)
1 bunch Tuscan black kale
¾ cup Grana-style cheese
¾ cup toasted pecans
Zest and juice of 1-2 lemons
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1-2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for frying
1 clove garlic, minced
Pinch salt
Method:
1. To prep the pesto: Roughly remove stems from kale. Add kale to a pot of boiling water. Stir and cook about 45 seconds, then remove and rinse with cold water. Pick up kale with your hands and mold into a ball, squeezing out all the excess water. Set aside. In a food processor, add the lemon zest, juice, salt, nutmeg, garlic and pecans. Pulse a few times to coarsely chop. Add in the kale, and pulse while adding olive oil. Taste for salt and add more oil if it is too dry.
2. Add 1-2 tablespoons additional olive oil to coat a large frying pan. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering, then add beans in a single layer. Stir to coat the beans, then let them sit long enough to brown on one side, about 3-4 minutes, before turning to brown the other side, also about 3-4 minutes. The beans should be golden and a bit crunchy on the outside.
3. Add kale-lemon pesto to the beans and toss to combine. Remove from heat and serve lightly sprinkled with additional Grana cheese.
Brown Butter Kale
This Tom Douglas recipe combines quality ingredients to bring out the inherently nutty flavor of this protein-rich green.
Ingredients:
2½ pounds Lacinato kale (1 large bunch)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Lemon wedges
Method:
1. Stem and wash the kale, shaking off excess water. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the kale until tender, about 5-10 minutes. Drain the kale in a large colander, then let cold water run over until cool enough to handle. With your hands, squeeze most of the water out. Roughly chop the kale.
2. Melt butter in a very large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Allow the butter to bubble and turn golden brown (it will have a toasted fragrance). Watch carefully, this only takes a few minutes.
3. Add the kale to the pan and stir until mixed with butter and warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper, remove from heat. Pile on a platter and garnish with lemon wedges to squeeze over.
Grilled Lacinato Kale Spread
This creamy spread from the new cookbook, Any Night Grilling, is delicious slathered on slices of grilled bread.
Ingredients:
1 bunch Lacinato kale
1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grilling
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Pinch red pepper flakes
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
½ cup crumbled sheep’s milk feta
Rustic bread, such as this week’s Italian Rustica, sliced
1 clove garlic, peeled and halved lengthwise
Flaky sea salt
Method:
1. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium high, then carefully wipe the preheated grates with a lightly-oiled paper towel.
2. In a large bowl, combine the Greek yogurt with the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and red pepper flakes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then fold in the sheep’s milk cheese.
3. Working in batches, grill the kale leaves until lightly charred, 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and cool slightly. Use a knife to trim the thick ribs from each leaf, then finely chop the kale leaves. Fold into the yogurt mixture.
4. Grill the bread slices over direct heat until charred, about 1 minute per side. While still war, rub 1 side of each toast with the cut side of the garlic. Top each toast with a slather of creamy kale, drizzle with olive oil and top with flaky sea salt, then serve.
Mixed Kale Salad with Cara Cara Orange Vinaigrette
Tossed with a sweet citrus dressing, this bright and fresh salad pairs beautifully with this week’s soup.
Ingredients:
8 cups mixed Lacinato and curly kale greens, removed from thick stems, washed and patted dry
1 cup slivered almonds
2 small Cara Cara oranges, juiced
Zest from both oranges
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
¾ cup olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a small skillet, toast almonds until golden brown and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
2. In a blender, combine the orange zest, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. With the blender running, add the olive oil in a steady stream until combined.
3. Working in batches, cut the kale into thin ribbons and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the almonds and toss with about half of the dressing. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper and vinaigrette, as desired.
Pappardelle Pasta with Italian Sausage & Kale
Everyone will be asking for seconds of this extremely satisfying dish.
