Kale, Farro and Avocado Salad

Need a good side dish to go with everything else you might be cooking? Try this whole grain salad. I love it with farro but any whole grain will do (barley, brown rice and so on):

KALE AND GRAIN SALAD

• 1 cup farro (or 3 cups cooked whole grain)

• 2 cups water (for uncooked grain)

• 3 cups chopped fresh kale

• 1 avocado

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• juice of one large lemon (about 3-4 tablespoons juice)

• 1/3 cup chopped marcona almonds

Place the farro and water in a saucepan and bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat, cover the pan and cook for about 25-30 minutes or until the farro is tender but still chewy. Drain any water that has not been absorbed. Place the cooked farro in a large bowl and let cool. Add the kale and toss the ingredients. Cut the avocado into small chunks and add to the salad. Add the mint. Pour the olive oil over the ingredients and toss to distribute them evenly. Pour in the lemon juice and toss. Add the almonds, toss once more and serve.

Makes 6 servings

Kale and Potato Kugel

When I hear the word kugel I daydream about old fashioned Jewish food like the kind my grandma made and that brings back happy memories of when I was a kid. She made noodle kugel, always a salty kind made with noodles, schmaltz, onions and sometimes mushrooms and of course, lots of eggs. It’s still one of the best side dishes that you could possibly eat with roasted chicken.

In fact kugel is hard not to like, whether it’s made with noodles, potatoes or vegetables. 

My grandma never made Kale and Potato Kugel like the one here, but I bet she would have loved it. It’s filing enough to be dinner, but of course it’s also a good bet as a side dish for fish, eggs, whole grains or vegetarian dishes.

It’s also a nice choice for brunch and perfect for a Shavuot dairy meal.                                                                                                                                                                                   

Kale and Potato Kugel

4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1-1/2 pounds)

1 large bunch kale (about 14-16 ounces)

6 large eggs

3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese

5 tablespoons melted butter

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

3/4 cup panko crumbs

2-3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish. Peel the potatoes, cut them into chunks and boil them in lightly salted water for about 15 minutes or until tender. Let cool and chop into small pieces. Place the potatoes in a bowl. While the potatoes are cooking, wash the kale and remove the thick stems from the bottom. Chop the kale coarsely. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Immerse the kale and cook for 10 minutes or until soft. Drain and squeeze out as much water as possible. Chop into smaller pieces and add to the potatoes. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Mix in the Swiss cheese, 3 tablespoons of the melted butter, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Add to the potato and kale mixture. Gently mix the ingredients to distribute them evenly. Place the mixture inside the greased baking dish. In a small bowl, mix the panko and remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle over the ingredients. Top with the Parmesan cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes or until hot and crispy.

Makes 8-10 servings

Kale and Farro Salad with Avocado and Marcona Almonds

Kale is a big deal these days. Everyone knows that. 

So I wasn’t surprised the other day, when I went to lunch with my friend Liz Reuven at the Rive Bistro in Westport, to find a Kale and Farro Salad on the menu. We shared one, along with Tuna Nicoise.

The salad was delightful, the kale fresh and bright green. The chef had added bits of dried apricots and crunchy marcona almonds and doused it all with sherry vinaigrette.

I kept thinking “I have to make this salad.”

The next day I went to my daughter Gillian’s house and guess what she had for lunch?

Mmmm hmmm. Kale Salad with Farro. She included avocado, not apricots and sliced carrots, not almonds.

The kale was bright green and crisp, the avocados smooth and rich and the carrots nicely crisp. Gillian also added some fresh mint, which was a wow, because it calmed down the kale, which can be bitter, and made it a perfect summer dish.

I kept thinking “I have to make this salad.”

So I did. A little of this one, a little of that one. I decided to nix the apricots and the carrots, but use avocados and marcona almonds. I had some scallions, so those went in too. Plus that wonderful mint.

You should make this salad.

Here’s the recipe:

Kale and Farro Salad with Avocado and Marcona Almonds

1 cup farro (or use wheatberries or spelt)

2 cups water

3 cups chopped fresh kale

1 avocado

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

2 tablespoons olive oil

juice of one large lemon (about 3-4 tablespoons juice)

1/3 cup chopped marcona almonds

Place the farro and water in a saucepan and bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat, cover the pan and cook for about 25-30 minutes or until the farro is tender but still chewy. Drain any water that has not been absorbed. Place the cooked farro in a large bowl and let cool. Add the kale and toss the ingredients. Cut the avocado into small chunks and add to the salad. Add the mint. Pour the olive oil over the ingredients and toss to distribute them evenly. Pour in the lemon juice and toss. Add the almonds, toss once more and serve.

