Do you know what a broccoli or cauliflower plant looks like before the head arrives at your farmers’ market or store?  Did you know that this plant has the most beautiful leaves?  And the best yet, they are edible and nutritious too? According to Nutrition Data, raw broccoli leaves are a

“good source of Protein, Thiamin, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium, Iron and Selenium, and a very good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Manganese.“

Whenever someone comes to visit who has not seen my ever expansive (growing with abandon) garden,  When it comes to my garden, I am a proud cock rooster who struts around the garden.  I often  stiff arm people who come to visit to have a look see at the Emerald City.  Everyone indulges me (and most could careless) and take the trip outside or views the garden from one of my window.

What struck me upon one of my daily admiring trip, was my brother in law’s question when  I was showing him  the blueberry patch intermingled with broccoli and cauliflower  this year.  As I pointed out one of the broccoli plants  that had just died due to the freezing weather, he exclaimed with amazement the following:

“Do they really get this big in one season?”

Why did his comment strike me?  So, many people have no idea how their food is grown or how does it get to the grocery store.   They don’t get to see the pleasures of seeing those beautiful leaves or the yellow flowers that appear when the broccoli starts to bolt.  Nor, do they see after you cut the main broccoli that it continues to create little broccoli heads throughout the season.

When have you ever seen in a grocery store a broccoli or cauliflower with most of its leaves attached?  Do you ever see broccoli with or without leaves in your farmers market?

So, what about those amazing leaves?  What do you do with them?  I ate part of one raw which was not the brightest idea in the world.    I guess since I am still alive and can still do stupid things, then they can’t be poisonous.  Plus, they tasted pretty good raw.

Just to note, not all leaves can be eaten.  Tomato plant leaves are poisonous.  So, don’t be stupid like me and check first before you take a bite out of any plant.

I have this insane thought that most parts of a plant can be used for something.  So when I don’t know something, I use twitter and ask my gardening followers.   Some people told me they treat the leaves like kale and steam them. Or treat them like how you would cook any greens.

Finally, after searching the internet trying different search terms, I found a roasted cauliflower recipe by Mei Li at Eat. Drink. Better.

We adapted it as follows:

Ingredients:

Use any leaves:  Cauliflower, Broccoli, Kale or any green:

Soy Sauce to drizzle over the leaves.  (We use organic Tamari, wheat free sauce low sodium instead of Soy Sauce)

Scallions

Four cloves of garlic.

Sesame Oil or Olive Oil (Mei Lei uses both.)  We only used the Sesame  Oil.

Salt and Pepper to taste

What To Do:

1. Pre-heat the oven at 200 °C/400°F .  (I usually cook on convection since I find that food cooks better.  If  you have a convection oven, adjust the temperature accordingly.)
2. Wash the cauliflower and leaves and cut into bite-size pieces, and  then discarding the toughest outer layer of leaves. (Preferably into the composter!)
3. Smash a few cloves of garlic and chop them coarsely. Chop some scallions as well.   The whole scallion, not just the white part.  (I cheat and use already cut up garlic which is 2 cloves per teaspoon.)  Note, you can omit the scallions if you don’t want them or don’t have them.  This dish tasted the same to me with or without them.
4. Toss the garlic, onions, and cauliflower with a generous splash of soy sauce and oil in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Note, we omit the salt.   (I used a Pyrex  9 by 11 pan and just filled it up with the leaves.  If you have to many leaves make another batch.)
5. Place the uncovered roasting pan in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the green leaves are crisp and both the florets and the thicker stalks are tender and can be pierced easily with a fork.  (Change the time if you are using a convection oven.

This recipe is amazing.  I have used both broccoli and cauliflower leaves.  I bet you can just use the leaves by themselves and just cut back on the amount of garlic if you want.  I love garlic so the more the merrier. Don’t worry if you overcook the leaves.  I love them crispy.  It is so simply and so quick.

Here are some other recipes that I found:

Garlicky Rolled Broccoli Leaves/Collard Leaves from TaylOrganic CSA

Beef and Broccoli Leaves from Home-Cooking Rocks

Tubetti Rigate with Long Cooked Broccoli Leaves & Pecorino from Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA).

