Super Foods: Massaged Kale Salad

I have long been a fan of this hearty green, now regarded as a 'super food'. Known for its explosive levels of Vitamin A, C, K, and considerable amounts of cooper, manganese and fiber, kale is the total package. Kale can also boast that it is a strong anti-inflammatory, which for you older and sickly folks is pretty much all you should be eating. But all that aside, how does it taste?

I feel like every time I offer someone kale, they have a horror story of its bitterness and lack luster flavor. I'm sorry for those of you scared by a misguided chef who didn't know what to make of this wonderful green, but please, I beg you to reconsider writing it off! Kale is a hearty and bossy cooking green but is not a one trick pony! This recipe highlights the delicate and rich flavor that kale has to offer, but unlike your usual salad green, kale needs a but more TLC. In order to break down kales firmness it requires a lemon-salt massage. This may seem like a hassle but with all the benefits gained from raw kale, it seems like a pretty fair trade. Kale, which comes in many forms such as curly (pictured above), dinosaur, or red Russian, can stand up to bold flavors of this zesty dressing or a Caesar. Play around with with kale and get your daily values of vitamins! 

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Michael's Christmas Coconut Macaroons

This article comes from my second father, Michael Lynch. A retired pastry chef, Michael always prepares the most wonderfully delicious morsels for the holidays. His coconut macarron recipe is one of the best and one of my favorites. Bon appetit! 

If it’s Christmas, It must be Macaroons

BY MICHAEL LYNCH

Macaroons have become for me, my wife and daughters, an annual drumbeat, a marker of the season, smaller than a breadbox, more reliable than the weather, small jewels that we never tire of. Of course I speak of the incomparable Coconut Macaroon. 

Having recently brought forth a batch of 6 dozen for my companies Christmas cookie exchange, I posted some photos on Facebook and immediately received 4 requests for recipes! And two requests for samples!! 

 

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DIY: Sprouts

Crunchy and nutrient sprouts are a great addition to any meal. Anything from sandwichs to salads, sprouts add a delightful crisp that pairs well with just about everything. My only problem with the infant plants is the outrageous prices they sell them for at the grocery stores, not to mention the premium for the organic varieties. However as anyone who has experimented with raw dieting will tell you, sprouts are one of the easiest do-it-yourself projects out there! In one of my favorite raw cook books by Lori Baird, The Complete Book of Raw Food, I learned the secrets to sprouting at home. With a few simple tools and some of your favorite vegetable seeds, youre on your way to eating crunchy, cheap and organic sprouts! 

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Local Cranberry Popovers


I recently had the pleasure of journeying north to the great state of Maine. My hosts were laboring on their land preparing for the extraordinary winter and I had the delicious kitchen all to myself. Before migrating north I had discovered that cranberries are actually native to our hemisphere and grown on masses in vacationland. When I went into the nearby town of Belegrade I was not disappointed that they had the glowing gems, 2 pounds for a dollar! I scurried home and decided to make these simple cranberry popovers. Once again, the puff pastry made the process ridiculously painless, and would work with any or all fruit fillings if you don't have fresh cranberries on hand. Was a big hit and tastes like fall!
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Heirloom Apple and Pear Crisp

On cold fall nights there is nothing better than a warm and seasonal treat. Our farm share has been bursting with local apples and pears and this simple recipe lets the fruits own natural sweetness shine through. To me the simple combination of apples and pear compliment each other so well and as a Chef once told me, "what grows together goes together"; I find that this rings true in this seasonal simple crisp. Now this recipe was loosely inspired around one of my favorite french desserts, an Apple Tarte Tartin, but since I did not have any puff pastry at the time, this recipe became much more of a crisp since I ended up useing oatmeal and brown sugar as a crust & topping. I also insist that the only way to serve this dessert should be vanilla ice cream or ice cream!
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