Sesame Roasted Kale. Courtesy photo

BY RODNEY MARGISON

For more than eight years, WFIU-FM has provided locally sourced food ideas via its weekly Earth Eats radio show. A new cookbook written by the program’s host, Annie Corrigan, along with program contributor Chef Daniel Orr, allows foodies to keep Earth Eats at their fingertips.

Organized by season, Earth Eats (IU Press) presents recipes alongside tips and stories about food and gardening. The recipes are not only from Chef Orr, but also from a dozen bloggers who contribute to the Earth Eats website. Earth Eats is more than just a cookbook, Corrigan says, “because the show’s not just a cookbook. It’s gardening advice; it’s advice on raising chickens; it’s interviews with local people, interviews with national people who have written books. So, it’s a cookbook, but it’s also a coffee table book.”

Bloom selected three recipes to share from the Spring section of Earth Eats, including Green Goddess Breakfast Juice, No-Bake Rhubarb and Strawberry Tart, and Sesame Roasted Kale.

For more information, visit eartheats.org.

Earth Eats, by Annie Corrigan with Daniel Orr

Sesame Roasted Kale
Vegan
by Daniel Orr

Before we get cooking on this kale creation, cleaning the greens is step one. I find that washing veggies in lukewarm water gets the dirt and grit out better than cold water. You can also add a splash of vinegar to the water if you find little bugs hanging on to your greens.

We are only using the leaves for this dish, but don’t throw the stems into the compost heap. Cut them into rounds and toss them in soups and pasta sauces.

We want to keep the natural color and crunchiness of the kale, so we’re simply wilting it in the pan. Be careful not to overcook it!

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch kale (cleaned with the stems removed and sliced thinly)
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 dashes sesame oil
  • Tamari (to taste)
  • Salt and pepper (to taste)
  • Toasted sesame seeds (garnish)

Heat olive oil in sauté pan. Add garlic and sauté for 10 seconds. Add kale.

Cook kale with cover for 3-5 minutes. Add tamari, salt, and pepper.

Turn off heat. Add dash of sesame oil. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve hot.

Green Goddess Breakfast Juice
Vegan

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup kale
  • 1 cup baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup parsley
  • 1 carrot
  • 1/2 cup pineapple
  • Small piece of ginger
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1/4 cup citrus trio (start with equal parts lemon, lime, and orange juice, but feel free to adjust to your taste)

Start by juicing the dry green ingredients. Juice the ginger, carrot, and pineapple. Finish with the cucumber. Finally, add the citrus trio. Serve over ice and enjoy!

No-Bake Rhubarb and Strawberry Tart

Ingredients:

  • 3 1/2–4 cups rhubarb  (cut into 1/4–1/2 inch pieces)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • Fresh strawberries, quartered
  • Strawberry jam
  • Prepared pastry shells

Cook rhubarb and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat for 15-20 minutes. The rhubarb will cook down and become tender, from a celery-like consistency to more of an apple butter consistency.

Meanwhile, combine strawberries with strawberry jam.

To assemble the tart, spread rhubarb compote into a prebaked puff pastry shell. Top with strawberries.