Kale Chips
-2 bunches of kale
-salt
-olive oil
Preheat oven to about 375*
Wash, dry and tear the leaves off the thick stems (toss those) and tear leaves into smaller, bite-sized pieces. If you are in a hurry, just use the Trader Joe's packaged, cut and washed kale. Then all you need to do is tear off the thick stems. Spread out on cookie sheets.
Drizzle with about 2 tsp of olive oil.
Sprinkle with salt (or Parmigiano).
Bake for about 15 minutes, until edges are brown and kale is crispy.
Note: we like seasoned salt for this, but regular sea salt is great. Don't over-salt, which is easy to do, and don't over-oil. Usually takes a few tries to get it to the perfect crisp and saltiness.
Crostini with local apples and Montasio cheese
by Guest Celebrity Chef Pippa Calland
4 thick slices artisan bread of choice
extra virgin olive oil
2 local cooking apples of choice, such as Fuji or Wine sap, washed well and sliced
Unsalted butter
Kosher salt
4 ounces freshly grated Montasio cheese ( or other Italian melting cheese )
Preheat oven to 375 and toast the bread until it is golden and crisp but still tender. When the bread has toasted, remove it from the oven and season each slice with the olive oil. Change the oven setting to broil and set the bread aside until ready to use.
Melt the butter in a small sauté pan; add the apples and season lightly with salt. Sauté the apples until they are soft, golden and caramelized and turn them out onto a paper towel. Blot off grease and shingle the apples evenly onto the toasted bread. Cover amply with the grated cheese and place under the broiler. Cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Chicken broth (in Italian: brodo)
by Guest Celebrity Chef Pippa Calland
1 free range or organic chicken rinsed well, neck reserved
Kosher salt
1 four yellow onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 large carrot
3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
Black peppercorns
Parsley stems
Salt the inner cavity of the chicken lightly and put it into a large pot of cold water. Turn the flame to medium and bring the chicken to jut under a boil Skim off any debris that rises to the surface and when the broth is clean, turn the pot to a simmer and poach the chicken until it is cooked through, somewhere around an hour / an hour and a half.
Remove the chicken from the pot and allow it to cool enough to handle. Clean the chicken, discarding the skin and reserving the meat for another use. Return the bones to the pot, add the vegetables and bring the pot to a simmer. Skim the broth well to remove any debris or grease and then add the peppercorns, parsley stems and bay leaf and simmer the broth until it is flavorful / you can just begin to taste the vegetables.
Strain the broth; discard the solids wipe out the pot of any grease or debris. Return the broth to the pot, add salt as needed and reduce until the flavors are well integrated, skimming as needed. Strain the broth through a chinoise or double layer of cheesecloth and chill immediately.
Bruschetta
by Guest Celebrity Chef Pippa Calland
Six slices day-old ciabatta or French bread
1 clove peeled garlic, end cut off
Best quality extra virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 375. When the oven is ready, put the sliced bread on a cookie sheet and toast until the bread just becomes crispy and turns faintly golden. Remove the bread from the oven and while it is still warm, gently rub the garlic a cross the bread. Repeat until you have seasoned all the bread and then drizzle each with a little bit of olive oil. Use either as a vehicle for toppings or eat as is.
Optional: in summer at the peak of tomato season, after adding the garlic and olive oil, try rubbing the bread with a juicy tomato half.
Braised Tuscan Kale Crostini
by Guest Celebrity Chef Pippa Calland
One large bunch of Tuscan kale, washed and center rib removed
Extra virgin olive oil
Four peeled and lightly crushed garlic cloves
Kosher salt
Crushed red pepper
One quart hot chicken broth, preferably homemade (see recipe)
Bruschetta (see bruschetta recipe)
Put a large heavy gauged skillet on the stove and heat over a medium flame. When the pan is warm, add enough olive oil to generously cover the bottom of the pan and heat gently. Add the garlic to the pan and stir, cooking until they become fragrant and just begin to turn golden. Add the kale (being careful not to spatter yourself) to the pan and stir to ‘melt’ the kale with the warm olive oil. Stir until all the kale is in the pan and begins to wilt, then season with the salt and red pepper. Stir to combine and add enough chicken broth to cover the kale. Turn the flame to low and partially cover the pan (so it can vent) with parchment paper or a lid and cook until the kale is tender, adding more broth as necessary. Taste, check the seasonings and serve warm or at room temperature on bruschetta (see recipe).
