Vegan MoFo, Day 21 - Garden Fresh
Every year for as long as I can remember, my family has planted a garden. The tradition has expanded somewhat over time from the traditional peas, lettuce, and tomato plants to include things like potatoes, beets, strawberries, zucchini, broccoli, and squash, all in plots that now take up a large chunk of our front and side yards.
For the past few years, we've grown kale.
This started because my brother was a kale fan, and he's largely responsible for the upkeep (and amazing yield) of the garden. I've always been a big fan of spinach, myself, and it took me longer to warm up to the more bitter greens. Over time, though, I've come to appreciate things like chard and kale.
First off, it's pretty. The leaves are an attractive, crinkly shape that makes for a bit of a crunch even when it's cooked, and blanching gives the color a bit of a jewel tone.
Secondly, it's one of those things that everyone probably gets sick of hearing is good for them...but it's true! Kale is chock full of vitamins as well as calcium, making it a good choice as a side dish or an addition to a favorite veggie dish.
I blanched and froze most of this batch, which is how we preserve a lot of our veggies, but I also make sure to leave some raw. I picked myself up a copy of Vegan Yum Yum
yesterday and can't wait to try the Lime Peanut Noodles with Seitan, Kale, and Carrots. Either that or the Crispy Sesame Kale. I hope I left enough for both...
For the past few years, we've grown kale.
This started because my brother was a kale fan, and he's largely responsible for the upkeep (and amazing yield) of the garden. I've always been a big fan of spinach, myself, and it took me longer to warm up to the more bitter greens. Over time, though, I've come to appreciate things like chard and kale.
First off, it's pretty. The leaves are an attractive, crinkly shape that makes for a bit of a crunch even when it's cooked, and blanching gives the color a bit of a jewel tone.
Secondly, it's one of those things that everyone probably gets sick of hearing is good for them...but it's true! Kale is chock full of vitamins as well as calcium, making it a good choice as a side dish or an addition to a favorite veggie dish.
I blanched and froze most of this batch, which is how we preserve a lot of our veggies, but I also make sure to leave some raw. I picked myself up a copy of Vegan Yum Yum
yesterday and can't wait to try the Lime Peanut Noodles with Seitan, Kale, and Carrots. Either that or the Crispy Sesame Kale. I hope I left enough for both...