Monday, May 9, 2011

Crumble and Kale

Have you checked out Heidi Swanson's latest cookbook, Super Natural Every Day? It is a treat. First of all, the photos are lovely and inspire me to make every recipe in the book. Also, the ingredients she uses are fresh and simple.

When exploring a new cookbook, I usually begin with a sweet and a savory from it. The sweet I chose was the Tutti-Frutti Crumble and it did not disappoint. The poppy seeds are an innovative addition to the crumble topping. I doubled the recipe and baked it in a 9x13 which worked out well. I did not double the sugar, though, since I've been cutting sugar down or out since reading this article. I was drinking sparkling wine while baking so that replaced the Beaujolais wine.

Served with softly whipped cream, the crumble was a hit at the Shabbat dinner we shared with friends.


Tutti-Frutti Crumble from Super Natural Every Day (serves 8)

3/4 cup spelt or whole wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup natural cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup natural cane sugar
1 1/2 cups raspberries
1 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 1/2 cups cherries, pitted
1/4 cup dried currants
1/4 cup Beaujolais wine

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8 inch square baking dish.

To make the crumble, mix together the flour, poppy seeds, oats, sugar and salt in a bowl. Use a fork to stir in the melted butter. Divide the mixture into three portions and use your hands to form three patties. Place the patties in the bowl and freeze for at least 10 minutes, or until ready to bake.

Make the filling by whisking together the cornstarch and sugar in a large bowl. Ad the raspberries, strawberries, cherries and currants and toss until evenly coated. Wait 3 minutes, add the Beaujolais and toss again.

Transfer the filling to the prepared baking dish. Remove the topping from the freezer and crumble it over the filling, making sure you have both big and small pieces.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the topping is deeply golden and the fruit juices are vigorously bubbling. Let cool a little before serving.

Now for the savory! I am a huge fan of kale and always looking for new ways to feed it to my sometimes skeptical family (ask them about my fennel phase...). Heidi Swanson's Kale Salad looked promising since it is basically kale chips tossed with coconut and soy sauce. So simple, yet unique and tasty.

I left out the sesame oil she calls for since one of my family members is not a fan. The result? The whole family chomping kale and saying, "This is the best kale ever!" between bites. Thank you, Heidi!



Kale Salad from Super Natural Every Day (serves 4)

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons shoyu or soy sauce
3 1/2 lightly packed cups chopped kale, stems trimmed and large ribs removed
1 1/2 cups unsweetened large flake coconut
2 cups cooked farro or other whole grain (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, sesame oil and shoyu. Put the kale and coconut in a large bowl and toss well with about two-thirds of the olive oil mixture.

Spread the kale evenly across a baking sheet. Bake for 12-18 minutes, until the coconut is deeply golden brown, tossing once or twice along the way.

Remove from the oven and transer kale mixture to a bowl. Taste. If you feel it needs a bit more dressing, add some and toss. If using farro, place on a serving platter and top with the tossed kale. Serve warm.

2 comments:

  1. This sounds delicious! I am a big fan of coconut and of kale, but never thought of putting the two together. I am going to make this for Sam's homecoming dinner tomorrow. Thanks Hannah!

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  2. @Sharon You're welcome! I hope you all enjoy the salad. Welcome home to Sam!

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