“Sorry to disturb you young lady, what kind of vegetable are you holding there?” I was waiting in line at our farmer’s market with curious baby Isac resting on my right arm and two large bunches of green and purple kale on my left and turned around to see the kind old woman that was talking to me. At first I looked down at our little pumpkin, staring at me with his big eyes and cute little hat. But then I realized that it was the kale she was asking about. I was a bit surprised by the question, as kale has been one of the most hyped ingredients these past couple of years and you can buy it in most food stores now during the autumn. But I quickly woke up from my pompous foodie bubble. I told her that it was called kale and explained some of the wonderful ways how you can prepare it. And while I was talking I noticed that the whole line was listening in on our conversation. Apparently we need to keep talking about kale.
So, even though quite a few of you blog readers probably already are using kale in soups, smoothies, batters, bread, salads, pilafs, tomato sauce and as chips, I have realized that there also is a large bunch of people that still haven’t. If you are one of them, I truly encourage you to try it. The leaves might seem thick and sturdy at first, but that only makes them more versatile to use (as you also can use them in warm dishes). And when you massage the leaves with some oil, the sturdiness disappears and it becomes smooth as lettuce. I haven’t even mentioned how healthy it is! Kale is in fact one of the most nutrition packed vegetables on earth. So go grab some kale and start cooking!
Today we are sharing two different ways to eat this superfood.
In this first recipe, we have paired kale with two other ingredients that are in season at the moment, carrots and apples. This is a kind of a slaw with sweetness from apples and honey, creaminess from tahini, tang from lemon and crunch from carrots and roasted hazelnuts. It is a delicious lunch full of flavor and texture and if you add some black lentils, it also makes a filling dinner. I’m sure you can tell from David’s photos that this truly is an awesome recipe.
The second recipe is this video where Elsa and I show how to make Kale Chips. It is a quick, easy and a fun way to eat your superfood. Warning to sensitive parents! The following clip contains images of a child stuffing her mouth full of healthy food. You can also read the full recipe over on our youtube channel.
Autumn Kale Slaw
6 stems kale (we mixed purple and green), stemmed and shredded
6 carrots, very finely shredded
2 apples, very finely shredded
1 cup raw hazelnuts (or any nuts or seeds of choice)
Tahini dressing
4 tbsp tahini (sesame paste)
2 tbsp honey, preferable unpasteurized
2 tbsp lemon juice
water to thin
Heat a skillet on medium-low heat. Toast the hazelnuts until the skin has cracked and golden in color. Coarsely chop the nuts. Combine the shredded kale and carrots in a large mixing bowl. Stir together tahini, honey and lemon juice in a small bowl, add water a little by little and stir until desired consistency. Pour the dressing over the kale slaw and combine. Use you hands to massage the leaves, make sure every single kale leaf is covered in dressing. Top with shredded apple and toasted hazelnuts. Ready to serve.
PS – Movie night!
We also wanted to let you know that David, Isac and I we will be in London for some book related events in a couple of weeks. One event that is open for public is a food and film night on Tuesday 23 September at gorgeous Charlotte Street Hotel just north of Soho. We were asked to select a food movie that we both liked and since film is something we don’t often agree on, it took us about two weeks to finally decide on the food blog movie of all times, “Julie & Julia” with the awesome Meryl Streep as Julia Child. You might have seen this movie before, but probably not in a room full of other food bloggers. It should make for some interesting discussions afterwards.
We will be selling and signing books and before the movie starts we will also do a Q&A with the audience, so make sure to bring any questions that you might have. After the film, the chefs at the hotel have prepared a 3-course dinner from our new book that we all will be having together. Isac and I might have to drop off a bit earlier but David has promised to be there all night to chat with all of you and answer any questions that you might have. You can read more about the event here. Book tickets by sending an email to oscar@firmdale.com. A ticket for the full night with dinner is £49. Or £20 if you only want to attend the book signing, watch the film and Q&A. There is a limited amount of tickets, so don’t book too late. We are hoping to see you there! /Luise
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