Cauliflower Leaves Three Ways (Indian style fare) by Jugalbundi.

Cooking Cauliflower Leaves Photo Essay by Mariquita Farms (stir fry.)

Cauliflower Leaf and Stalk Soup with Parcels of Arzua Ullola Cheese and Fresh Oregano by Samurai Viking Cuisine

Baked Kale Chips by Allrecipes.  (Tried this with sunflower leaves.  Better to use Kale or other Greens.  Sunflower leaves were tough.)

Next time you are at the farmers market, ask them to give you the greens when you purchase a cauliflower or broccoli.  I guarantee you will be thanking me later.

Do you have any recipes to add?  Link away.

Photo attribution:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/22748341@N00/ / CC BY 2.0

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It occurred to me the other day that we are starting a new decade.  One of those “duh” moments.  But when I stopped to think about the last decade with its turmoil from 9/11 to our almost collapse of the economy, I can only wish that we are ushering in a new year full of hope.  Hope in our humanity.

We are definitely on a greener path with a focus on retrofitting our older buildings in a more energy efficient way.  Demanding that our personal care products be safe.  Returning to the ways of our grandparents in growing our own food.  Being mindful of our own impact on the environment by reducing our plastic consumption and recycling more.  But,  I ask can we do a better job?

The answer is yes.  We can always do a better job starting with ourselves.  So, what are my own goals for next year?

To create more messes.

Okay.  That goal may seem a little odd with my personality since I picture myself as a sort of control freak, neatnik, and organizing fiend.   So, what does it mean to create more messes?

Pictured above is my dirty sink of muffin pans, utensils, and the like from baking up a storm.  Part of my mission for going green was to grow my own food.  Each year, I have expanded my garden to include new beds of different vegetables.  But at the end of the growing season, what do you do with all the produce?  Cook, can, store and eat.

I am not one to simply steam, boil, and brew.  Instead, I scourer the internet in search of interesting recipes for parsnips, squash, pumpkin (given to me by my neighbor), tomatoes, and the like.  One of my finds is the Gluten free Goddess website full of mouth watering recipes that are not only healthy but gluten free.  You haven’t lived until you have baked with sorghum or quinoa flour.

So what’s baking in the kitchen?  Tonight was pumpkin corn muffins in which I substituted my squash for the pumpkin,  roasted vegetable chowder which included my parsnips, and corn muffins which if my sons like them, will be a home to my own, soon to be milled, corn flour.  (Just got an attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer to mill flour.)  As I page through countless recipes, I murmur to myself, I could grow that.  I could grow that too.

So, readers, I urge you to consider growing a garden, albeit even a small one. Consider growing herbs in a container or perhaps tomatoes and peppers.  Whatever your heart desires. Food tastes so much different when you pluck it from the vine rather than throw it in your cart at the grocery store.

If gardening is impossible or you just dislike the whole idea, consider buying from your local farmer or joining a co-op to bring fresh produce into your house.

So, readers, what are your favorite recipe websites? (If it is yours, you can boast!)

Reduce my Clutter.

Pig Latin for consume less.  Now that it is cold outside, I have turned my attention to my poor house which has remained neglected during those long summer months.  The other day, I saw that I had doubles and triples of the same item!

Remember last year, when I gave you the 30 day challenge to clean up the clutter.  Well, sadly, I preached well but could not get through my own clutter.   It can get very overwhelming.  This year, I vowed to break up my rooms in little pieces and concentrate on fixing what needs to be fixed and purging what needs to be purged.   But with purging  with the not buying motto.  Don’t buy what you don’t need.

Make my passion more visible.

I urge everyone to step back before the new year and examine their life.  Are you happy?  A simple question but a complex one as well.

So, are you happy?  What would your life look like if you were happy or fulfilled?

Are you wondering how being happy is green?  Well, consider this.  How many people are overweight, on medication for depression, or ill from their lifestyle?  Simply walking more, eating better, and enjoying life’s simplest moments can lead you to  better health.  You reduce your own footprint by being healthy. (Less pills to be manufactured.  Less miles traveled to the doctor.  You get the picture.)

