greens - Related Content

ITALIAN STYLE SALAD DRESSING

Ingredients and Directions:

1.    Measure 2/3 C olive or vegetable oil into bowl or pint jar with a cover.
2.    Add 1/3 C of your favorite vinegar or other acid of your choice, such as lemon juice
3.    Add ½ tsp Dijon mustard and 1/8 tsp each of salt, pepper, dried basil, oregano and garlic powder OR 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning mix.
4.    Whisk with a whisk or fork or shake a covered jar vigorously to help the dressing emulsify.  
5.    Taste and adjust your ingredients.
6.    Pour a small amount over greens and toss with two forks or spoons.  You want the greens to be coated, but not “swimming” in dressing with no puddle at the bottom of the salad bowl!  Add more, as needed. 
7.    Label the container and store any leftovers in the fridge.  You may need to shake it before using to remix the oil and vinegar.  Double or triple the recipe to have extra on hand!  This also makes a good dip or a marinade for roasting vegetables.

BASIC CREAMY STYLE SALAD DRESSING RANCH STYLE

Ingredients and Directions:
1.    Combine 1/4 C each of mayo and sour cream, 2 T milk, 1 tsp lemon juice into bowl or jar with a cover.
2.    Whisk or shake covered jar vigorously to help the dressing emulsify.  
3.    Add seasonings (1/4 tsp dry dill weed, 1/8 tsp each garlic powder and onion powder, salt and pepper to taste. Repeat step 2, taste and adjust your ingredients!
4.     Pour a small amount over greens and toss with two forks or spoons.  You want the greens to be coated, but not “swimming” in dressing with no puddle at the bottom of the salad bowl!  Add more, as needed. 
5.    Label the container and store in the fridge.  You will need to shake it before using.
This also makes a great dip or addition to baked potatoes!  Add more sour cream and / or mayo to make it thicker, if you like!

Note:  The photo above come from Victoria of Mason Jar Recipe whose site also features Mason Jars as gifts, decorations and other crafts.

Variations:  The Ranch above can be improvised with salsa and taco seasonings to make a Fiesta Dressing.  Sweeteners like honey, various mustards, fruit puree or various vinegars with one with complex flavor like balsamic can make the vinaigrette your own.

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Story:

Making salad dressing from scratch is a pretty quick, healthy, economical way to add taste to the variety of greens we now enjoy from the garden, the farmer's market or the produce aisle.  Reusing the jars makes sense, too!  You can do so for a special occasion or make home made part of your routine.

Tamra Dickinson and I shared these recipes with our after school cooking class students at Hillside Elementary in spring 2022.  It was fun to watch them wash greens and spin them dry in make-shift kitchen towel salad spinners.  They shook jars of dressing ingredients with every muscle they had and we all enjoyed a spring kale salad!

I don't recall bottled salad dressing on the table until I was college age.  They taste good, but the ingredient list often includes high fructose corn syrup and ingredients far too hard to pronounce.  For our family, salad was usually spring garden lettuce or iceberg lettuce with a vinegar and oil dressing made in the bowl right before dinner.  More bitter greens like endive and chard were for the adults.  The few times we visited a restaurant, one treat was serving yourself from one of the 3 offerings of salad dressing, typically French, Bleu Cheese and Vinegar and Oil in those cool decanters we passed around the table.  One legendary Italian restaurant in Hurley, Wisconsin swore its staff to secrecy when making their signature Caesar salad dressing!  

What are your salad and dressing habits or memories?   What's Cooking America? shares histories of famous dressing makers like "Marzetti", "Hellmann", Kraft Cheese Company; dressings like Thousand Island, Green Goddess and Russian; and salads like Caesar, Cobb, King Louis, Panzanella and Nicoise.

Ingredients: 

Dressing:

¼  C olive oil
2 T fresh lemon juice, fresh is best
2 T red wine or other vinegar
1 T Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp honey or sugar

Salad:      5 C kale chopped or torn into 1' bite-sized pieces 
1-2 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp salt

Optional Additions:
2 C broccoli chopped
½ C nuts:  sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, or chopped walnuts
¼ - ½ C shredded carrots or radishes
½ C chopped or shredded apple
¼ C sliced scallions or red onions
¼ C raisins or dried cranberries
½ C cheese (cheddar pieces or shreds, crumbled Feta, parmesan or other favorite)
Leftover cooked chicken or bacon pieces
Your favorite leftover cooked grain:  wild rice, quinoa, bulgar, brown rice
croutons

Instructions: 

1.Combine dressing ingredients in a lidded jar or bowl.  Shake or whisk well to combine. Dip a piece of kale in the dressing.  Taste and adjust sweetener, salt, and pepper as you like.