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh pasta of your choice, such as this week’s pappardelle
1 sweet onion, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 bunch Lacinato kale, greens removed from tough rib ends and then roughly chopped
4 tablespoons freshly-chopped herbs, such as a combination of oregano, parsley and thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus an additional tablespoon for finishing
Grana-style cheese, grated
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Cook the pasta for 5-7 minutes in a pot of heavily salted water until al dente, or just cooked through with a bit of bite left. Reserve about ½ cup of the pasta water, then drain, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, slice the Italian sausage links into bite-sized rounds and cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through and no longer pink on the inside. Remove the sausage to a plate and set aside.
3. Wipe any excess grease from the skillet with a paper towel, then drizzle in 2 tablespoons olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add in the onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add in the chopped kale and continue to sauté, stirring until the kale is just wilted.
3. Add the pasta and sausage into the skillet and toss to combine with the kale mixture; season with salt and pepper as necessary. Add in the herbs and toss once more; if the pasta seems a little dry, moisten with the reserved pasta water. Finish by sprinkling each serving with grated Grana-style cheese and an additional swirl of olive oil.
Bucatini with Red Kuri Squash, Kale & Mushroom Confit
The classic pairing of squash and sage is utterly delicious combined with our housemade confit and pasta.
Ingredients:
For squash:
1 Red Kuri squash
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, coarsely torn
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
To finish:
½ cup half & half
½ cup grated Pecorino cheese
½ bunch Lacinato kale, ribs removed and greens roughly torn into bite-sized pieces
1 pound bucatini pasta
Farm & Larder mushroom confit
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Scrub squash well and cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and attached pulp; cut each half lengthwise again, then slice crosswise into ¾-inch thick slices.
2. In a small bowl, mix melted butter with honey. Arrange the squash in a single layer on a baking sheet and brush each piece with the butter and honey, reserving half of the mixture. Season the squash with salt and pepper and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Roast for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, add the fresh sage to the remaining butter-honey mixture. Remove the squash from the oven and turn them with tongs. Brush each piece with the butter mixture, season again with salt and pepper, and return to the oven, uncovered for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook al dente, about 8 minutes, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid. During the last minute of cooking, add the kale to blanch. Drain.
4. Combine the pasta and kale in a large serving bowl with half & half and Pecorino, adding pasta cooking liquid as needed to create a loose sauce. Add the squash slices and confit, toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper as needed, and top with an extra grating of Pecorino cheese.
Kale & Potato Soup
This rich, traditional Portuguese soup—called caldo verde (green broth)—would be a lovely starter to this week’s Italian pasta supper.
Ingredients:
1 bunch Lacinato kale
2 pounds baking potatoes
2 quarts water
Olive oil
Salt
Method:
1. Remove stems from the kale, wash the leaves and cut them into a chiffonade. (You should have about 6-8 cups of kale). Peel potatoes and chop very fine.
2. Bring water to a boil in a heavy sauce pan and add salt. Add chopped potatoes, return to a boil and cook for 2 minutes, covered. Add the kale and cook 2 minutes more. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and needed. If desired, top hot soup with a splash of olive oil.
Variations: You can pass this soup through a food mill and serve it as a purée; moisten it with chicken stock instead of water; or enrich it with additional vegetables. One excellent variation is to stew sliced shallots and garlic until very soft and caramelized, then purée with the kale and potatoes.
Sautéed Kale with Garlic and Vinegar
Tossed with just a hint of garlic and vinegar, this Vitamin K-rich dish is sublime served with pasta. (Hint: This basic method works equally well for all leafy greens!)
Ingredients:
1 bunch kale
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Method:
1. Strip kale leaves off their stems and cut away and discard the tough midribs. Chop kale coarsely and wash in water. Drain well, but do not spin dry.
2. Heat a large sauté pan and add olive and enough kale to cover the bottom of the pan. Allow greens to wilt down before adding more. When all the kale has been added, season with salt and pepper, stir in the garlic, and cover the pan. (The greens will take anywhere from a few to 15 minutes to cook, depending on their maturity.)