Recipes from the Garden

Summer Savoury 'Kale-sadilla'

As Napoleon Dynamite's tough old aunt once said, 'Make yourself a dang quesadilla!' ...Can't argue with that; and this particular recipe makes for a tasty summer lunch and a great way to use summer veggies, including that red kale we've got growing in the Public Produce Garden (hint, hint)

Like all our recipes, you're encouraged play around with the ingredients as you please! (In the photos, we used a different type of kale from a home garden, but any type would do.)




It's super simple, too!  Cut off the ribs of the kale and tear the green leaves into pieces.  Just lay a tortilla in a frying pan. (Using a non-stick ceramic pan, allows you to skip the oil) Place the kale pieces on top of the tortilla - pile it high!  Top the kale with red pepper slices, thinly cut tomato slices, or any other veggies you want to try.  Sprinkle that with lots of your favourite grated cheese. 

Finish off the recipe by topping with another tortilla, and you're ready to cook!  Starting with a pretty high heat to get the cheese to melt and the tortilla to crisp, cover the pan with a lid.  It will take about 5 mins. for the kale to soften and the cheese to melt.  You'll want to monitor the heat and turn it down after a few minutes, also pressing down on the top tortilla with a spatula.  Flip the whole thing (it holds together pretty well) and cook for another few minutes without the lid.  

When it's done,  just slip the Kale-sadilla onto a cutting board and slice into wedges. Eat it plain or serve with your favourite salsa for dipping!  Yummmm!

--------

Loosey Goosey Iced Tea Recipe 

(thanks to Jaime for this recipe!)

The measurements and ingredients in this recipe are really just starting points for your summertime imagination. Experimentation is strongly encouraged. 



1. Bring ten cups of water to a boil then remove from heat.

2. Add 1 cup of sugar or whatever sweetener you prefer (different sweeteners will have different measurements, just sweeten to taste), and stir until dissolved.

3. Add two cups of berries (frozen or fresh), the juice of half a lemon, and four (five, six, seven) tea bags and let steep for at least five minutes (again, depending on your taste).

4. Remove the tea bags. At this point I like to mash the berries up as much as I can and leave them in until the liquid cools.

5. Strain your beautiful tea and pour into glasses filled with ice and fresh mint leaves (or basil leaves, or rosemary, or whatever delectable herb you happen to fancy).

6. Let the cooling down commence.


---------


Braised Chard with Chick Peas

This recipe is borrowed from the "Eating Local" (Sur la Table) cookbook. This is an incredible & beautiful cookbook that has divided its recipes according to the featured fruit or vegetable. e.g. Chard, Cauliflower, Strawberries, Fava Beans. It makes a great companion to Farmers Market Shopping & Public Produce Gardens!! It also encourages us to eat in season!



3/4 cup dried chickpeas; 

1 quart water; 

2 ounce chuck linguica or Spanish Style Chorizo; 

1/2 small yellow onion; 

1 Bay Leaf; 

1 rosemary sprig (4 inches); 

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 

2 large garlic colves (minced); 

1 small dried red chile, torn in half; 

2 quarts coarsely chopped Swiss chard leaves (no ribs); 

Kosher or Sea Salt.

1. Put chickpeas in a medium bowl, add water to cover generously - soak overnight. Drain and rinse, then place in a medium pot with the 1 quart water. Bring to a simmer over moderate heat - skim away foam. Add sausage, onion, bay leaf, rosemary and cover. Adjust heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the chickpeas are tender: 1 - 1.5 hours.

2. Let the chickpeas cool in the cooking liquid. When cool, drain the chickpeas, reserving the liquid and the sausage; discard the onion, bay leaf, and rosemary sprig. 

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add garlic and chile and saute for about 1 min. to release the garlic fragrance. Add the chard and season with salt. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes to coat the chard with salt with the oil and wilt it slightly. Add the chickpeas and 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Cut the sausage into 4 slices and add them to the skillet as well. Cover and cooking, stirring occasionally, until the chard is tender, about 20 minutes. Taste for salt. 

4. Just before serving, stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Divide evenly among 4 plates or bowls, making sure that every diner gets a piece of sausage!!