Tomatoes and Green Beans and Basil, Oh My!

Happy Friday, all!

Tomorrow I'll be attending a pig roast wedding celebration, so I figure tonight's meal should be light and easy (and without meat). Cherry tomatoes, green beans, basil, broccoli, and garlic can all be found at the farmers market this time of the season!

Angel Hair with Cherry Tomatoes and Green Beans

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt and pepper, each
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Handful of green beans, cut in tiny pieces
Handful of basil
1 lb. angel hair pasta
Salt/Pepper
2 broccoli heads

Directions:
1. In large skillet, add 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, pepper, crushed garlic, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped green beans, and chopped basil. Saute over medium heat for a few minutes, until skins start to peel away from tomatoes.
2. In large saucepan, cook angel hair pasta according to package instructions. Drain and add to skillet with vegetables.
3. Steam broccoli in a medium saucepan for 5-6 minutes.
4. Toss everything together and serve!

Obesity in America...

Is on the rise. Over 60% of Americans are either overweight or obese, and the numbers continue to climb. There is a mess of reasons why we've become the fattest place on Earth. We have no time for exercise or cooking; we eat lots of processed foods with salt, fat and sugar; portion sizes have increased exponentially; and many of us simply do not have access to fresh and healthy food. Because of all these factors, prevalence of heart disease, cholesterol problems, and diabetes is way up (and so are health care costs). Obesity and related illnesses cost US taxpayers $76 billion per year.

Here is an infographic for some more interesting facts about the disease that plagues our country.
http://www.npr.org/2011/05/19/135601363/living-large-obesity-in-america

Let us be aware of what we're doing to our bodies, our loved ones, our employers, and our federal budget when we make food and exercise choices. Go for a walk during lunch hour, eat fresh and local produce from the City Market, avoid fast food restaurants as much as possible, and listen to your body when it says it's hungry or full. A physically healthy country can lead to a financially healthy country, and we all must do our part!!

It's a sweltering 95 degrees today, and the last place we want to be is near the stove or oven (especially those of us without air conditioning, cough cough). Fortunately, there are ways to avoid the extra cooking heat by sticking to sandwiches, quesadillas, salsas, fruit salads, and smoothies. Here's what my house had last night:

Fresh Salsa and Black Bean Tacos

For salsa, combine the following in a medium bowl:
-3 medium tomatoes, diced
-1/2 onion or 3 scallions, finely chopped
-3-4 cloves garlic, minced
-1 jalapeno pepper, hungarian pepper or bell pepper (depending on your taste for spice), chopped
-pinch of red pepper flakes
-1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
-1 Tbsp cider vinegar
-1 Tbsp olive oil
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp cumin

For black beans, combine the following in a medium bowl:
-1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
-1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
-1-2 cloves garlic, minced
-small handful of cilantro, chopped
-1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
-pinch of crushed red pepper
-pinch of salt
-pinch of cumin
-pinch of cayenne pepper

**Keep in mind, all of these ingredients are optional! Don't make a special trip to the store if you don't have chipotle peppers or cilantro or crushed red pepper. Your meal will still be delish.

After the bean and salsa prep, lay out a "taco bar" with lettuce, onions, cilantro, sour cream, and anything else that suits your fancy along with the beans and salsa. Pile your tortilla or taco shell high with these yummy and nutritious ingredients, and gobble it up on your back deck, front porch, or even in your kitchen (since it's still cool).

Kale Chips

The East Lansing Farmers Market recently blessed me with a beautiful bunch of dinosaur kale.

 Though kale can often be one of the more intimidating leaves to use in the kitchen, frankly, it is also one of the most versatile. With a few tips from yours truly, you can be an expert at Kale Kooking and gobble up all the kale at the market!

Boiled Kale (for lots and lots of greens) - Cut kale into narrow strips (lengthwise) and drop into a pot of boiling water for 5 to 15 minutes, or until tender. You may choose to discard the bottom of the kale (with the thicker stems) before boiling, or you may boil the stems for a longer period of time. Drain the kale and dress with olive oil, salt, pepper, butter, and/or red wine vinegar.

