I got real lucky when I found my current roommate situation in Mocksville. Not only is she really laid back but her Dad has a farm down the road from the house. One of the perks is that we get produce from the farm. Last time Kim went over she asked if I wanted any veggies. I said I would take whatever. Well that ended up being a whole bucket of beets, 8 heads of cabbage, 3 bags of kale, mushrooms and a bunch of onions. SCORE! I made quick work of the cabbage and made a second attempt at making kraut. This time I made sure if was submerge in brine and checked on it daily. But then I went to PA for a long weekend… when I returned the kitchen smelled REALLY funky. I know fermented stuff takes on an odor. When I checked on the kraut there was some colorful blooms of mold growing on the top of the brine (totally normal, just skim the funk off) but then I looked closer and saw a bigger problem. MAGGOTS! Ewww!!!!! Make my skin crawl! Lots of time little while worm things crawling everywhere. I called up my Mom to see if I could salvage the kraut and just skim them off. She said NO WAY! Throw it out. You need to watch kraut EVERYDAY, lesson learned. As I tossed the batch into the compost head I could smell the lovely scent of the sauerkraut from the bottom of the jar that was maggot free. Bummer. Luckily I had some kraut brewing in different jars that had not been affected.
I had to do something with the rest of the produce. I made kale pesto, stuck it into ice cube trays and froze those bad boys for a rainy day. The mushrooms were made into barley risotto Trader Joes style (apparently Nate says it’s one the the best things I have made in the past) and some oven roasted beets. It took me all afternoon to cook up this stuff but I am set for the week. All I need to do is nosh on my prepared meals. No cooking!!!!
Kale Pesto
This recipe is pretty loose. Feel free to add or delete whatever you like to suit your flavors.
Big bunch of kale (stems removed)
5 cloves garlic
½ c. nuts (I used pecans)
½ c. parm
¼ c. EVOO
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
A couple good shakes of crushed red pepper flakes
S&P
Pulse everything in a food processor, slowly add EVOO in while the processor is running.
I had to do something with the rest of the produce. I made kale pesto, stuck it into ice cube trays and froze those bad boys for a rainy day. The mushrooms were made into barley risotto Trader Joes style (apparently Nate says it’s one the the best things I have made in the past) and some oven roasted beets. It took me all afternoon to cook up this stuff but I am set for the week. All I need to do is nosh on my prepared meals. No cooking!!!!
Kale Pesto
This recipe is pretty loose. Feel free to add or delete whatever you like to suit your flavors.
Big bunch of kale (stems removed)
5 cloves garlic
½ c. nuts (I used pecans)
½ c. parm
¼ c. EVOO
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
A couple good shakes of crushed red pepper flakes
S&P
Pulse everything in a food processor, slowly add EVOO in while the processor is running.
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