Cherry Tomato Gazpacho- Raw, Fast, Easy and Delicious

If you are like me, than summers aren't exactly easy.  You need to cram family visits, outdoor activity, work, and recovering from the heat into practically everyday.  So you need something, fast, something cooling, something that'll keep in your fridge and something that you can make with allllll those cherry tomatoes we keep getting in our Karma Farm bags :)

This gazpacho can be ready in under 10 minutes, with a food processor, and only requires the most minimal of pre-chopping.  If you are chopping by hand, I recommend a VERY sharp, very large chef knife to speed through the fine dicing...and you will get a chunkier soup, which is totally fine.

This recipe will produce 2 hearty portions, or 4 lunch time portions, depending on when you need the most humidity recovery intervention.


What you'll use from your bag
2 orange peppers
2 spring onions
~ half your cherry tomatoes
red onion (technically from last week, but you may use store-bought)
1-2 cucumbers (this week's or last's)


What else you'll need
2 spring of fresh parsley
1/4 cup cilantro
1 Tbs fresh dill
1/2 lemon
2 radishes
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
2 tsp agave nectar
salt and pepper to taste
Optional: 1 tsp crushed red pepper


First, pre-chop the onion, cucumber and peppers
You can leave the tomatoes, whole, but it's best if no other ingredient has pieces larger than your tomatoes, to ensure a more consistent final texture.

Add all your ingredients to the food processor, for me that just about filled my 14 cup.  Feel free to divide your ingredients in half, or add the tomatoes last, as it will compress very fast as it becomes

chopped.

I usually pulse in counts of 5 until the texture is still a little chunky, but looks completely mixed, with no large chunks of any one vegetable or herb.  This usually takes about 1 minute, and I scrape down the processor bowl with a spatula once or twice and add salt and pepper to taste.

Once it is a nice texture, you may chill it and enjoy it for up to 5 days, or eat it straight out of the processor bowl (which is usually what I end up doing!)

In the picture, my bowl is adorned with raw sprouted watermelon seeds, and if you haven't tried them,  I encourage you too!  The black shell casing is removed, and the sprouted seeds have a wonderful nutty flavor.  You can find pre-sprouted seeds for sale at places like Mom's.

ENJOY!

Baked Kale Chips

Kale chips are outrageously expensive to buy, but once you master the delicate art of the perfect crisp yourself you'll never reach for that plastic tub again.

I've taken the guess work out for you, tried higher and lower temperatures, various oils, and with and without parchment paper, and I can tell you, that these little things really add up.

Also, don't overlook your spice choices, as these will not only enhance your end flavor, but also the dryness of your chip, but also if they stay crisp or go limp after half a day (that is, if they last that long, bc mine seem to disappear within an hour of making them, which is good bc that's really when they are the best to eat anyway).


Makes one full cookie sheet, enough to fill a large cereal bowl when cooked.

What you'll use from your bag:
Kale, stems removed, 2-3 tightly packed cups or ~1/2 this week's haul (I'd do the whole haul,


doubling the recipe)

Pro tip: Wash them as soon as you get them so they are bone dry when you go to bake them!!

What else you'll need:
Refined coconut oil in liquid form, 2 Tbs
Sea Salt, 1 tsp
Ginger Powder, 1/2 tsp
Garlic Powder, 1 tsp
Nutritional Yeast, 2 Tbs
Parchment paper
--and some latex or food prep gloves aren't a terrible idea either

Optional:  For an ethnic twist, add 1 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp turmeric for a middle eastern flavor, or 1 tsp of adobo spice for latin!  And as always, if you like a little heat, 1 tsp of crushed red pepper and 1 tsp of cayenne pepper are never a bad addition!


First, preheat the oven to 275 degrees.  Really.  Don't go higher. 
Going longer at a lower heat will help to dry out the leaf without encouraging it to burn...also, don't overdo the oil, or you'll increase the heat and tip it into blackening.  We are going for paper dry, and the border between dry and crisp and burnt and ashy is a narrow margin.


Put a layer of parchment paper on a cookie sheet, and set aside.