2.Rinse kale leaves in cool water.  With one hand, hold on to the thick stem at the end and with the other hand, strip the leaves from the stem.  Compost stems or store in water to saute in a few days with spices!

3. Tear or chop dried kale into bit-sized pieces.  Spin it dry in a salad spinner OR shake dry and place in a dry kitchen towel. Massage the chopped kale with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt. Rub with your fingers until leaves look darker in color.

4.In a large bowl, combine salad ingredients. Stir or shake the dressing once more.  Pour about ? of the dressing on the salad. Toss.  Add extra dressing, as you like.  There should not be dressing “pooled” in the bottom of the bowl.

Preparing Kale:

Rinse kale leaves in cool water to remove all the dirt and dust. 

Hold on to the thick stem end and with the other hand, strip the leaves from the stem.  Discard the stems OR put in a tall container with a small amount of water and keep refrigerated to chop and saute a day or two later.

Tear or chop the dried kale into 1 inch (bite-sized) pieces. 

Spin it dry in a salad spinner OR shake dry and place in a dry kitchen towel.  Fold in the ends of the towel and hold tightly while you spin the whole thing.  The towel will absorb most of the water.

(Optional)  For a more tender raw kale salad, massage the chopped kale with a little olive oil or lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Rub with your fingers until leaves look a bit darker in color.  It really makes a difference and kids love "massaging" the greens".

Story: 

This recipe for “’Massaged’ Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing” is full of nutrients, packed with flavor and may make you into a kale lover. Even kids liked it!  It can be made ahead as the hardy leaves keep well, even with dressing. 

Another recipes made with grade schoolers, it was also demonstrated with younger kids at a local school garden.  They got their hands in the bowl to massage the greens!  Helping kids of all ages grow and/or prepare vegetables and fruit encourages openness to new foods.  Don't we all enjoy getting some coaching in the garden or the kitchen?  If you are curious about a certain food or cuisine, baking bread or fixing your favorite restaurant dish, find someone to "coach" you, even if it's an online cook or a TV chef. 

The recipe and photo above come from Holly, a Canadian mom of 4 who loves to add to her site called "Spend with Pennies".  She suggests we check out how versatile kale can be, saying, "Leftover kale can be stirred into pasta, blended into pesto, and even baked into crispy kale chips, if the craving strikes! The possibilities are endless. I even love a little kale on my pizza when I have it handy."  Holly's other kale recipes include kale with rice, Mexican kale salad, kale pesto, kale chips, kale and sausage soup, and kale mango smoothies. 

Speaking of smoothies, I put blanched kale in a high speed blender with a touch of vanilla and cinnamon. I added blanched seasonal produce like squash, apples, carrots or pears for baby/toddler food my grandkids liked.

Ingredients:
For Fruit Galette:
2 C fruit of your choice in small pieces or wedges (even grapes!)
¼ C sugar
1 T cornstarch, plus more, as needed
Small squeeze of lemon juice
Dusting of grated lemon zest
Pinch of kosher salt
¼ C jam or sweet sauce (optional)
1 home-made or commercial pie crust or puff pastry, thawed if frozen and unrolled, kept cool.
1 egg, lightly beaten with a splash of water or milk, for brushing on crust.  Use leftover egg for small bit of scrambled snack.

