The Clash of the Collard Greens

Yesterday was CSA day. I excitedly opened my box of surprise veggies to find broccoli (sooo much broccoli)! And cauliflower! And salad veggies! Oooh - and lots of fruit! And collard greens. Despite having spent several years in the south, I was never able to fully reconcile with collard greens. In my opinion, they have an unusual texture and are quite bitter. However, collard greens are an excellent source of vitamins A and K and are also top among cholesterol-lowering cruciferous veggies - better than kale, mustard greens, broccoli and cabbage (source - whfoods.com). 

Ever the optimist, I searched through multiple recipes that feature collard greens until I came across a coconut curry collard green recipe on the Cooking of Joy blog. According to the blog, the sweetness of the coconut milk helps to cut down the bitterness of the collard greens. And the recipe also called for broccoli, of which I had an abundance. I started thinking about other vegetables that could be steamed/stir-fried in a wok with the collard greens and broccoli and decided that cauliflower deserved a chance in the recipe as well (also a very good source of vitamins A & K). So, out of my CSA vegetables, I set aside a little more than half of the broccoli and cauliflower for the curry recipe and used the rest for the salad. 

Coconut curry noodles with collard greens, cauliflower, broccoli and steak

1 bunch collard greens,

~ 1/2 head cauliflower

~ 2 heads broccoli

2 - 3 pearl drop onions (Note - these came in my CSA box. I had never seen them before and decided to throw them in for some flavor since they had such a nice fragrance. You could probably use any white or yellow onion)

4 - 6 garlic cloves

2 tbsp sesame seed oil

1 lb flank steak (Note - this recipe was originally vegetarian. I added in the meat for D.) 

1 can coconut milk

2 - 3 tsp curry (your choice)

1 tsp salt

1 package chow mein noodles (or other noodles of your preference)

sriracha

Preparation:

Slice the collards greens in long thin strips, discarding the stems. Cut the thin strips in half as this makes them easier to eat. Chop the broccoli and cauliflower and set aside. Mince the pearl drop onions and garlic cloves and set aside. Finally, slice the flank steak into small 1" strips.

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the noodles according to the directions on the package - drain and set aside. At the same time, cook the flank steak in a skillet (add 1/2 tbsp olive oil before adding the steak), drain off the grease and set aside. 

In a large wok, saute about half of the garlic and half of the minced onion in a tablespoon of sesame seed oil for about 1 - 2 minutes. Add the broccoli, cauliflower and salt and stir-fry for about 3 - 5 minutes until the broccoli turns bright green. Add 1/2 cup of water and cover to steam the vegetables further (about 5 minutes). Remove the cauliflower and broccoli from the wok and set to the side. Add the remainder of the garlic and minced onions with another tablespoon of sesame seed oil and saute as before. Add the collard greens, the coconut milk and the curry and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes (to fully cook the collard greens and thicken the sauce). Add the broccoli and cauliflower back in and stir to combine. Finally, add the steak and the cooked chow mein and mix thoroughly. Serve and top with sriracha (Caution - taste sriracha before using - it has kick).

Voila!  Tasty coconut curry noodles with collard greens, cauliflower, broccoli and steak - with a side salad, of course!

Adoring Axara and American Rag

Alliteration anyone (almost!)? On a recent trip to New Jersey, my mother-in-law and I visited a wonderful little boutique named Angel Hearts in New Hope, PA. There I discovered the French designer Axara and all I can say is: J'adore Axara. Axara mixes lace and embroidered pieces with French elegance and feminine allure creating silhouettes that are flattering for any figure type. 

At the same time that I fell in love with Axara, I received my first pair of American Rag wedges. American Rag is a relatively new brand being sold exclusively at Macy's. Not only are the Gracii espadrille heels flirty with a vintage feel, but incredibly comfortable despite their 4-1/2" wedge height. And they complement the Summer/Spring 2013 Axara clothing line theme to an "A"!

Axara meet American Rag - love at first pairing!

Axara & American Rag in Black

(Left) Axara Robe Bimatiere Noir, 245 Euros (Middle) American Rag in Black, $59 (Right) Short Effet Tweed Dore, 135 Euros

Axara & American Rag in Natural/Ecru

(Left) Axara Robe Dentelle Ecru, 252 Euros (Middle) American Rag in Natural, $59 (Right) Veste Courte Blanc, 290 Euros

And in case you were wondering whether the Gracii wedges are as cute as they are made out to be in Macy's online images, the answer is a resounding 'Yes'!

Kale and squash and gnocchi...oh my!

I recently decided to re-sign up for a local food co-op (Farmer Tom's CSA) on a quest to eat more greens and fruit on a daily basis. This past Friday, I picked up my half-bushel of local and organic veggies and a 'fruit surprise' in two very heavy boxes. In case you're wondering, a half bushel of vegetables is a spectacularly large amount of veggies, especially considering that you do not pick which vegetables show up in your box. I received a beautiful head of lettuce, some potatoes, a giant Covington yam, tomatoes, broccoli, a yellow squash, green onions, green peppers, some kind of radicchio, an eggplant (yech!), some carrots and a huge bunch of fancy-looking, frilly purplish kale - and I haven't even started on the fruit surprise yet!

You must be wondering what I will be doing with this random assortment of vegetables. Obviously, a salad: lettuce, tomatoes, green pepper, broccoli and carrots all add up to a perfect salad. Yay! Down a couple of veggies! Salad every night for a week!

Ok. On to the more unusual veggies. I began scouring the internet for a recipe that uses frilly purplish kale (aka red bor kale) and lo and behold, I found a recipe that required not just kale, but also squash...kind of. The recipe, Gnocchi with Kale and Squash, called for red bor kale and butternut squash. I don't have a butternut squash - eh, small detail - I can just use the yellow squash. Then, I decided that this recipe would be even better with more vegetables...because I have soooo many! I used kale, yellow squash, potatoes, a tomato and green onions. And since D. prefers to have non-vegetarian meals, I also added ground lamb. And changed the cheese. And modified the spices. It was so very, very good.

Gnocchi with Red Bor Kale, Yellow Squash and Lamb

Ingredients:
4 tbs unsalted butter
1 yellow squash, sliced into pieces
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp oregano
~ 1/4 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 - 2 c. chicken broth
1 bunch red bor kale, stemmed and chopped or shredded
1 package potato gnocchi
1 tomato, diced
3 green onions, sliced green parts
2 red potatoes, diced
1 lb ground lamb
1 package fancy shredded cheddar (or preferred flavor) cheese
crumbled goat cheese for sprinkling

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Melt butter in a large skillet and add the squash. Cook until soft and slightly golden (about 8-10 minutes). Add garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes and salt and cook for about 2 minutes. At the same time, cook the ground lamb and drain off grease after fully cooked.

Add chicken broth to the skillet. When it starts to simmer, stir in the kale and the potatoes and cook until the kale starts to wilt, about 3 minutes. Add the gnocchi, stir, cover and cook until the gnocchi are slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover and add several handfuls of the shredded cheese, the tomatoes, green onions and the lamb. Stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the casserole dish, sprinkle more of the shredded cheese on top and bake for 10 minutes. Remove and serve, sprinkling individual portions with goat cheese as preferred.  

It turned out to be a tasty and colorful dinner!