We
hope that everyone will be able to join us this Thursday, October 9, for our
next delicious Pathfinder Produce market at the Village Commons, between 2 and
5 p.m. Our 21 Paths to Wellness Recipe of the Week will be
featured as part of our celebration of National Down Syndrome Awareness Month.
***
As our gardening
season is winding down, I was wondering if there was a way we could continue to
grow greens for fresh tasting salads during the winter months. Earlier in
the year, I had learned about kale being a cool weather crop--one that our
forbearers would turn to as it grew quickly in the spring and actually improved
in taste with the colder temperatures.
One of my “go
to” websites is Treehugger,
and they recently highlighted a kick-starter campaign for a firm that
manufactures some nifty in-window growing trays. In the video, they show
that by growing kale sprouts, families are able to add concentrated nutrients
to their diets. I would think that someone who is innovative would be
able to grow a similar window garden with readily available and recycled items,
and seeds purchased through any number of internet sources, like Johnny Seeds, High
Mowing Seeds, or even on Amazon. (I think a field trip to Page’s Seeds in Greene, NY, is in order soon …
they have been in the seed business in nearby Chenango County for over 100
years and I’ve always found their seeds to be top notch.)
Another set-up
I’ve found at the website Well
and Good and at Mother
Nature Network, uses hydroponics and pumps nutrient rich water through to
plants growing in what appear to be recycled soda or water bottles arranged in
a vertical layout. A commercially manufactured setup is for sale at windowfarms; a graphic is
provided that gives one a better idea on how the system works.
Another site
that is worth exploring is inhabitat.com,
which if you follow various threads, talks about the vertical hydroponic garden
(powered by solar powered pumps), and other methods of indoor gardening.
The key thing with any indoor garden is to place it where it will receive
adequate sunlight and be warm (south facing windows are best), and to make sure
it won’t damage anything if there are spills or messy plant accidents.
You also need to build time into your schedule to monitor your plants.
This week, as
part of our 21 Paths to Wellness to celebrate National Down Syndrome
Awareness Month, we’ll be preparing a Waldorf Inspired Kale Slaw,
which uses fully matured kale leaves. More kale menu ideas may be found
at Real
Simple (sorry for their excessive pop-up ads), and at the website for National Kale Day (who knew?),
which we missed on October 1. The website and the day celebrate “kale’s
incredible health benefits, highlights kale’s culinary versatility, and promotes
eating, growing and sharing kale throughout America.”
Waldorf Inspired Kale Slaw
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup plain Greek non-fat yogurt
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill
- 2 small cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon agave nectar
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 cups broccoli slaw mix
- 4 cups chopped kale (tightly packed)
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 1/2 cups chopped Gala apples
- To make the dressing: combine Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, dill, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and agave nectar. Mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine broccoli slaw, kale, carrot, celery and apple. Toss dressing over vegetables and mix to combine. Salad can be served right away or stored in the fridge. Salad is best eaten the day it is made.
Until next time,
be well (and enjoy your kale!)
Lori
