Kale is a hardy, dark leafy green vegetable that will last in salad form longer than a leafy green like romaine or greenleaf lettuce.  It’s hard to see in this photo, but this is a very large rubbermaid bin full of sweet kale ready for the week.  We used 4 bunches of kale and just increased the other ingredients to taste.  Antioxidants, Vitamins A, K and C, folic acid, potassium, magnesium, fiber, etc.

Ingredients

• 1 head Kale, remove stems by tearing leaves off, then chop leaves very small or use scissors to cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 1 garlic clove, pressed/crushed
• 1/2 cup organic raisins

Instructions

1. Put all ingredients in a large bowl. Using clean hands massage all ingredients for five minutes to soften the kale and blend flavors together.

Why should I eat cabbage?  Green cabbage is high in vitamin C and iron which make it a great food for people who suffer with anemia.  Pregnant women also benefit from it’s high foliate content.  Cabbage is rich in beta-carotene and in potassium.   Even little ones love this slaw! Adapted from Moosewood Cookbook

2 1/2 cups finely shredded organic cabbage

1 cup grated organic carrots

1/2 cup diced organic red/green bell pepper (red makes this salad EXTRA beautiful) 

Combine and set aside.

Dressing:

2 TBLS organic extra virgin olive oil

2 TBLS rice vinegar (I used raw apple cider b/c that is what I had)

1 TBL soy sauce (Nama Shoyu or Gluten Free Tamari)

2 tsp brown sugar (one good squirt of honey)

1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger root (or 1/4 tsp dried ginger root)

dash of Tabasco or pepper sauce (we used a 1/2 tsp of cayenne powder)

Wisk together and pour over slaw and toss well.  Let set 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Optional:  1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds mixed in with dressing.

This particular combo is something Jim and I ate while we were in Russia, in between visits with our little ones. Every time I eat it, it reminds me of that special place and special time.  After 3 trips over the big pond, we were home with three lovely children!  This is a large batch – if you have a smaller family, just reduce everything down and enjoy!

Ingredients

• 4-6 organic cucumbers, diced
• 4-6 organic tomatoes, chopped
• 6 TBL. organic, extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp dried dill
• 2 tsp sea salt

Instructions

1. Mix together, chill and enjoy!

This was given to me years ago!  Tried it for the first time for a family party.  I made a huge batch that lasted several days and I didn’t have ginger of any kind on hand and it was still yummy!  I hope you enjoy it, too!  submitted by Lisa H., long time co-op hostess and adapted from Diabetic Cooking)

Ingredients

• 2 C. finely shredded green cabbage
• 1 C. finely shredded red cabbage
• 1 1/2 C. matchstick carrots (or shredded)
• 1/4 C. finely chopped green onions
• 3 Tbsp. lime juice
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger (was out of this, so I used about 1/2 tsp. ground ginger)
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne (optional – I recommend using them!)
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. In large bowl, combine all ingredients. Toss well. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Yum!! 1 batch makes approximately 4, 1 cup servings.

Lovely and easy!  Another raw dish that you can add to almost any meal!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups grated carrots
• Mix together the following items:
• 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small garlic clove
• 1 tbs minced fresh cilantro (we have used up to 2 TBL dried cilantro for more cilantro flavor)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbs fresh lemon juice
• pinch of cayenne

Instructions

1. Place the carrots in a serving bowl and set aside. In a blender, blend the remaining ingredients until smooth.
2. Pour the dressing over the carrots and toss well.

Green Bean Salad with Basil, Apple Cider Vinegar and Parmesan

Easy recipe!

1 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 2 inch long pieces

¼ cup finely chopped onions

2 TBL apple cider vinegar

4 TBL olive oil

¾ cup chopped, fresh basil leaves

¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup of sesame seeds

To taste, add:

Freshly ground black pepper

Sea salt

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the green beans & onions to the water and blanch for about 3-5 minutes.  The beans should be crisp and lightly cooked.

Prepare a large bowl of cold, ice water.  Pour the green beans into the cold water to cool them and stop the cooking process.

Place green beans, onions and all other ingredients in a serving container and toss.

Chill until ready to serve. . .this recipe works great with larger amounts of green beans.

Try adding chopped sundried tomatoes for extra flavor.

If I can get you excited about cabbage, I’ll feel like I have accomplished something very good!  Cabbage is nutrient dense and easy to prepare.  You can make this salad and enjoy eating it over several days.

Ingredients

• 2 C. finely shredded green cabbage
• 1 C. finely shredded red cabbage
• 1 1/2 C. shredded carrots
• 1/4 C. finely chopped green onions or leeks or other onion
• 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. organic sugar or raw local honey
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
• 1/8 tsp. sea salt
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Instructions

1. In large bowl, combine all ingredients. Toss well. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
Spiced Pecans:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup pecan halves

Spinach Salad:
2 teaspoons mustard
¼  onion, minced
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch sugar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (5-ounce) package prewashed baby spinach
1 cup chopped tomatoes

Directions
Pecans: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in all the spices and the pecans. Stir and toast the pecans for about 5 minutes. Transfer them to a dish to cool.

Salad: Whisk together the mustard, onions, and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil in a continuous stream, whisking to emulsify. Season with a pinch of sugar, and salt and pepper, to taste.

Add the spinach to a large serving bowl. Toss the greens with the prepared dressing,  tomatoes and spiced pecans.

Beet Salad is bright red and beautiful!  Beet salad is a hit in our home and is gobbled up by all of our children.  Please give beets a try!

Ingredients

• Steam or boil beets at least 1 bunch of beets  (I slice mine before steaming/boiling into halves or large chunks)  When they cool you can slip the skin off by pressing your fingers against the skin.  The only draw back to beets is that they can be very messy. Work quickly – if they are thoroughly cooked, the skins will slip off easily.  Cut into bite size pieces.
• 1 bunch of beets (prepped as instructed above)
• Slice or finely chop 1/4 onion
• In a bowl add 1/4 cup organic lemon juice,
• ¼ cup or less extra virgin organic olive oil
• 2 pressed cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp of sea salt

Instructions

1. Mix well and pour over beets.  chill.  Serve cold.
2. My friend Christine gave me this recipe and she uses red wine vinegar instead of lemon juice and she also adds feta cheese at the very end.

Hope you enjoy this nutritious dish!