But being passionate about something in your life and letting others see that passion elevates you to a new level.

So, readers, I ask you what makes you light up?  For me, I am passionate about gardening (duh) and teaching others to live a greener lifestyle.  But what would make me more fulfilled?  To know that my message is being heard and that the mission of Green Talk, ie. the conversation, is taking place on the website between  my readers and me. My growth comes from you, readers. Green Talk is simply the conduit to the discussion.

I know.  Green Talk suffers from ADD because I am passionate about so many green facets it is hard to pin down what the website is about.  There are green building websites, less plastic websites, and websites that review green products.

Green Talk, on the other hand, is a mish mash of articles dealing with  green building, recycling and reuse, nontoxic chemical products, gardening, passionate green businesses, and general green living just to name a few. Whew, that was a mouthful. (For those of you who spotted my plastic in the sink.  Guilty.  But I reuse those bags over and over again.)  I told you I love every facet of being green.

So, I have promised Green Talk  (my youngest child) that this year I will make it easier for my readers to search for their green interest by redesigning the site.  (Any suggestions are welcome.)

Help me this year to find out how my message can be best heard.

So, readers

• What are your New Year resolutions, green or otherwise?

• How can you make next year a greener year for you and your family?

• What would you like to see in the coming decade?

Wishing all of you a healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year full of peace and joy. Right now all I wish is to clean up those dirty dishes and go to bed!

This post is part of the Green Moms’ Carnival on Green New Year Resolutions being hosted by Katy at Nontoxic Kids.

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Photo by Matthew Moore.

Sorry to be so melodramatic, but I wanted to catch your attention.  I know Thanksgiving is food and football.  It happens to be one of my most favorite holidays. I absolutely love sweet potatoes, turkey, cranberry sauce, and all the trimmings. So whats the problem?  When I ask for Aunt Millie to pass the sweet potatoes,  she might as well pass me some pesticide on the side. According to the Pesticide Action Network website, “What’s on my Food,”

“Sweet potatoes, a traditional holiday favorite, tested positive for 14 different pesticide residues-6 of them neurotoxins.”

Okay, so I won’t eat the sweet potatoes…so  pass the cranberry sauce…couldn’t live without this mouth watering topping.  Why are the PAN people shaking their head no? …. And flashing a big card that reads,

“6 suspected hormone disruptors were found on cranberries.  These chemicals were linked to cancer, obesity & developmental disorders.”

Well, that’s it. I just lost my appetite.  Especially when I realized that I would be devouring pesticides rather than the comfort foods I loved.   Worse yet, 88 million pounds of pesticides are applied to our food each year, which equates to about three pounds a person.  So, I guess we are made up of pesticides, not water, as I had previously thought.

Time and time again I have heard from people, isn’t the government watching over us?  And I shake my head with disbelief and usually say “nope.”  On the PAN website, was the below footnoted quote that sum it all up.

“Since the Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.) regulates most chemicals on a chemical-by-chemical basis, the combined and cumulative effects of a mixture of pesticides are nearly impossible for them to address – and so they usually don’t. ^1″

Now the wake up call from PAN. Cumulative effects of pesticide exposure can lead to cancer, developmental and neurological disorders, reproductive and hormonal system disruptions just to name a few. Pregnant women and children are at greater risk .

In a Chicago Tribune article it was reported that Professor Alex Lu’s study that found  organophosphates, or OPs, consistently in the systems of Seattle-area children ages 3 to 11 who ate non-organic diets.   However, when the children were switched to organic diets for five days, the pesticide levels became undetectable. The article further states,

“The professor acknowledged the importance of fresh produce in a young diet but is concerned that conventional produce consumption translates too easily into the presence of OPs in these developing systems. He advises against giving children conventionally farmed produce from any items on the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen,” which is culled from FDA and USDA test results. Other produce on that list are strawberries, apples, nectarines, cherries, lettuce, bell peppers, celery, pears, kale, imported grapes and carrots”

And how about the farmers  and their workers who face the greatest exposure to pesticides?  According to PAN,

“Occupational exposure to pesticides in acute cases range from dizziness and nausea to death; chronic exposures are linked to the same array of diseases listed above plus a few more listed below.