Braised Kale - In a large sautee pan or pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and as many minced garlic cloves as you desire. After a few minutes, add chopped kale and about 1 cup of water. Turn heat to low and simmer the kale, stirring periodically. When greens are soft, drain excess water and dress with salt, pepper, and red wine vinegar.

Kale in Soup - You can add kale to any soup whether it be meaty, beany, vegetable-y or brothy. Here is a recipe for Spicy Kale and Chick Pea Stew:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups dried chick-peas, soaked overnight in enough water to cover them by 4 inches, drained, and rinsed
• 10 cups water
• 2 large onions, chopped coarse
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 green bell peppers, chopped coarse
• 1 1/2 pounds kale, coarse stems discarded and the leaves washed well and chopped
• two 28-ounce cans plum tomatoes including the juice, chopped
• a 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried orégano
• 1 teaspoon dry hot red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• steamed couscous or rice as an accompaniment

Directions:

In a large saucepan simmer the chick-peas in the water, covered partially, for 1 1/2 hours, or until they are tender. In a heavy kettle cook the onions and the garlic in the oil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are golden, add the bell peppers, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 10 minutes. Add the chick-peas with the cooking liquid, the kale, the tomatoes with the juice, the tomato paste, the chili powder, the thyme, the orégano, the red pepper flakes, the cumin, the sugar, and the bay leaf, bring the liquid to a boil, and simmer the stew, stirring ocassionally, for 1 hour. Discard the bay leaf, season the stew with salt, and serve the stew on the couscous or rice.

Complimentary Kale - Kale goes well with grains like rice and pasta, salty meat like bacon or prosciutto, and sweet fruits like apples. You might be pleasantly surprised with the extra flavor kale contributes to your meal!

One of my favorite ways to prepare kale is to roast it and make Kale Chips. If you like potato chips, you'll love these!

For Kale Chips: Preheat oven to 375 deg F. Wash and chop 1 bunch of kale into potato chip-sized pieces. Lightly coat the kale with 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and spread out across an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through. Voila- crunchy kale chips to go with your burger, sandwich or just to grab as a quick snack.

As a quick sidenote, kale offers tons of antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, and huge quantities of vitamins A, C, and K. In addition, kale is one of the most effective "clean-out" leafy greens, helping to relieve constipation and bloating.

What's in Season??

I just picked up my first pint of fresh Michigan cherries yesterday at the Allen Street Farmers Market. Yum.

Yes folks, July is here and we are gearing up for more fresh in-season produce: blackberries, blueberries, beets, cabbage, collards, cantaloupe, cherries, cucumbers, eggplant, kale, nectarines, peas, peaches, peppers, radishes, raspberries, and summer squash... to name a few.

I encourage you all to get out to the farmers market and support your local economy. Buying local is vital for your own community as your money goes right back into it, directly (and positively) affecting the quality of your community. Buying local also slashes your carbon footprint immensely since you are supporting farmers who live in and around your community instead of farmers who live across the country and must get produce to you by gas-guzzling airplanes, trains, or trucks. Furthermore, produce that hasn't traveled very far has probably been picked within the last few days, so it is at its freshest, ripest and most nutritious standing (produce starts to lose its nutrient value as soon as it is harvested).

I'll be including yummy recipes for Michigan in-season produce for the rest of the growing season to encourage you all to get out to the farmers market!

Baked Ribs with Spicy Blackberry Sauce

Ingredients:

• 4 teaspoons chili powder
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 slabs baby back pork ribs (about 2 pounds)

• 2 1/2 cups fresh blackberries
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix chili powder, garlic, and salt in small bowl; rub mixture into ribs. Place ribs on large rimmed baking sheet, meaty side up. Bake ribs 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, puree remaining ingredients in blender until almost smooth. Strain blackberry puree into heavy medium saucepan; discard solids in sieve. Cook puree over medium-high heat until reduced to 1 cup, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Brush ribs with enough sauce to coat. Continue baking until sauce browns and forms thick glaze, about 10 minutes longer. Cut slabs between bones into individual ribs. Serve with remaining blackberry sauce.

Recipe from Epicurious

image from bonappetit.com

Read more about what's in season anywhere in the US at:
http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/seasonalcooking/farmtotable/seasonalingredientmap