Fresh.Local.Healthy.
Maybe some buzz words of late but no less good ones to live by food-wise.
With that said, the last few years we have grown a small garden in our small backyard. We didn’t exactly plan and plot it out. It is in what used to be a flower garden that got overran by some ornamental grass and other things. It was a good, sunny spot though for growing vegetables. We have had a bumper crop of tomatoes ever since, with most of them coming up as volunteers from previous year’s fallen fruit.
Also prolific has been the kale. The first year we planted several and found ourselves with the question of “what to do with all this?” It found its way into salads, stir-fries and sautees. I even did a improvised version of a cabbage roll. Last fall we only planted maybe one or two but because it continues to grow throughout the season we found ourselves with plenty of it. So I froze it. A lot of it.
Then it got buried. In the freezer. Forgotten.
That’s where our good friend, Pinterest, enters the picture proving inspiration to the many.
I came across this Pin the other day: Potato, White Bean & Kale Vegan Soup.
It hit me on many levels: potatoes (hello!) beans (protein power) vegan (bonus) kale (did I mention I have a freezer full?).
Luckily for me I had most of the ingredients. I just need some beans easily acquired on our next grocery trip. And the prep was a breeze.
In true Small Kitchen Cooking style, I made a few twists of my own: adding a few chopped carrots for flavor & color, a little less Rosemary to suit my palate, replacing the difference with thyme & a bit of marjoram. And I can’t go too long without some minced garlic so a healthy tablespoon of it went in the pot.
For the bread, I served olive oil & rosemary infused baguette that I picked up at the market. The vegan line was crossed, though, by my adding some shredded Parmesan cheese to the crostini tops. I can’t help it; I love me some cheese!
Not to mention, you can throw it in the crock pot on a busy week and you’ve got dinner waiting for you. Ta freakin’ da!
All in all this was a healthy, hearty meal that lasted a good portion of the week and didn’t lose its flavor. And perhaps most of all, it used some of the ever-abundant, packed-full-of-goodness, weird leafy green vegetable hiding in my freezer. All hail the kale!
Tell me what you think. Share your ideas too.
Follow me on Facebook,Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest
#kitchensmith