Ribollita

Ribollita is one our member’s favorite way to use tuscan kale. What better way to eat it tahn to slather with bread and parmesan?

Ingredients

• 1 loaf ciabatta bread

• Extra virgin olive oil

• 1 large red onion chopped

• 2 celery stalks chopped

• 2 to 3 carrots peeled and chopped

• Kosher salt

• 6 garlic cloves finely chopped

• 28 oz canned whole San Marzano tomatoes (or any whole canned tomatoes you like)

• 1 cup dry white wine

• 4 cups vegetable broth

• 2 15- oz cans cannellini beans drained and well rinsed

• 1 inch Parmesan rind

• 2 thyme sprigs

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 tsp dry oregano

• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional

• 1 lb kale, thick stems and veins removed, chopped

• grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Instructions

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

• Tear the bread into large pieces and put it on a large sheet pan. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and toss to make sure the bread is coated. Spread the bread in one layer on the sheet pan. Bake in the heated oven for about 10 minutes or until somewhat toasted and golden brown.

• In a large cooking pot, heat 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the onions, celery and carrots. Sprinkle a little kosher salt. Lower the heat to medium and cook, tossing regularly, until softened. Add the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, tossing regularly (do not let the garlic brown).

• Add the tomatoes, white wine and broth. Cook over medium heat for little bit, stirring and breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon.

• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade, combine about 1/2 cup of the brothy tomato mixture and 1 cup of the cannelini beans. Puree.

• To the pot with the tomato mixture, add the parmesan rind, fresh thyme, bay leaf, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes and a pinch of kosher salt. Stir to combine. Let simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes.

• Now add the white beans (both the whole and pureed beans) and fresh kale (stir to make sure the kale is submerged in the soup) to the cooking pot. Let the kale cook for a few minutes. Add 1/2 of the toasted ciabatta bread and stir. Let simmer a little bit longer until the kale has fully cooked and the bread has softened and absorbed some fo the liquid (see notes).

• Remove from the heat. Remove what is left of the Parmesan rind, bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Top the soup with a bit more of the toasted bread. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of Parmesan, if you like. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas

This is a great make-ahead recipe to keep you fed for the week. The enchiladas also freeze well. Feel free to throw in other veggies in addition to the sweet potatoes and kale - I've added corn, bell peppers, and summer squash. You can buy enchilada sauce or make your own with their linked recipe (I recommend the homemade version, it's simple, quick, and delicious!). 

Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas from Minimalist Baker

Time: 55 minutes

Yield: 10 enchiladas

Ingredients: 

TORTILLAS

10 small yellow or white corn tortillas

FILLING

3 cups cubed sweet potatoes (skin on)1 Tbsp coconut or avocado oil 1 tsp ground cumin1/2 tsp smoked paprika1/4 tsp sea salt2 cups chopped kale (or other sturdy green)2 Tbsp water

1 15-ounce can black beans* (drained // or sub pinto or refried beans)1/4 cup Red Enchilada Sauce (or store-bought)

SAUCE

3 cups Red Enchilada Sauce (divided // or store-bought)

FOR SERVING optional

Cilantro Guacamole, avocado, or Avocado Crema (see notes for recipe)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and position a rack in the middle of the oven.

Add cubed sweet potato to one large baking sheet (or more as needed) and drizzle with oil (or water), cumin, paprika, and salt. Toss to combine.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until sweet potatoes are fork tender and slightly caramelized. Set aside to cool. Also reduce oven heat to 350 degrees F (176 C).

In the meantime, add your kale to a large cast-iron or metal skillet over medium heat with 2 Tbsp (30 ml) water. Cover and steam for about 4-5 minutes or until kale is slightly softened but still vibrant green. Uncover and set aside. (You could also sauté the kale in a bit of oil if you prefer.)

Add drained black beans to a mixing bowl with steamed kale and roasted sweet potatoes. Add the smaller measurement of enchilada sauce to the kale and sweet potatoes and stir to combine.

Wrap tortillas in damp cloth towel and microwave to warm for 30 seconds to make more pliable. (Alternatively, place wrapped tortillas directly on oven rack for a few minutes to heat through.) This will help them become more pliable and easy to roll.

Pour about one third of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9×13-inch (3 quart | or similar shaped) baking dish. Spread to coat.

Lay one corn tortilla down in the saucy dish to coat. Then flip it over to coat the other side. Fill with ~1/3 cup of the filling. Then roll up and lay seam-side down at the edge of the dish. Continue until all tortillas are filled and rolled, adding more sauce as needed to moisten tortillas. Add any remaining filling to the edges of the dish. If you run out of space to roll the tortillas in the baking dish, continue saucing, filling, and rolling them on a small serving plate.

Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas in a stripe down the middle. TIP: Use less sauce for slightly drier enchiladas. The more sauce you use, the more tender the tortillas will become.

Bake at 350 degrees F (176C) for 15-20 minutes or until warmed through. Top with desired toppings and serve. We went with fresh jalapeño, cilantro, and avocado crema (recipe below), but these enchiladas are delicious on their own!

Leftovers will keep covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days or in the freezer up to 1 month, though best when fresh. Reheat in a 350-degree F (176 C) oven for 15-20 minutes or until warmed through.

