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Kale with Caramelized Onions and Barley

August 19, 2014 By marketeditor

Vitamin K(ale)

Kale has become a super star in the health food world. There are T-shirts and bumper stickers encouraging us to eat more kale. There are entire cookbooks for kale recipes and web sites devoted to kale. Indeed it is the superstar of the green leafy vegetables and one of the reasons is because it’s extremely high in vitamin K.

Vitamin K is mostly known for its importance in blood clotting. That’s why people who take blood thinning medication are told to avoid kale. The lesser known functions of vitamin K are the role it plays in bone and heart health. Studies show that a diet high in vitamin K increases bone density and reduces the risk of hip fracture. Vitamin K may also help to prevent calcification of the arteries.

Kale is one of the leafy greens, along with Swiss chard, collards, beet greens and others, that is often referred to as a “cooking” green. They can certainly be eaten raw, especially when young or sold as “baby greens”, but they are generally tougher than spinach and lettuce, so they are much easier to chew when cooked.

The quickest way to cook kale is to boil if for about 5 minutes. Yes, you will lose some vitamins when you boil kale, but there is more than enough, so don’t worry about it. One half cup of boiled kale has over 1000% daily value (DV) vitamin K, 175% DV vitamin A, 45% DV vitamin C and 27% DV manganese.

So try adding kale to your soups, mashed potatoes, pasta sauce and rice pilaf. Or simply saute it in a skillet with a little liquid and top it with a squeeze of lemon juice or balsamic vinegar.

The recipe below can be served as a side dish or a whole meal. This recipe is from the “Farmers’ Market Favorite Recipes” cookbook available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market and Cornell Cooperative Extension in Ballston Spa, as well as other retail outlets.

 

Kale with Caramelized Onions and Barley

8 cups fresh kale leaves*

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

2 small or 1 large onion*, finely chopped

1 cup barley

2¾ cups water

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup feta cheese* (optional)

½ teaspoon black pepper

 

Clean the kale, remove the stems, and tear leaves into small pieces. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Caramelize the onion by sautéing it for five to 10 minutes until golden brown. Add barley, stirring to coat.

Add water, kale and salt; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 25 minutes or until barley is cooked, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in feta cheese, if desired, and black pepper.

Makes 8 servings.

 

Per Serving: 170 calories; 6 g fat (1.5 g sat); 5 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrate; 7 g protein; 6 g fiber; 390 mg sodium. Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (210% daily value), Vitamin C (140% dv), Calcium (15% dv).

Ingredients marked with an asterisk (*) are available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market on High Rock Avenue. For information about food and nutrition contact Diane Whitten at Cornell Cooperative Extension at 885-8995or dwhitten@cornell.edu.

Filed Under: Seasonal Recipes

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Swing by our 3-6pm market tomorrow outside the low Swing by our 3-6pm market tomorrow outside the lower city center parking lot! We have several guests including musician @starlitgeneration, as well as some fun kids activities hosted by our friends from @saratogaspringslibrary. Hope to see you there!!!

Parking available in the City Center Lot, free for the first hour and $1/hr after that. 

#saratogasprings #saratogafarmersmarket #shoplocal #farmtotable #eathealthy #upstateny
Come stop by the Saratoga Farmers’ Market tomor Come stop by the Saratoga Farmers’ Market  tomorrow at the Wilton mall! From 9am-1pm you can find some of your favorite produce and craft vendors before we move over to High Rock Park on June 1st. Talented musician Brendan Dailey will be joining us too. Hope to see you there!

Photo 1 taken by Pattie Garrett @mysaratogakitchentable of one of our friends from @themushroomshopllc 

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After a much anticipated wait, come June 1st, the After a much anticipated wait, come June 1st, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market will be returning to High Rock Park for our Wednesday and Saturday Markets! Thank you to everyone on our team, our vendors, customers and friends who have helped to make this transition happen. Stay tuned for upcoming events celebrating our move! 

Photo: Flowers from @lovinmamafarm 

Parking will be available on High Rock Ave and in the new City Center Parking Garage (free for the first hour and $1/hr after that) 

#saratogasprings #farmersmarket #farmtotable #shoplocal #june1st #highrockpark
It is our second to last market on High Rock Ave b It is our second to last market on High Rock Ave before heading back over to the pavilion on June 1st!!! Stop by tomorrow from 3-6pm for our musical guest Dave Moore and our friends from @bsneny 

Photos by Pattie Garrett @mysaratogakitchentable 

#farmtotable #saratogafarmersmarket #shoplocal #healthyfood #smallbuisness

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