Saturday, 31 March 2012

My Kale Soup


We got kale in our veg box this week; fresh, whole kale leaves, still on the stalk. This is notable because, so far, I haven't been able to find whole kale leaves at the grocery store. For some reason it comes in plastic bags, pre-shredded (which is fine). But, with the stalks (ugh).

I was so excited to see fresh kale that I had to make kale soup. Immediately.


This recipe is my version of what Grandad used to make:

Ingredients
extra-virgin olive oil, 1 small sweet onion (chopped), kosher or sea salt, 1 large carrot (sliced diagonally), 1 small/medium potato (chopped), 2 spicy Italian sausages, 1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed), 1 (28 oz.) can plum tomatoes, 4 cups chicken broth, 3 tbs. Worcestershire Sauce, 1/4 tsp. Thyme, 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes, large bunch of flat leaf parsley (chopped), large bunch of kale

Directions
Pour some olive oil into a warm pan. Turn the heat to medium high. Throw in onions and cover, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown. Then, add the carrots and potatoes. Stir, cover, and cook. Once they begin to soften, add salt to taste.

While the onions are cooking, cook the sausages in a separate pan until they begin to brown and can retain their shape. They should be 3/4 cooked. Pull them from the pan and slice them. Then, stir the sausage pieces into the onion, carrot, potato mix. Cover.

When the sausage is cooked, add the garbanzo beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, Worcestershire, thyme, parsley, and red pepper. Stir. Bring to a boil and let simmer.

When you're nearly ready to serve, tear the crinkley edges off of the kale leaves and drop them into the pot (discard stalks). Stop occasionally to poke the leaves under the surface of the soup. Allow to boil for a few minutes. Don't over-cook the kale. 

If needed, add more Worcestershire Sauce and red pepper flakes (I usually do).

I like to serve this soup in big rustic bowls because it reminds me of eating it with Grandad, on rainy Cape Cod days.
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Friday, 30 March 2012

The Veg Box




We live in the "Garden of England". Meaning, we are literally surrounded by the farms that grow England's produce. But, as ridiculous as it sounds, we haven't been taking advantage.

Enter Nethergong Nurseries. They deliver a box of fresh (picked Wednesday, delivered Friday), local (within 10 miles) produce, right to your door.

You pick the size of the box, and the frequency of the deliveries. You can also ask them to add fresh fruit, free range eggs, and locally made cheeses. Everything is in-season.

We just got our first box this morning. It had red and yellow onions, Picasso potatoes, carrots, kale, leeks, spring onions, purple sprouting broccoli, tomatoes (the first of the season!), and romanesco cauliflower. Our special additions were braeburn apples and conference pears.

The last picture is of the romanesco cauliflower. Resembling a sea creature, they are a beautiful example of the Fibonacci Sequence in nature. I can't wait to see what they taste like.
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Sunday, 25 March 2012

Strawberry Pies

 



 


The new crop of local strawberries just arrived in stores. So, I felt the need to make some mini-strawberry pies. I used pre-made gluten free pie crust dough, and made the filling with chopped strawberries, sugar, and a spritz of lime juice. 

My whole house smelled like the Strawberry Shortcake doll I had when I was little. After they cooled, I served them with whipped cream. They tasted amazing.
 
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Saturday, 24 March 2012

The Game Fair





We went to the Game Fair today. Technically, it's called the "Kent Game & Equine Festival", but everyone just calls it the "Game Fair". 

It had every British necessity: vintage engines, guns, shooting dogs, demonstrations, enough tweed to ensconce yourself from head to toe, piles of meat pies, and (of course) a tea tent. 

I loved it.
 
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