Kale chips are probably the easiest thing in the world to make.
When you get your kale home, rip the leaves away from the thick stalks. Massage them with olive oil, salt and pepper.
I bake mine at 325 F for around 20 minutes (just until the kale crisps up). If you leave kale chips in too long, the kale tastes charred.
Experiment a little! Fresh kale is like $.89/lb. at the store.
Last night, the “when the cat’s away” theme continued. K came over for dinner and brought some melt in your mouth Tamworth pork belly with him.
This is my favorite kind of food: SOLE. This pig was from a family-owned farm in Clarion and then went to K’s to get butchered and then came straight to my kitchen! Its got a honey-soy glaze with honey from Churchview Farm. And since we basically cook by candle light in my demo-ed kitchen, I’d like to think we saved some electricity. Ta-da! SOLE in my mouth.
Fun fact, the Tamworth is a rare breed of pig, considered “threatened” in the United States. Wiki says there are less than 300 breeding females registered today! They are ideal “bacon pigs” because they are able to achieve high body mass without an abundance of fat.
What a delicious little heirloom piggle ♥ with:
Roasted Beets and Sauteed Greens:
3 large beets, with greens 1 clove garlic salt, pepper olive oil 1/4 c. chopped onionPlace beets (skins on) in a shallow baking dish and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly. Bake at 400°F until fork tender, about 1 hour. When you pull them out of the oven, sprinkle the vinegar of your choice over them. (I usually use apple cider vinegar, but its not gluten free. Last night I used red wine vinegar and it was just as good.)
About 15 minutes before you pull the beets out, sautee the garlic and onion in 1 T. olive oil. When the garlic is golden brown and the onions are looking clear, add the beet greens. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the greens are wilted and become soft.
Remember when Amanda and I went to the Farm To Table Convention? Well between that and a networking event that she♥ and I attended at Chatham, we had a lot of options regarding what CSA to chose from.
After meeting with so many different growers and comparing all the variables between packages, we♥ finally committed to Clarion River Organics!
A lot of people asked us, what factors affected our decision?
1. The price: The full share is $25/week. The half share is $15/week. The CSA runs for 22 weeks, which means we♥ will be spending $550 for all of our locally grown, organic produce. We pick-up our share in the South Side, which is only 5 miles away from the house. That saves us the gas we would have to spend driving to the farm (yeah, right)!
2. The options: Clarion River Organics allows you to add on bread and eggs to your order! Not all CSAs have this option. We added eggs:
3. The portions: Each week, we were told to expect 6-10 different items. Here is the photo which we are provided with in our “what to expect email”:
We received:
Pretty happy with what we received, its just exactly what I thought we were going to get and it has been the perfect portion for us throughout the week. Since its early in the season, we received corn flour instead of a fruit or veg. This was a pleasant surprise!
I would have never purchased corn flour in the store, but now I get to experiment with it AND feel satisfied in knowing that its locally.
4. The people: The way these guys handle CSA members is great! Each time I was confused about something, it was addressed and cleared up right away! They send a weekly newletter letting you know what’s happening in the 10 CSA farm participants, specs on the vegetables, recipes, etc. The volunteers at the pick-up location are really nice and helpful as well (we pick up in South Side). The whole experience has really opened my eyes to new kinds of dishes.
BONUS: Since we are not huge veggie eaters, this is a way that we have been integrating more SOLE food into our day to day meals. AND we are creating urban partnerships with regional farmers who strengthen our food system. I am 100% happy with our choice!
Things I’ve Learned: Collard Greens are huge! There are these things called garlic scapes. I have to return my CSA bags next week – I took mine home by accident! Its cool to try something out of your comfort zone. There are things that grow in my community that I never knew existed.
Have you ever thought of joining a CSA? Did you?
What affected your decisions to join/not join?
Farm to Table was one of the best experiences I’ve had since I began my journey into sustainability. Events like this are so amazing because it allows people to connect with growers and find out about the REAL FOOD CHAIN, learn about how to be more self-reliant, network with other community members, and to LEARN LEARN LEARN.
Most of this recap will be told in pictures (which are worth 1000 words, right?) because much of my time was spent in the Exhibit Hall talking to awesome greenies like me!! I will try to link most of the pictures to the company’s website, so don’t be shy 😉
412-965-0435
Allison Park
412-673-6457
McKeesport
http://www.bumbleberryfarms.com
Somerset
412-589-9276
Sligo
1-800-USE-HEMP
Columbia
(814) 303-9663
Tionesta
724-459-7527
Blairsville
814.443.2415
Somerset
I think that’s about all you kids can handle for right now. If I overwhelm you, you might get loosey-goosey…
SOLE for the Soul 