For Vegetable Galette:

1 small onion or large shallot, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 C vegetable combo of your choice:
    Hearty greens of your choice (kale, spinach, collards) cut in bite-size pieces (about 8 C will cook down for filling.
    Summer Veggies: about 3 pounds of cubed veggies, such as:  peppers, tomatoes, eggplant &/or summer squash
    Root Vegetables: About 3 pounds of veggies, such as: onion, carrots, parsnips, beets, winter squash cut into 1/8" to ¼" slices to ensure quick cooking in crust
Olive oil to brush on pastry crust

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Make filling of your choice.
For fruit galette: Mix all ingredients (except jam) in a bowl.  Spread jam, if using, in the center of the crust, when rolled out (below) and put fruit mixture on top.  Proceed with instructions.
For greens galette: In medium skillet, add oil and soften onion on medium heat.  Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute more.  Add greens to the pan and stir until softened and wilted.  Add salt and pepper to taste, allow liquids to evaporate.  If greens have released lots of moisture in the pan, drain mixture in a colander before placing greens in the center of the prepared crust.  Continue with instructions.
For summer vegetable galette:  Place veggie mixture on a rimmed baking sheet.  Toss with oil and seasonings.  Roast for 30 minutes, watching so they don’t get too brown.  They will cook some more in the pastry.  Meanwhile, saute onion to soften and add garlic.  Prepare crust, as below.  Scatter cooked onion and garlic on the prepared crust, followed by roasted veggies. Continue with instructions.
For root vegetable galette:  Once the onion and garlic are sauteed, scatter them in the center of the crust.  Then layer the root vegetables on top in whatever arrangement you like.  You will brush both vegetables and crust with olive oil once the galette has been put together.
Line sheet pan with parchment paper or brush with oil (butter for fruit filling)
If frozen, thaw and then unroll pie crust or sheet of puff pastry.  Keep it cool in the fridge if it gets soft.
Roll out the crust into a rough circle and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Add filling as instructed above in the center of the crust, leaving about a 2 inch border around the edges.
Carefully fold the edges over the filling, making folds or pleats every 1-2 inches to make a circle of crust around the edges and a circle of uncovered filling in the center. 
Brush the exposed crust with either egg wash (for fruit galette) or olive oil (for savory versions).
Put the whole pan in the fridge if oven is still heating to prevent crust from getting too soft.
Bake for 25 to 40 minutes, until pastry is lightly browned and filling is bubbling a bit.
Let cool before slicing. 
Note:  Be creative with including a small portion of sauce to the savory galettes, you favorite seasoning, sprinkle with feta, goat cheese, etc. at the end!  Enjoy!

Story:

To prepare for a house-guest with special dietary needs, I vowed to clean the fridge in between processing garden produce.  Not my favorite chore, but a challenge.  Margaret and Irene Li's book "Perfectly Good Food" inspired me to put the mystery jars had accumulated in the back to good use. I added peppers to my omelet and black olives to our Italian salad.  Older bread became toasted crumbs to pop in the freezer and duplicate salad dressings fit in one jar and found a temporary place the new "use first" box meant to remind me to do just that.  

The Li sisters learned to be creative with unused food when they realized how much went in the trash in their first restaurant.   The "All the Veggies" Bolognese Sauce posted earlier this summer was from the Food Waste Feast blog that led to them writing Perfectly Good Food: A totally Achievalbe ZERO WASTE APPROACH to HOME COOKING, pictured above.  Their attitude is passionate, playful and practical.   "Small steps are part of the journey, say Irene and Mai.  “Zero waste is an idea and an inspiration, not a state of being.  Small mindful changes can make a big difference, and all of it adds up to saving more food, more money, and more landfill space.”  I appreciate their take on mindfulness in our choices and values around the gift of food.

Learn more from their Recipes and Tips to Feast and reduce waste:

How to make produce last longer
Their youtube videos on How to Cook more creatively and stop throwing away "Perfectly Good Food"!
Tips for Creating a Zero Waste Kitchen A one hour interview with Irene and Me Li moderated by the Conservation Law Foundation, creators of the “Slash Trash Challenge.”

A Mindful Self - Assessment

What food or beverage leftovers are in my fridge right now?
What meals could I fix tonight from what’s in my fridge, freezer and/or pantry?
What is in my fridge or freezer that I might say are “lost” or may never be used?
What do I typically do with leftovers to keep them from the trash?
How often does my fridge/freezer get a “clean out”?  Every month?  Every 6 months? 
What motivates me to do this often-unpleasant task? What causes delay?
Do I have a written (or mental) pantry list of foods I want to keep on hand for meals?  
What 5 things would be on such a Pantry List if I made one?
How often do I make a list when shopping? a meal plan for a week or so?
What edible or ecological way do I regularly use food scraps or leftovers?


