Weekly Recipe #84: Kale, Bean and Chicken Sausage Stew

By Jeanne Foels, Marketing & Outreach Coordinator

The days of soup are upon us. The chill in the air turns thoughts to comforting, warming food and the kitchen seems cozy and inviting, just the place to watch over a simmering pot of soup. At the same time, the lively pace of autumn, with its new routines and plentiful events, necessitates quick meals for busy evenings.

To launch you into soup season, here's a hearty, fresh-tasting stew that's ridiculously speedy and convenient. This recipe is particularly great for using up big bunches of kale you might have from the garden or farmers market. Kale turns sweeter in cold weather, so it's reaching its top form now in fall.

Kale, Bean and Chicken Sausage Stew
Adapted from a recipe from Real Simple
(Serves 4-6)

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 12-oz. package fully cooked chicken sausage links, sliced
1 cup celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 14.5-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed
1 14.5-oz. can kidney beans, rinsed
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes (you can also use fresh tomatoes, if you have them on hand!)
1 large bunch kale leaves, torn into 2-inch pieces
Salt and black pepper, to taste

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the sausage and celery and cook, stirring once, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.
4. Add the beans, broth and tomatoes (with their liquid) and bring to a boil.
5. Add the kale and salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Serve with a crusty baguette or loaf of country bread.

Hunger Action Month

By Gwen Hill MS, RD, LD

I recently learned that September is Hunger Action Month. Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger relief charity, is encouraging everyone to Speak Out Against Hunger. They created this memorable video “Hungry Kate,” which illustrates the ease in which hunger concerns can settle into households that never expected it.

The video encapsulates an all-too common situation. The breadwinner of the house loses their job, the savings are used up and then the credit cards are maxed out, all while trying to keep life as normal as possible for the kids. Eventually the home is foreclosed upon and the family is in a situation they never imagined they would be in -- where finding the money for food is a daily challenge. And then hunger sets in, causing a decrease in concentration, headaches, bellyaches, moodiness and fear. According to the USDA, 14.9% of Americans are struggling with hunger, showing that this is no small problem in our country.

How can you help combat hunger this month (and beyond)?

• Donate to your local food shelf. 
• Encourage those you know in this situation to apply for SNAP benefits.
• Share the “Hungry Kate” video with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or email. 
• Help people understand that there is more than one way that people end up in a situation where hunger is prominent.

Weekly Recipe #83: Peach Salad with Greens

By Susan Pagani, Communications Director

In our yard, the garden has turned into a rambling mess of tomato plants, peppers and herbs. The basil, in particular, has been very happy in all this sunshine and has grown into a waist-high thicket, fragrant yet daunting. Though we've had some success freezing and drying herbs, we prefer to eat them when they are fresh -- so we've been wacking down leafy branches of the stuff and putting it on everything.

This week, my favorite is a salad of peaches, arugula and basil tossed with a mild vinaigrette. Here in Seward, the co-op is well stocked with sweet Colorado peaches, but the season will be wrapping up soon so now is the time.

This is an easy kind of recipe. If you love basil, add in a bunch; if not, go easy. Basil has a delicate kind of sweetness and its own subtle heat, which in combination with the arugula's nutty, peppery leaves and all the lush sugar the peaches bring is very delicious.

Peach Salad with Greens
(serves 4-6)

1 - 2 peaches, washed and cut into thin sections
One bunch arugula, trimmed
Basil, trimmed and sliced into thin ribbons, to taste (about a cup)

Vinaigrette
3 tbsp. mild olive or canola oil
1 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. honey
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Wash and slice the peaches, and then toss in the basil and arugula.
2. Gently toss with vinaigrette and serve.

Weekly Recipe #82: Amy Boland's Mixed Cauliflower Pickles

Though our friend Amy Boland has been volunteering with us for over a decade, she recently picked up a new trick for chopping cauliflower from Chef Ben in the Open Arms kitchen, proving that there's always more to learn!

Amy shared a video of this technique on her blog, and offered a terrific pickle recipe to accompany it. Check out her blog for this week's recipe>>

Weekly Recipe #81: Pulled Chicken in Cream Gravy Sauce

By Gwen Hill MS, RD, LD

This week’s recipe is another delicious chicken dish from Open Arms Chef Ben Harrelson. Ben loves making home-style food and using herbs to add flavor. This savory, comforting recipe has been added to our menu rotation. It’s a perfect meal for a crisp fall afternoon … which is right around the corner!


Pulled Chicken in Cream Gravy Sauce

1 whole chicken
½ cup half and half
¼ cup flour
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

Chicken:

1. Thaw chicken.
2. Roast chicken in pan in oven at 350 degrees for 1½-2 hours or until internal temperature is 170 degrees.
3. Let chicken cool and pull meat off from carcass. Save drippings and fat.

Cream Gravy Sauce:

1. Heat drippings from pan with the half and half and fresh herbs until it simmers.
2. Create a roux in a separate pan by heating fat and gradually adding flour while constantly whisking. (For those of you who are new to making a roux, check out this article: http://allrecipes.com/howto/making-roux/)
3. Whisk the roux into the drippings mixture and simmer until it’s thick like gravy, about 5 minutes.
4. Mix gravy into the pulled, shredded chicken.

Enjoy with a side of brown rice and seasonal produce!