Next, mix the oil and the spices together
In a large bowl, put your prepared kale, and then massage the oil and spice mixture into each leaf,

making sure to cover both sides of each leaf.  Pull any excess oil or spices from each and distribute from leaf to leaf, and then toss them all together in the bowl, and massage by the handful to ensure the leaves soften, and the spices are thoroughly integrated.

Now, arrange the leaves on the sheet 
A single layer is essential as these babies need even air exposure. Unfold the leaves and let them lay flat.

Place the sheet in the middle rack, and flip the leaves over every 8-10 minutes, cooking for appx a total of 25-30 min. If you have some leaves that just won't get dry while the others are nice and crispy, pull out the crisp ones, and turn the heat off in the oven and let the stray ones dry out in a cooling oven for 15 min...or just eat those stragglers bc they're still tasty

Let them cool on the hot sheet for at least 5 minutes before devouring them!  If
you must store them for later, allow them to sit out uncovered for at least 1-2 hours before, and try not to seal them completely, or pack too much in a container, or they may get limp. Definitely do not refrigerate.  They will be good for up to a week if they stay dry.

Sesame Soba with Bok Choi and Chinese Broccoli

Soba is an earthy, traditionally gluten-free noodle, that is packed with anti-oxidant power from things like Manganese, and relatively low in carb while being high in fiber and protein, unlike our typical white refined pastas!

Bok Choi is the star of this show, providing bursts of fresh moisture, soft leaves, and a crunch, amidst the rich and creamy tahini sauce, while the meaty mushrooms satisfy our craving for a hearty bite.  Last but not least, the Chinese Broccoli (which likes to hide in the soba!) compliments these textures, adding a complex and nutrient dense element beneath the surface of the noodles.

Serves 4- Feel free to use all of the Choi from this shipment, or you can reserve some to steam or sauté on it's own with soy sauce, garlic and ginger.

What you'll use from your bag: 
Choi- 1/4 - 1/2 pound, halved with the base cut off
Chinese Broccoli - 1 plant, chopped into 2 inch long pieces
Spring Garlic - 2 stalks, chopped

What else you'll need:
Soba Noodles - 8-9 ounces (I used King Soba's Sweet Potato and Buckwheat)

Shitake Mushrooms - Sliced, fresh 1 8 oz pack, or 1 dry cup rehydrated
Tamari/Soy Sauce - 6 Tbs, 4 for the sautee and 2 reserved for the end
Rice Vinegar - 1 Tbs, in a pinch you may use white wine vinegar
Sesame Oil - 3 Tbs + 1.5 tsp,  may substitute avocado or safflower oil, but sesame is the best flavor
Tahini - 2 Tbs Tahini, one in the sautee, and one reserved for the end
Ginger - 1/2 tsp powder, or 1/2 inch fresh root minced
Vegetable broth - 1/3 cup, mushroom and onion broths especially work well here
Chinese 5 Spice Powder - 1/2 Tbs, in a pinch combine anise/fennel/tarragon, black pepper and cinnamon to a total of 1/2 Tbs to approximate the flavor
Toasted Sesame Seeds - For serving
Cayenne Pepper - 1/2 tsp, optional



First, set the Noodle to Boil:
--12 cups of water, seasoned with salt and 1 tsp of oil. Bring to a boil and then add noodles, and return to boil, 4 minutes. Drain, and toss with 1/2 tsp oil and set aside.

Next, Prep your sautee:

Sautee mixture
4 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar
3 Tablespoons Oil
1 Tablespoon Tahini
1/2 tsp or inch of Ginger
2 stalks Spring garlic, chopped

-- Heat the sautee pan or wok on medium heat. Whisk together the mixture vigorously and add to a hot pan. Once it bubbles at
the edges, add the mushrooms, and stir to coat. 2 minutes.

--Add 1/3 cup vegetable broth, and layer the choi and broccoli atop the liquid and cover, 2 minutes.  Stir mixture, and add 1/2 Tablespoon Chinese 5 Spice powder, and the optional cayenne pepper if desired.

--Once the Choi has wilted, and the broccoli has softened a bit, add in the noodles, another 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, and a tablespoon of tahini.






Garnish with toasted Sesame seeds, and your favorite hot sauce (such as Sriracha) if desired!