Crunchy Kale

I wanted to add my recipe for Crunchy Kale which was quickly devoured last week. It is SO EASY!

1 bunch curly kale, stems removed and chopped to desired bite size pieces
garlic salt
black pepper
EVOO
optional: balsamic vinegar in a spray bottle

Wash the kale and pat dry with a paper towel. Add a little olive oil to a saute' pan on medium heat. Toss in the kale and sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. (If you are going the balsamic route, you can spritz a few sprays on the kale right in the pan, otherwise you'll have to toss the kale in balsamic prior to cooking - but a little goes a long way. You could use a salad spinner to get the excess off.) Saute' the kale until it is crunchy. It may brown a little, but this is ok, just keep an eye on it. You could also put the pan under the broiler or even bake in the oven, but again you have to keep an eye on it.

-Andi

Soup Night - Northeast Jackson Style

I guess this is really more of Hoosier style (my native land)...but since I got 10 of my soup nazi friends to come to Northeast Jackson...that's a feat in and of itself.


Corn Chowder
adapted from the Better Homes and Garden Cookbook. It's in the "Fast" category, and seemed to be a hit.

Ingredients:
Large bag of frozen sweet corn (28-30 oz.)
1 cup cubed, peeled potato (use the red potatoes and you'll thank me later)
1 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup water
4 teaspoons instant bouillon granules (or four of the packets - good idea to dissolve them first)
pepper to taste (it's up to you how much to use..the recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon)
3 1/2 cups of milk
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour

Directions:
In stock pot, combine frozen corn, potato, onion, water, bouillon and pepper.
Bring to boil; reduce heat.
Cover and simmer about 10 minutes until corn and potatoes are tender. Stir occasionally.
Stir in 3 cups of the milk and the butter.
Combine the remaining milk and flour in a separate bowl, then stir that into the corn mixture.
Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. (about 20 minutes)
Cook and stir, one minute more

Serves 10 people.

(Not sharing my blueberry cobbler recipe just yet.... ;) )

-Dawn

Double Soup Night, part 2

When I went to Scotland in 2007, we ate a lot of soup. My favorite is the Potato Leek Soup we had at the Scone Palace. (that's pronounced "Scoon") The Scots eat a pretty light lunch, usually soup and maybe a sandwich. And they know how to do soup well. So it was pretty difficult finding a recipe that matched that wonderful dish we had on that cold day in Scotland. This is as close as it gets and was awesome! It's a "creamy" soup that has no cream in it... but then again, I used red potatoes instead of all-purpose potatoes, because they have a higher sugar content which makes the soup taste better.

Enjoy.. Dawn

Potato Leek Soup

(Adapted from The Joy of Cooking, 75th Anniversary Edition)

Makes about 8 cups

Melt in a soup pot over low heat:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Add and cook, stirring until tender but not browned, about 20 minutes:

6 medium leeks, chopped

Stir in:

1.25 pounds potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

6 cups chicken broth

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are soft. This takes about 30 minutes. Puree in the blender until smooth. For a finer texture, push through a sieve. Season with salt & pepper if you like.