Some of the illness related to pesticides on farm were acute poisonings, allergic asthma in farm women, childhood leukemia, Organophosphates health effects, and Parkinson’s Disease.  And you thought the government was watching out for you.

PAN further states,  there are pesticide residues on organic foods as well since the pesticide can arrive at farms via the air, water or dust. However, the residues are far less than on its conventional food counterparts. The Chicago Tribune independently tested California organic peaches and locally grown peaches and found that

“Of the 50 compounds the Tribune had tested for, one showed up on the organic peaches and three or fewer pesticides were detected on the Michigan and Illinois peaches”.

I know. You are saying to yourself.  Thanks for ruining my Thanksgiving, Anna. Do you think I would be just a doom and gloomer without some hope?   With every dark cloud, comes a silver lining.  Here is what you can do:

• If you can afford it, buy organic.
• If not, the Environmental Working Group has created a  dirty dozen fruits and vegetable which are laden with pesticides. (See here for a list.) Avoid buying these dozen fruits and vegetables unless you can buy organic.  Check out their iPhone Shopper’s Guide as well.
• Get involved and receive updates from PAN, take action through PAN’s action alerts, and spread the word.



• Have a blog? Post a banner on your site. See the one above.
• Download the new iPhone app which provides you with comprehensive list of food with  information about the type and how dangerous the particular pesticides are in the foods.
• Check the site for pesticide information for a variety of foods  (almonds to frozen winter squash).
• Buy locally after you have a conversation with the farmer as to his or her pesticide use.  What more information about a particular pesticide, see here. (The same information is on the iPhone app.)

This Thanksgiving count as one of your blessing these hard working groups (PAN and EWG) who have made it possible for us to be more informed about the foods we eat.  Being informed is the smartest way to leading a healthier lifestyle.

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By the time I was done reading about a food, I would be running to my computer to find a source to grow the plant.  However in Amaranth’s case, I saw the plant and it was love at first site.  I jumped in with both feet without any knowledge of how to grow it, harvest it or store it.  Love will do that to you. (For those of you who just want to know how to cook with it, cut to the chase, and read my cooking article here.)

Now that I have enticed you  with the above picture, don’t you want to know how to grow it?  I bought the seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and waited with bated breath for the little seedling to develop into a plant.  (Some I planted inside and others I sowed right into the soil.)  From the very beginning, it has tinges of reddish/purple or perhaps deep magenta.  As it grew through the season, it formed a plant that resembled a peacock with a beautiful plume on top.  My friends would gasp when they saw it.  Even its leaves tasted like an earthly spinach.  The insect nibbled on it a little but nothing drastic. Drought and heat tolerant. A Garden girl’s dream! I found a plant that was worth its weight in gold.

Some of the stalk grew to about five feet tall while others seem to top out at six feet tall.  As they grew, the thick stalks needed support especially as Fall arrived with its gusty winds.

One of the limbs fell off of the plants and I took it inside to dry it out like a herb.  I had no idea where were the seeds. In a frantic panic, I googled “how to harvest Amaranth” and found the Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute, a nonprofit agriculture education and research center in Columbia, Missouri.  In addition, they help farmers to grow alternative  crops such as Amaranth, Buckwheat, and Canola.  After reading their Amaranth page  on their website, I knew I was in trouble.  I had no idea how I was going to harvest this grain. I did not have a platform grain head, whatever that is.  All I had was my two hands…and my husband to unwillingly help me. (My kids seem to disappear whenever they hear I need them for the garden.)

Catherine, a horticulture specialist  fom the Jefferson Agricultural Institute told me to harvest the grains a week after a hard frost. (See update below about harvesting.) In my area, October 15 is supposed to be the magical hard frost day.  Nothing happened that I was aware of.  (Believe me it could have happened and I had no idea. Life works that way.)

