It's Celebrating The Garden Week... Rockin' Recipes For Cucumbers, Kale and Carrots!

The Harvest Has Begun...

This year we acquired our seeds from Terra Edibles ~  a Canadian seed company that sells organic, heirloom seeds. We have been very amazed by the beautiful, vibrant food we have been able to grow and enjoy!

Our Red Russian Kale ~ love the velvety tender leaves!

Wow! Shanti, you can make a ton of kale chips with all that Red Russian Kale! Thank you, magical beings, for having me here again to share some Feel Good Guru recipes! I love playing with food, I love eating, and I love sharing my kitchen chemistry! Shanti asked me to post some recipes for Kale, cucumbers and carrots, so featuring those crunchy, cleansing beauties from the earth, a few of my absolute fave summer fixin's:

Kale gets a bum rap. It’s an under-appreciated cruciferous that needs our help to elevate its status to the clean green lean superfood that it is. I think the reason people don’t like kale is because they’re trying to eat the rough leaves right off the stalk, raw, and that can be a little, er, too healthy-tasting. But there are easy ways to prepare kale to make it delish.
Kale is one of those superfoods available year round, and one that should not be ignored by health-minded peeps. It’s incredibly versatile, extremely nutrient-rich and low in calories. Yes! Yes! Yes! Kale contains cancer-fighting phyto-nutrients, tons of vitamins A and C, calcium and iron, and compounds that actually signal our body to produce more detoxification enzymes. So why not use kale at every opportunity we can? Yes?

I try and get my kale on regularly, in soups, salads, on its own marinated in a little olive oil and apple cider vinegar, “hidden” in bean and rice dishes, or…as kale chips! Crunchy and full of flavor, kale chips can take the place of your packaged dead potato chips. It’s a superfood that’s super simple to prepare:

Kale Chips the Feel Good Guru way

1 large bunch of leafy red kale
drizzle olive oil
sprinkle sea salt
sprinkle Nanami Togarashi (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Wash and completely dry kale.

Pull the woody stems from the leaves and break up into bite-sized pieces into a bowl.

Drizzle with a little olive oil. (Just a drizzle! Maybe only a tablespoon.) Sprinkle with a little sprinkle of fine sea salt. Sprinkle with a dash of Nanami Togarashi - (this is my favorite "secret" ingredient - it's a delicious, exotic blend of chilis, orange peel, black sesame and seaweed, and can be found at Japanese markets.) Massage ingredients into the kale leaves with your hands.

Place just one layer on a cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes. Pay attention because it happens fast. You’ll hear it sizzling away in the oven. Take them out when they’re nice and crunchy and slide easily from the cookie sheet.

You can sprinkle on a little nutritional yeast or a pinch of garlic powder, or use your own favorite spice combo for a tasty, crunchy bowlful of superfood nutrition everyone will love!

Thanks Moi for that great recipe...I must share that my girls devour a tray of kale chips in the blink of an eye. They are a huge hit in our home!

Our Purple Dragon Carrots ~ the girls love eating these sweet, almost spicy veggies!

 Shanti, you asked for a soup recipe here, but those Purple Dragons would make the most beautiful Raw Carrot~Walnut Pate! Here's how for a large batch that'll last a week in the fridge:

FGG's Raw Carrot~Walnut Pate

4 large garden carrots, grated (approx 4 cups, packed)
4 handfuls organic walnuts (approx 2 cups)
1 small red pepper, diced
2 Tbsp miso
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
fresh ground pepper to taste
2 sprigs fresh garden rosemary (or any other fresh-picked herbs)

Blend everything in a cuisinart until smooth. Form into a block on a plate and refrigerate for an hour before serving. You'll have extra, so just scoop into a bowl and reserve for another day. This goes great with endives as an elegant appetizer, makes a wonderful veggie dip, and spreads beautifully on crackers or bread.

Our Lemon Cucumbers ~  love their bright, crisp tenderness!

Mmm! Lemon cucumbers go so well in a tabouli! Here's my recipe for Lively Tabouli from Feel Good Fast:

Lively Tabouli
For 4:
2 bunches fresh organic parsley, chopped finely (about 2 cups chopped)
1 cup organic quinoa
1 cup cooked chickpeas (or 1 can, drained)
2 small cucumbers, diced
4 small organic tomatoes, diced
3 lemons, juiced
olive oil
sea salt to taste

Wash, rinse and soak chickpeas overnight (about half
a cup dried will yield one cup cooked). Cook chickpeas and set aside to cool.

Wash, rinse and cook quinoa. Set aside to cool.

Chop parsley and put it in a large mixing bowl.

Add diced cukes, diced tomato, chick peas, quinoa, lemon juice, a nice slather of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt.

Taste and adjust to your liking. Serve with Raw Carrot~Walnut Pate and kale chips for a summer fresh, super-light, cleansing, feel good tastebud extravaganza!

***

 Bountiful Gratitude to the Fabulous Feel Good Guru! Thank you Moira  for joining us this week and offering your inspiration and gorgeous recipes.

How delicious the harvest is...
What are some of your favorite ways to enjoy the garden's bounty?

In gratitude
~ Shanti ~