Kale. Even the word is foreign to me. I grew up in a household where vegetables were of pretty simple varieties – corn, peas, green beans and the occasional zucchini. Brussels spouts were a delicacy and any lettuce other than iceberg was certainly special. I had a feeling there were more vegetables out there, but I couldn’t quite figure out what they were.

I’ve learned a lot since then. For instance, beet greens are not only edible but they really taste good as a bruschetta. And fiddlehead greens have a really unique taste and texture.

In any case, back to the kale. My husband loves Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana soup, so I decided to try making it at home. I searched the internet and found literally dozens of recipes for it. Each had things good and bad about them, so I used them as a guideline and drafted my own. It was received with rave reviews from both my husband and from the much harder to please stepson. It goes without saying that my son loved it.

ABOUT KALE:

Kale is a variety of cabbage. The kale I purchased had curly edged leaves, though there are other varieties with flat leaves and the such. Kale likes cooler weather and is grown widely in North America and Europe.

CHOOSING KALE:

Kale should have firm, deep green leaves that are free from spotting, wilting or discoloration.

STORING KALE:

Kale should be stored in cool places like the refrigerator crisper drawer, while wrapped in a lightly moist paper towel and stored in a plastic bag. It can also be frozen fresh

Zuppa Toscana
Serves 6-8

4 cups water
4 cups chicken broth
3 large potatoes, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 lb. spicy Italian sausage, browned and crumbled
1/2 lb. bacon, browned and crumbled
2 cups kale, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the water, broth, potatoes, garlic, and onion into a pot. Cook over high heat until the potatoes are fork tender.

Stir in the sausage and bacon and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in kale and heavy cream and season with salt and pepper. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.

__________________________________________________________

This is my post for Weekend Herb Blogging. Check out Kalyn’s Kitchen on Sunday for the weekly roundup of interesting herb and veggie related posts.

Someone save me…I am surrounded by nature and the circle of life.

The groundhogs and their babies seem to be spending less time in my garden, thankfully. But these deer living in the woods behind my house are persistent.

I am a recovering fast food addict. There. I’ve said it.

There was a time not too long ago when drive-thrus were a God-send for me. I used them. I abused them. And somehow I maintained a decent weight . . . until I was pregnant.

After pregnancy I vowed to leave my fast food habit behind and eat better. It’s gone pretty well with only a few minor slip-ups so far.

Mexicali Rose in Newtown doesn’t look like much from the outside – just another storefront eatery with a clever sign. Located on Route 25, you can’t let the location fool you though. This isn’t just some hole in the wall.

When you walk in, you are met with a cute assortment of vintage tables and vinyl chairs and interesting decorations on the walls. You order from a small counter at the rear of Mexicali Rose, where a wall menu, chalkboard with specials and a rack with fresh tortilla chips are crammed together.

The authentic Mexican food from the Yucatan Peninsula is freshly prepared and masterfully seasoned. If you like your food authentically hot, then let them know. Mexicali Rose offers simple but delicious dishes served up fast.

The beef fajitas contain well-seasoned and tender meat and crisp-tender peppers and onions. The very fresh salsa is slightly sweet (from the tomatoes) and just a little spicy. And the homemade tortillas practically melt in your mouth. All the flavors come together in a glorious harmony. Mexicali Rose also offers fajitas with chicken or pork.

Mexicali Rose’s guacamole is awesome, definitely get a small container of it to go with whatever you choose.

The soft tacos come on homemade corn tortillas, which aren’t my favorite in general. However Mexicali Rose does their corn tortillas well, so even I liked them. The shredded chicken is moist, which is always a plus.

If you are a cheese lover like me, pay close attention to what you order. Many things on the Mexicali Rose menu come sans cheese including the fajitas and soft tacos. Hard tacos feature cheese though, as do some of the burritos and all of the quesadillas (well, that should go without saying…it is a QUESAdilla, after all).

The prices at Mexicali Rose are average – Most items are around $6. Tacos are the exception, coming in at an inexpensive $1.95. Portions are a good size too, you’ll definitely be full after eating.

If you are planning on take out, they prepare things pretty quickly (our order took about 8 minutes) so it’s okay to just drop in. Tables are available for eating there as well. Next time I’ll be calling ahead though, since there really isn’t much room to wait.

Mexicali Rose is family owned and operated, which is always nice in these days of fast, fast, faster and the ever growing chain restaurant. They are closed Mondays.

