New York Times' Quick Tomato, White Bean and Kale Soup

We signed up for a Fall CSA from Simpaug Farms in Suffield and we've been using up these beautiful fall vegetables right and left.

With our first batch of kale, which also had some lingering summer tomatoes, onion, and parsley along with it, we made this delicious and nutritious soup from the New York Times.

It includes a melange of veggies - onion, carrot, celery and garlic plus the tomatoes (we chopped a few fresh ones instead of the can this recipe calls for), potatoes and of course, kale. Fresh herbs like parsley, thyme and bay add flavor and white beans add heartiness.   

In addition to sprinkling some Parmesan on it when serving, we threw a big piece of Parmesan rind in it while it simmered, which added some saltiness and flavor. This recipe is bookmarked for sure. We even shared some with Simpaug's farmer Keith and he gave it a thumbs up, too.

Happy harvesting!

February's Go Local Magazine

Go Local Magazine is a local lifestyle magazine showcasing life around the Massachusetts/Connecticut line. Its mission is to improve the community by promoting the region (which includes Stafford Springs, Somers, Enfield and Suffield, CT; and Hampden, East Longmeadow, Longmeadow and Agawam, MA) as a destination to live, play, shop and eat, and to showcase the citizens who make it great. 

One of our recipes is being featured in the current (February 2016) issue. You can get a free copy at many businesses around these towns (go here for a list) or check it out online (here). Find it on page 19!

Kale and Leftovers Soup for Secret Recipe Club

Thank goodness for Secret Recipe Club, because the way this month has been, without it we would hardly have any new blog posts! But belonging to SRC is a commitment, so we had to cook and we had to post, and we're happy about that. In SRC, members are assigned other blogs, and they choose and make a recipe from that blog. This month, we were assigned Kate's Kitchen.

Kate says she lives to eat, and when you check out her list of labels, she utilizes all kinds of ingredients to make all sorts of culinary creations, with her husband Connie as her sous chef and "Chief Taster." We love it! Browsing through Kate's recipes was an amazing trip - from Agave Negro (a delicious-sounding cocktail that is definitely on our to-do list) to Zucchini Ribbons (made with lemon and basil - yum!) - and we had a tough time choosing. But in the end, it was the neighbor's garden that made the decision for us.

Yes, James' Sunflowers and More came through yet again, via a text from Barb asking if we could use some kale. Um, yes, please! It is a super-food, after all! So with kale in hand and in mind, we took another peek at Kate's Kitchen, and found this recipe for Kale and Sausage Soup. And we made it on one of those perfect early-fall days when it was sunny and in the low 60s.

The recipe called for sausage, and by luck, we had two links of Italian sausage left over from a quick sausage, peppers and onions dinner we had made a few days earlier. It didn't call for chicken, but we had some of that left over from a roasted chicken dinner we enjoyed (when we used the carcass and some wilting veggies to make a homemade stock) and thought, why not throw it in? So our version is "Kale and Leftovers Soup," and we loved the results. Here's to a great start to soup season! Thanks, Kate!

Kale and Leftovers Soup

slightly adapted from Kale and Sausage Soup from Kate's Kitchen

1 tablespoon olive oil

4-6 ounces (about 2 links) Italian sausage, removed from casing

2 garlic cloves, minced

3-4 new potatoes, peeled and finely diced

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

5 cups homemade chicken stock (or canned, if necessary)

chili powder, to taste

cumin, to taste

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 cup cooked leftover chicken, diced

2 cups chopped fresh kale

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Crumble sausage and cook in oil until browned. Add minced garlic and diced pototoes, and cook until garlic is fragrant. Add tomatoes and beans, and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add stock and seasonings to taste. Add chicken and cook for at least 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender and meat is warmed through. Add kale and cook an additional 8-10 minutes, until kale is tender. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato and Kale "Souper" Food

We were going to make colcannon. With St. Patrick's Day around the corner, it seemed like a good idea to try something truly Irish. But, no offense to Ireland, mashed potatoes with some onions and greens seemed, well, boring. So we headed in an entirely different direction. We bought one big sweet potato and a head of kale and decided to make a "souper" soup.

What makes it "souper?" That's an easy one to answer. Sweet potatoes and kale are two of the most nutritious foods in the world – packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and dietary fiber. They have health benefits for cancer prevention, anti-inflammatory properties, can lower blood sugar and cholesterol, and are great for digestive health. They are also both high in Vitamin C so they boost the immune system. 

This simple soup was a cinch to make. It has only a handful of ingredients, and could easily be made vegetarian- or even vegan-friendly by using olive oil and vegetable broth instead of butter and chicken broth. It was really tasty and made us feel good about eating these super foods. 

And what about St. Patty's Day? Maybe our "Souper" soup isn't an Irish recipe, but it has the right colors, doesn't it?

Sweet Potato and Kale "Souper" Food

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil, divided
1 large sweet potato, diced (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 cups chicken broth (substitute vegetable broth if you like)
2 1/4 cups water, divided
1 head of kale, chopped (about 6 cups)
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

In a large soup pot, over medium heat, melt one tablespoon of butter. Add the diced sweet potato, chopped onion, salt and pepper. Stir until onions start to soften, then cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add broth and 2 cups of water, then bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender. In a separate pot, add the remaining 1/4 cup of water and tablespoon of butter. Bring to a low boil then add the kale and thyme leaves. Cover and cook for five minutes, stirring once about half way through. Using an immersion blender, blend the sweet potato mixture until smooth. Add the cooked kale and thyme to the sweet potato mixture and stir to combine. Serve hot.