White Bean/Kale/Sausage Stew Non-recipe Recipe

From CSA member Ellice Lee

Feel like cooking with some CSA greens and what's in your pantry & fridge? This is a non-recipe recipe that will make a quick & easy meal.

Ingredients (Serves 4 to 6)

• Handful of CSA greens (kale, dandelion greens, rainbow chard)

• 1 can of white beans (Great Norther or Cannellini), drained, rinsed

• 2–3 Sweet Italian Sausages (removed from their casings)

• Crushed red pepper flakes (I used Korean Gochugaru—spicy!)

• Olive oil

• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Remove sausages from their casings and break up into a nonstick skillet with a splash of olive oil over medium- high heat. When sausage is close to being fully cooked (or buy fully cooked sausage and sauté), add beans and combine till warm. Throw in a big handful of chopped greens until lightly wilted. Top with another splash of olive oil and crushed red pepper flakes. Add salt & pepper to taste and you're done! Serve with your starch of choice (I prefer brown rice).

This recipe has been adapted from Bon Appetit

Spiced Chickpea Stew with Coconut and Tumeric

From member Cara McAteer: The return of chilly weather this weekend brought to mind a fast and easy recipe from the New York Times cooking page for a chickpea stew that I had in heavy rotation last fall. Several ingredients from this week’s share will go nicely in it. I got onions this week and also young ginger which I think will be even better than regular ginger root in this stew. The bunch of kale that I received will be the greens. The recipe calls for red pepper flakes but the hot peppers from my share will make a more flavorful substitute. Instead of garnishing with mint as the recipe calls for, I will garnish with the cilantro from my share. To make this a heartier meal, I usually serve it over quinoa.

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup olive oil, plus more for serving
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 (2-inch) piece ginger, finely chopped
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 (15-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 bunch Swiss chard, kale or collard greens, stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces
1 cup mint leaves, for serving
Yogurt, for serving (optional)
Toasted pita, lavash or other flatbread, for serving (optional)

PREPARATION

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large pot over medium. Add garlic, onion and ginger. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally until onion is translucent and starts to brown a little at the edges, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric, 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, and the chickpeas, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, so the chickpeas sizzle and fry a bit in the spices and oil, until they’ve started to break down and get a little browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove about a cup of chickpeas and set aside for garnish.

Using a wooden spoon or spatula, further crush the remaining chickpeas slightly to release their starchy insides. (This will help thicken the stew.) Add coconut milk and stock, and season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a simmer, scraping up any bits that have formed on the bottom of the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until stew has thickened, 30 to 35 minutes. (Taste a chickpea or two, not just the liquid, to make sure they have simmered long enough to be as delicious as possible.) If after 30 to 35 minutes, you want the stew a bit thicker, keep simmering until you've reached your desired consistency.

Add greens and stir, making sure they’re submerged in the liquid. Cook until they wilt and soften, 3 to 7 minutes, depending on what you’re using. (Swiss chard and spinach will wilt and soften much faster than kale or collard greens.) Season again with salt and pepper.

Divide among bowls and top with mint, reserved chickpeas, a sprinkle of red-pepper flakes and a good drizzle of olive oil. Serve alongside yogurt and toasted pita if using; dust the yogurt with turmeric if you'd like.

Pasta with Kale Pesto and Roasted Butternut Squash

A great, easy recipe from the Times that’s nice enough to serve for company.  If you can figure out a way to peel them, I don’t see why you couldn’t make this with the acorn squash we’ve been getting the last couple of weeks.

Pasta with Kale Pesto and Roasted Butternut Squash
by Melissa Clark for the New York Times

1 1/2 lbs butternut squash
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling over squash
3/4 t. kosher salt for pesto, plus more for squash
Freshly ground black pepper
1 small bunch lacinato kale, stems removed
8 oz. pasta (penne rigate works well) (note: I made twice this much and the pesto was still plenty strong)
1/3 c. toasted pine nuts
2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
Finely grated zest of one lemon
Freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
Grated Parmesan, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a vegetable peeler to peel squash, then halve it lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Dice squash flesh into 1-inch pieces, place on a baking sheet, and toss with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Spread pieces into an even layer, making sure there is space between them. Roast, stirring squash pieces once or twice, until golden brown and tender, about 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; have ready a bowl of ice water. Drop kale into boiling water and cook for 45 seconds. Use tongs or slotted spoon to transfer kale to ice water. Bring water in pot back to a boil, adding more if necessary so there is enough to cook pasta.

3. Drain kale well, then wrap tightly in a dry kitchen towel and squeeze thoroughly to remove any excess moisture. Roughly chop leaves. When water in pot comes back to a boil, cook pasta according to package directions.

4. In a food processor, pulse together kale, nuts, garlic, salt and lemon zest until mixture is smooth and salt has dissolved. With motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil until fully incorporated. Taste and add more salt dissolved in a little lemon juice, if necessary.

5. Drain pasta, reserving a little cooking water. Toss pasta with kale pesto and some pasta cooking water if necessary to help it coat pasta. Add cheese, lemon juice and salt to taste. Serve topped with squash and more cheese.