When ever I run a cooking class or demonstration for my clients at the Port Hope CHC, I always look to see if I can include any vegetables that are in season and available from a local source within the community. I find that if I can incorporate fresh local vegetables that are readily available into my lessons, then clients are much more likely to try these recipes at home. During this time of year, it becomes a little more difficult to highlight local seasonal produce as most gardens have been put to bed for the winter. Over the next few months, I know the reliable root vegetables will be sneaking into quite a few dishes. However, root vegetables were a stand alone theme last week, so in planning for this week, I knew I would need to look elsewhere for variety. I actually did not have to look very far! Even though most gardens are empty, our modest CHC Sharing Garden has one vegetable that is able to keep on giving through the winter months....KALE!

 I have used kale a number of times in cooking classes and demonstrations. It has been sauted with garlic, added to soups, dried into 'chips', chopped finely into a 'kale slaw' and even used for smoothies!

This week, I will be teaching a class all about pasta. My goal is to show
clients how to add flavour and variety to pasta dishes, and to explore some
unique ways on how to include vegetables into these recipes. To highlight the kale, I have decided to try my hand at turning these leafy, sponge like greens into a pesto! Pesto is such a versatile spread. It can be used as the base of a pasta or pizza sauce, added to scrambled eggs, as a condiment on sandwiches, or as the start of a salad dressing.

Kale Walnut Pesto

5 cups fresh kale, torn, ribs removed

¼ cup walnuts

1 clove garlic, peeled (more if desired)

¼ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

Fresh ground pepper to taste

Pinch of salt

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Blanch kale for 3-5 minutes or until kale has wilted and softened. Drain, and squeeze out excess water.

In a small food processor, add all of the ingredients expect for the oil. Blend for a few seconds to roughly mix ingredients together. Add 1 tbsp of oil to the mixture, blend for a few seconds. Add another tbsp of oil, blend again. Repeat until the mixture is smooth and oil has been incorporated. Add 1 tbsp of water if consistency is too thick.

Keep covered in fridge for up to 5 days.

First, what to use – and how to use it!

1. Pick a knife that feels good in your hand. The three knives that you will use most are a paring knife, a serrated (bread) knife, and a French (Chef’s) knife – there is nothing you cannot prepare with these. Of course, some less versatile tools make certain cutting tasks so much easier, so feel free to expand your knife kit to fit your needs. (My guilty pleasures are a vegetable peeler and a melon baller).

2. Keep your knives sharp, clean, and dry – moisture can dull the blade.

3. Hold the knife with your middle, ring, and pinky fingers gripping the handle, and your thumb and index finger pinching the blade.

4. When cutting, keep the tip of your knife on the cutting board and use the back of the blade to cut in a rotating motion. (The tip moves back and forth on the board while the handle moves up and down).

5. The Claw. This is a tricky move that takes practice, but keeps your fingers attached! Hold down the food with the tips of your fingers. Your knuckles should be parallel to the blade in your opposite hand. To prevent the food from slipping as you are cutting it, stick out your thumb and pinky like you are making an imaginary phone call and place them on the cutting board on either side of the food to hold it in place. Gently rest your other three fingers, tips down, on top.

Next, some uncommon tips for common ingredients:

6. Tomatoes – Using a serrated knife to slice through the skin is the best way to not squish the vegetable – but poking the tip of a chef knife into the skin to start it off works well, too! When dicing the edge piece, turn it skin side down; it is much easier to slice through the skin this way, and you avoid squishing the flesh underneath.

7. Citrus – No zester? No problem! Use a veggie peeler to slice off the rind. Before you juice the fruit, roll it – firmly – on the cutting board first to break up the membranes. When the juice starts leaking from the skin, it is ready to go; and if you don’t have a citrus reamer, a pair of tongs or a fork will do the trick.

8. Apples – Instead of frustrating yourself by trying to remove the core with a paring knife, slice the fruit in half and scoop out the core with a melon baller. Bonus: the two halves are much easier to dice now that they are flat on the cutting board.

9. Leafy herbs, like basil – Layer the leaves on top of each other and roll into a tight bunch and slice. 

10. Round things, like onions and potatoes – While slicing the veggie in half and putting the flat side down makes it easier (and safer) to cut, sometimes you want round slices for recipes like onion rings or scalloped potatoes. In this case, slice just ¼ inch off one side of the veggie and put the cut-side down on the board. This will provide stability without making your onion rings into half-moons instead!

By Claire Bowley