 

Ingredients: 

2 T extra-virgin olive oil plus 2 tsp, divided
1 C chopped onion
½ C chopped carrot
½ C chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme or 3/4 tsp, dried
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary or 1/4 tsp, dried
8 C chopped kale (1 small-to-medium bunch)  Spinach, Swiss Chard, collards may be substituted
¼ C white whole-wheat or All-Purpose flour
3 C low-sodium or chicken broth
1 15-ounce can white beans or garbanzo beans, rinsed
½ tsp Kosher salt
½ tsp ground pepper
For the Biscuit Topping: 
You can substitute refrigerated biscuits such as “Grands” or biscuit mix (Bisquik) for the following ingredients.
1 C white whole-wheat or All-Purpose flour (see Tip)
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp ground pepper
3 T cold butter, cut into small pieces
3 T minced fresh chives
½ C cold buttermilk OR ½ milk plus 1 tsp lemon juice

Directions:
1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet (or similar-size 2-quart baking dish) with cooking spray.
2.    Heat 2 T oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and rosemary; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add greens; cook, stirring often, until tender and wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/4 C flour and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Stir in broth, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in beans and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan.
3.    To prepare biscuits: Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut or rub butter into the dry ingredients. Stir in chives. Add buttermilk and stir until just combined. Form the dough into 6 biscuits and place on top of the vegetable mixture. Lightly brush with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Place the potpie on a baking sheet. OR use a packaged biscuit mix or pre-made refrigerated biscuits
4.    Bake until the biscuits are lightly browned and the filling is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
Tip:
Try white whole-wheat flour in place of all-purpose flour in baked goods. It's made from hard white wheat berries, which makes it lighter in color and flavor than regular whole-wheat flour, but with the same nutritional properties. Look for it near other whole-grain flours. For the best flavor, store it airtight in the freezer.
Cut down on dishes: A rimmed baking sheet is great for everything from roasting to catching accidental drips and spills. For effortless cleanup and to keep your baking sheets in good shape, line them with a layer of foil before each use.
To make ahead:
Prepare through Step 2; refrigerate for up to 1 day. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before finishing.  If this dish proves to be comforting, you can make a double batch of the base and freeze half for another meal.  Label well, please and add to your freezer “pantry” list!
Notes:  Check your fridge and freezer for any leftover veg poultry or sausage that you can add to your pie.  If you use frozen spinach, thaw before adding and squeeze out as much moisture as possible.  If desired, add a little shredded Gruyère or Cheddar cheese to the biscuit dough.

Story:
With days getting shorter and varying degrees of chill in the air, it's officially comfort food season.  This Pot Pie recipe is rich with beans, greens and optional leftover veg and turkey!  Feelings of calm and comfort are expressed and elicited by certain dishes.  What foods soothe you?  When we are upset, some foods let us “crunch” through frustration.  This week’s Healing Secret of Food encourages us to be aware of our feelings before, during, and after eating.

Mac & cheese, soup and stew, meatloaf, baked potatoes, stuffed shells are typical comfort food dishes in American culture.  In my husband's family Chicken and Dumplings would be a comforting and homey meal.  In my family, when we were sick or chilled, we often had "Pastina" Soup made of tiny pasta stars, broth, butter, Parmesan and egg.  Beyond simple comfort, many foods have a physiological and emotional impact.  Carbs are calming.  Proteins provide strength and repair when in need of healing.  Craving crunchy foods can be a sign of frustration or anger as we chew away to let feelings out. 

Deborah Kesten encourages us to tune into our emotional state before, during and after meals.  She observes that by doing so, people consciously make healthier food choices.   Instead of asking "What do I 'feel' like eating?", checking in with our state of feeling glad, sad, mad, disgusted, weary or frustrated puts not only reason but love rather than emotion in the driver's seat.  A genuine respectful and loving approach to eating several times a day, is a healthy wholistic practice.  

"Be with me, abundant God, as I approach feeding my body and soul and nourishing others.  Remind me to slow down and breathe. Companion me, with your abiding presence as I plan what I will eat and serve my loved ones.   Help me to allow shopping and chopping,  stirring and thawing to be an experience of wonder and awe as you provide the nourishment, community and connection I crave.   Beloved nurturer, may your grace fill me with an awareness of you and the plenty you provide my body, my spirit, mind and heart.  May the ways I help feed others, be acts of love as much as possible.  Let it be so."