Makes 6 servings

Kale and Potato Gratin

2012 is the year of kale. I am sure of it.

You know how, near the beginning of every new year food writers and organizations speculate on the coming trends? So the James Beard Foundation said this year it could be Thai food (didn’t we already do that?), doughnuts (ditto) and Caneles.

Huh? (Caneles are a kind of molded cake made out of crepe batter).

Huffington Post suggested Alfajores.

Huh? (two sweet biscuits with mousse or jam in the middle; sounds like a combo of Oreos and Macarons).

Well now the year is nearly half over and maybe I haven’t been looking too hard but I haven’t seen more Thai food. My local Dunkin’ Donuts still has the same old stuff and the bakeries don’t offer more than the usual jelly filled kind.

And I haven’t yet found a place that sells either Caneles or Alfajores. Though maybe I could get some Alfajores if I visit my brother in Buenos Aires.

So I’ll stick with kale as the big winner for 2012. Kale is healthy, delicious and a terrific way to add vegetable variety to your meals. 

You know it’s a trend when you hear that older people who have spent an entire lifetime not eating kale are eating it now. And younger people who are into healthy eating are eating more of it.

And especially, because of my husband, who is eating kale portions for two recently. He has said he hates kale but when I make it in a gratin he asks for seconds, as I mentioned the other day.  He gobbled up this one too. 

Kale Gratin! Who knew!

Kale and Potato Gratin

4 small Yukon Gold potatoes

1 large bunch kale (14-16 ounces)

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1-3/4 cups whole or lowfat milk

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup finely grated Swiss cheese

1/2 cup packed fresh bread crumbs

2 tablespoons melted butter

2-3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a baking dish. Peel the potatoes and boil them in lightly salted water for about 15 minutes or until tender. Let cool and slice. Place half the slices on the bottom of the baking dish. While the potatoes are cooking, wash the kale and remove the thick stems from the bottom. Chop the kale coarsely. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Immerse the kale and cook for 7-8 minutes or until soft. Drain and squeeze out as much water as possible. Set the kale aside. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and looks foamy, add the flour and cook for about one minute. Gradually add the milk and stir until the sauce is smooth and thick, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir to blend the ingredients. Add the Swiss cheese and mix it in. Stir in the kale. Spoon half the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining potatoes and kale mixture. Mix the bread crumbs and melted butter and sprinkle over the kale. Top with the Parmesan cheese. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Makes 6 servings

Kale Gratin

Kale is king these days. I’ve been reading all about things such as crispy fried kale and kale chips and braised kale and of course, kale soup.

All delicious. And it’s healthy too. Calcium. Vitamins A, C and K (sounds like New York subway lines). Also one of those cabbage descendants that may have anti-cancer effects.

I never heard of kale, growing up. The only cabbage we ate was in Aunt Goldie’s special soup and also the sauerkraut we put on top of our hot dogs.

But now, as I said, kale is king. Like other cabbage cousins, it can be acrid so you have to treat it right. If you overcook it, it can smell up the entire kitchen. But if you undercook it it doesn’t taste right.

I buy kale a lot because I like to experiment with recipes, especially with ingredients that weren’t familiar from my childhood.

But Ed has always hated my kale concoctions.

Until this one: Kale Gratin. It looked so appealing to him he actually asked for a piece (I was saving it to be rewarmed for another meal). And then he asked for seconds!

A miracle.

We finished the rest the next day (10 minutes in a preheated 400 degree oven).

Enjoy this, kale lovers!

Enjoy this, everyone celebrating Shavuot. It’s the cheese dish I will be serving instead of my usual Spinach Pie this year.

Kale Gratin

1 large bunch kale

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 cup half and half cream

1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2-3 tablespoons plain, fresh or dry bread crumbs

1 tablespoon butter

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut off and discard the hard stems from the kale. Discard discolored leaves. Wash the leaves carefully and cut them into 3-4 pieces. Place the leaves in a large saucepan, add about 1 cup water and cover the pan. Cook on medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes or until the leaves are soft and wilted. Press the water out of the leaves. Chop the leaves into small pieces and place in a lightly greased baking dish. In a bowl, beat the eggs and mustard until combined. Stir in the cream and blend ingredients thoroughly. Stir in the Swiss cheese and some salt and pepper to taste. Pour the mixture over the kale and stir to distribute the kale evenly in the dish. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top. Cut the butter into small pieces and use them to dot the surface of the gratin. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the top is crispy and golden brown. Makes 4-6 servings