Pick-Your-Own Pancakes
By Reba Lawless Berdakín
½ cup All-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup cornmeal (or replace with ¼ cup of AP flour)
2½ teaspoons baking powder
2 Tablespoons Sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
3 Tablespoons melted butter
Pick-your-own fillings: blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, bananas, granola, peaches, dried cranberries, apple rings, corn kernels, pecans, almonds, other nuts, and anything else you can think of! Get creative!
In a small bowl mix together flours, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg, milk and melted butter. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, stir to combine and let sit for 10 minutes at room temperature.
Lightly spray a large skillet with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. With a ¼ cup measure or an ice cream scooper, spoon batter onto hot skillet, leaving enough room between the pancakes so they don’t touch. Drop a few of your desired fillings onto the uncooked side of pancakes, and once a few air bubbles form and pancakes are golden underneath, about 3-5 minutes, carefully flip the pancakes to cook on other side. Pancakes are done when the other side is golden, about 5 minutes more. Remove pancakes to a warm plate and continue with remaining batter.
Serve pancakes warm, with a light drizzle of pure maple syrup.
Summertime Pinzimonio for the Whole Family
extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper (optional)
Vegetables for Pinzimonio:
celery
red and yellow peppers
carrots
radishes
fennel
cucumbers
any other raw vegetable that you prefer
Prepare the dip, by putting oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl and mixing it well with a fork or whisk. Then, cut the raw vegetables and arrange them in a dish. Dip your veggies in the oil bowl and enjoy!!
Twenty Minute Tortillas
2 Cups Masa Harina (Corn flour that has been treated with lime, found in most latin markets)
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 ½-2 Cups Water
Equipment: tortilla press
In a bowl, mix all ingredients together until dough forms a ball. If the mixture is a tad crumbly, add a Tablespoon of water more until it holds together.
Separate dough into 16 equal pieces and form each piece into a ball. Line tortilla press with plastic wrap or wax paper on both sides of press. Press each ball, one at a time between each piece of plastic wrap or wax paper, to make tortillas.
In an iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat, cook tortillas one at a time until brown on both sides, flipping the tortilla over with a spatula when it begins to bubble.
Remove to a cloth lined plate and cover to keep warm while cooking remaining tortillas. Serve warm, immediately.
Roasted Veggie Tortilla Filling
½ small onion, peeled and chopped
1 garnet yam or sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 ear of corn, kernels removed and reserved or ¾ cup frozen corn kernels
1 small zucchini, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and diced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and freshly cracked pepper
pinch ground cumin (to taste)
pinch dried oregano (to taste)
1 ½ cups cooked black beans
For Serving-
shredded cheddar cheese for sprinkling
mixed greens or baby spinach
your favorite salsa
fresh cilantro
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chopped onion, sweet potato, corn, zucchini and bell pepper on baking sheet pan. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with minced garlic, a couple pinches of salt, pepper, cumin and oregano and toss together with your hands until each vegetable is evenly coated with oil and spices. Roast vegetables in oven for 15 minutes. Remove vegetables from oven and add cooked black beans. Mix veggies and black beans together with a spatula and return to oven for 5-10 minutes or until vegetables are cooked through and beans are warmed.
Serve filling in warm fresh tortillas, with a sprinkling of cheese, greens, salsa and cilantro- yum!
Roasted Vegetable and Stewed Black Bean Burritos
For Veggies-
2 whole Sweet Potatoes, Peeled And Cubed Small
1 Jalapeno Diced, optional
1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Diced Small
1 whole Red Onion, Diced Small
1 zucchini, Diced
Olive Oil
Salt And Pepper
For Stewed Beans-
½ onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tablespoons olive oil
1, 15 ounce can Black Beans, lightly drained
1 teaspoon Cumin
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste
salt to taste
For serving-
Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
Fresh Lime Juice
2 cups Shredded Cheddar
1 package Burrito-Sized Whole Wheat Tortillas (6-10 Count)
To roast veggies:
In a bowl, toss your raw veggies in olive oil to coat and season with a few pinch salt. Place on a sheet pan in an even layer and roast in 425°F oven for 20-30 minutes, tossing around halfway through until all sides are golden brown. Let cool.
To stew beans:
In a medium saucepan, sauté onions and garlic in oil until golden brown. Add can spices, stir then add can of black beans. Stir and bring to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and keep warm at low heat.
To assemble burritos:
Warm your wheat tortillas in microwave or oven according to directions on package. Place a scoop of black beans, roasted vegetables, a pinch of fresh cilantro, squirt of lime juice and shredded cheddar to your liking in the center of your tortilla. Wrap burrito by folding in the sides of the tortilla and then rolling up the ends.