I am not a big fan of oatmeal raisin cookies. Really. I rarely touch them. So you can imagine my surprise when that was exactly what I wanted – no craved – last week. It must be the hot weather getting to me…or the medicine for the bronchitis (yes, ladies and gentlemen, I managed to contract bronchitis in the middle of summer).

Whatever the case, I knew any cookie I had needed chocolate too so in went the rest of my dark chocolate cut into chunks. The result? A surprisingly moist and chewy egg-free cookie.

Considering how good oatmeal is for you, and the fact that both oatmeal and chocolate are rich in antioxidants, I thought this would be a good summer entry into Sweetnicks ARF/5-A-Day Tuesdays. Check out her site later tonight for a round of of antioxidant rich foods and veggies too.

M.F.K. Fisher is a legend in the food world. She took food writing beyond the traditional limits and illuminated it, allowing it to be about more than just ingredients and recipes but about the sensual experience of enjoying fine food.

When I found out that there was a new collection of her writings being released – ones from publications like Vogue and the New York Times – I was elated and instantly decided that this week’s Hump Day Horizons at Food Bound would have to center around that. After all, it’s M.F.K. Fisher.

Read all about that book and some other interesting upcoming ones here.

So, I’ve been failing to post for the weekly blogging events for sometime even though I intended to. I really like joining in on the fun for events like ARF/5-A-Day hosted weekly by Sweetnicks, since it challenges me to make something new and different that brings more antioxidants and/or vegetables into our home. Check Sweetnicks later tonight for a round up of great recipes.

This week, on my return post to the event, I made a very simple and flavorful tomato salad using fresh farm market tomatoes and basil from my own garden. I love how the flavors came together for this dish.

This would be a great pairing for a simple grilled chicken or London broil marinated in Italian dressing.

Basil Vinaigrette

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Scant ¼ cup chopped basil leaves
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving or using.

There are bizarre things all around us these days.

Taxes levied on the illegal, and it’s illegal not to pay them. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Connecticut lawmakers are proud of their taxes that are levied on illegal substances like marijuana, heroin and cocaine. I am failing to comprehend their logic here. What drug dealer is going to high tail it in to pay his taxes on a business he isn’t supposed to be doing?

The New York Post lived up to its reputation yesterday with a jaw dropping headline (“Before they put Cheato Lay’s coffin in the grave, CHECK HE’S IN IT”) on the death of former Enron leader Kenneth Lay. Read more here. And also here. I won’t deign to comment on whether I agree or disagree, since we are all about food here.

Finally, one that comes from me. At least in part. A webcam in Madison Square Park tracking the line at a burger joint. Apparently it’s THE burger joint in NYC and people are willing to wait hours for eats from this place.

A good blueberry muffin melts in your mouth. It’s not so sweet that it leaves your teeth craving a good Crest fix, nor is it so dense that you grab for any beverage available to help wash it down. The inside should be as delectable as the muffin top and it should be littered with blueberries in every bite.

What can I say? I have lofty expectations. This extends to everything in my life, from myself to my career to my family. I expect things to meet my perfect ideal and when they don’t it’s devastating. Fortunately, I rarely allow that to happen.

Back to the muffin, I’m hard pressed to locate a bakery or manufacturer who still adheres to these standards in my area. The manufacturers seem to have all bought into the idea that muffins need to be sweetened like a cupcake and dense like a scone. Bakeries around here seem to lose site of the light and fluffy texture that characterizes a good muffin. Muffins are often too large for the portion conscious eater as well.

So I did what I do best: found a recipe that meets my expectations. Hell, I would go so far as to say it exceeds my expectations. It’s from an old standard in my cucina bella, Betty Crocker’s Cookbook. Certainly, not every recipe in the book is top notch. In fact, there are times when I curse myself for still holding onto it as a staple. But for classic recipes like this, it’s golden.

Streusel
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp – 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp butter, firm

Muffin
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a small bowl, prepare the streusel topping by combining the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Next, use two knives crisscrossing to cut the butter into the dry mixture. Continue combining until mixture is crumbly. Set bowl aside.

In a large bowl, prepare the muffin batter by whisking together the milk, oil and egg. Stir in flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Batter should be moistened and will still be lumpy, but it’s supposed to be.

Stir in blueberries.

Use a tablespoon to drop batter into the 12 lined muffin cups, dividing equally. Top with about 1 tbsp of the streusel topping each.

Place the pan into the preheated oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack immediately.