A few weeks go by and no hard frost.  (So I thought.)  I called Catherine again and asked what to do since I did not believe my area had a hard frost yet. The only thing that died was my eggplants.   My squashes were still producing.  She replied that they had a hard frost in Missouri.  And then I realize it. I probably missed it.  She then proceeded to explain how I had to thrash the plants to remove the seed and then blow away the chafe.  Thresh the seeds? What have I gotten myself into?

I used an old window screen and literally threshed the heads against the screen.  The seeds fell into the storage bin.  (Threshing is alot more fun than I thought.  Hate your boss.  Thresh an Amaranth plant.  Husband piss you off, thresh an Amaranth plant…  In fact,  my friends wanted to line up to thresh the heads for me. )

Did I create a mess?  You betcha. The seeds and flowers went all over the room.  So, I was sweeping them up and then dumping them through the screen.

I kept the flowers that fell off and put them in the above bowl.  I have no idea what I am going to do with them.  Another friend suggested scenting them with an essential oil and use them as potpourri or putting them in glass bowls with other metallic balls for a holiday look.  Martha, any ideas?

As for the Amaranth that dried, Catherine told me that it would be difficult to extract the seeds once the flowers had dried.  I tried rubbing the dried flowers between my hands and yielded some seeds.  I fared better when I rubbed the flowers against the screen.

With all this effort, I probably garnered about 3 cups of seeds for ten plants.

What about the plume?  They are still beautiful and are in a flower arrangement in my living room.  I will see if they drop their blooms overs the winter.  My best advice is don’t play with them too much, since they shed all over the place.  Arrange them and admire them from afar.

What will I do with my Amaranth?  I probably will mill it with a grain attachment for my Kitchen Aid Mixer.  Maybe make that chocolate cake I mentioned in my amaranth cooking article.  (My mouth is already watering…)  Who knows.

Will I grow Amaranth again?  Absolutely.  And next years conquest… Buckwheat too…

Now that you have grown it, how do you cook with it?  No fear.  Check out my cooking Amaranth post here.

1/6/2009:  Catherine emailed me after reading my story to clarify when you should harvest the seed. She wrote,

“I did not advise you correctly about threshing the seeds after the seed head was dried.  It is best to thresh the seed heads once you have dried them after harvesting them after a frost.  If you harvest them long after the seed heads have dried in the field  you run the risk of seed shattering where most of the seeds have already fallen out.”

As I noted above, I left the amaranth plants out in the field too long but was able to thresh the seeds heads.  I will take her advice next year.

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A Young Amaranth Plant

This year I decided to plant Amaranth, a highly nutritious grain.  I saw its ornamental cousin last year and flipped at how beautiful this plant was.  My husband tells me that I grow to grow.  It does not matter if I intend to eat it.  I enjoy the pleasures of watching a plant grow into its splendor until he hands me the scissors and tells me to cut it.  This always pains me.  Amaranth is one of those plants that you hate to cut down since its purplish/magenta plumes are just breath-taking.   You don’t have to plant it to enjoy the benefits of Amaranth.

What is Amaranth? It  was called the grains of the gods. The Aztecs used Amaranth in their rituals until its use was outlawed by the Spaniards who sought to convert the Aztecs to Christianity.  According to the USDA plant database, Amaranth is related to Pigweed, and is really an herb not a true grain.  But what makes it so special is it is a gluten free product and higher in protein than other grains.

“One cup of raw amaranth contains 28.1 grams of protein. Oats are a close second with 26.3 grams of protein. In comparison, 1 cup of raw white rice contains 13.1 grams of protein,” according to Terri Gruss, author of “10 Reasons to Use Amaranth in your Gluten Free recipes.”

Gruss extols the benefits of Amaranth in her article.  It  is lower in carbohydrates and higher in fiber than other grains;  high in lysine and other essential vitamins, and contains  more digestible proteins than other grains. In addition, it is higher in fiber than other grains.
So, why not substitute Amaranth for all of your other grains in baking?  Gruss explains the end product would become too dense.  Instead, substitute up to  1/3rd of the flour  used. (Want a treat? Check out this recipe:  Amaranth, Quinoa, and Dark Chocolate Cake.)

Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/orphanjones/ / CC BY 2.0

Amaranth can be popped like popcorn.  Due to the size of the grain, the end product will look more like a puff cereal.  For more information on how to “puff” them, see here. To simply cook the grain, see here. How about  Amaranth Grits or Amaranth with Spinach, and tomato mushroom sauce? Sounds good.  Note, the Amaranth leaves taste just like an Earthy spinach.  The younger the leaves the better tasting.  I tried both and did not see much difference.

To buy products containing Amaranth,

• Nu-World Amaranth

• Home Grown Harvest

Are you  a gardener and want to grow these beauties..I thought so.  Check out my next post on how to grow these beauties.

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It is funny. I used to plan meals around what my children ate (which is basically hamburger meat and potatoes).  One night was tacos, other night was hamburger, and perhaps a third night was spaghetti. I was only “allowed” to serve chicken once a week.  Fish, forget about it.  Vegetarian? Not in this man cave house.  Can you spell, “boring” with a capital B? Not too appetizing either.

I have to admit. I don’t love cooking but like to read recipes.  My favorite recipes are ones that use exotic or unusual ingredients. I love root vegetables and could roast them to the cows come home.  Beans are one my favorites.  Give me a lentil soup and I am happy.

In the last three years, my garden has expanded three fold to add squash, lettuce, tomatoes, pepper, watermelon, corn, beans (lentils included!) just to name a few.  In the past, I have frozen my produce as it has ripen.  Some is still in my freezer from last year!  This year, I vowed that as the veggies ripen, I will cook them straight from the vine. I realize that not everything can be eaten at once but I would love to enjoy it right off the vine, so to speak.

One plant that keeps on giving is my Russian Red Kale plant.  You give it a haircut and it rewards you with more locks.  In fact it is a biannual so it flowers the following year and blesses you the following year thereafter with more baby Kales.  Everywhere… no lie.   The plant you see above is really four different plants.

I happen to love how plant grows and have trouble cutting them.  Never fear.  Scissor welding husband to the rescue. The other night, he gave my Kale the haircut of its life.  So, what do I do with all that Kale?  It is too hot to make soup.

Checking out my dogged eared beloved recipe book,  I remembered by old favorite, stuffed cabbage, and thereupon adapted to use Kale instead of cabbage.  I grew up eating “prakas” which is Yiddish for stuffed cabbage. My grandmother used to make it.  Odd for a kid, but I loved the taste of cabbage and still do.  My kids deplore the taste.  I thought they might like the  Russian Red Kale since it does not have a strong taste like cabbage.

What is stuffed cabbage?  It is hamburger wrapped up in a cabbage leave and cooked in a tomato based sauce.  You can make this vegetarian as well.  See a recipe here. I use hamburger meat because of my kids.  You know the ones that don’t get bored of hamburger? I adapted the recipe from one of my beloved cookbooks, “Jewish Cooking Made Slim,” which is a compilation of different recipes which are not necessarily Jewish cuisine but however could be used in a kosher home.

Just a little trip down memory lane, I have had this book ever since I was married and have used many recipes in it. My mother bought it for me since I had absolutely no clue how to cook.  I was given pans as a wedding gift and could only make one chicken dish. It is dogged ear and worn from trying so many of the recipes in it.  If you can get a used copy, I would recommend it.

Back to the cabbage recipe:  According to the original recipe, you put the cabbage in the freezer overnight in lieu of boiling it to soften the leaves.   Since Kale is so nimble, I did not need to  use the freezer and just use the leaf seen above.  I tend to pick large leaves since you can put more “meat” in the middle to make into a roll.

Here are the ingredients:
About 20 Kale leaves since they varied in size.
2.5 pounds of hamburger
2 eggs well beaten
2 tablespoons of dehydrated onions
1 tablespoon raw rice
Up to  1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 cup of ketchup
2/3rd cup of vinegar
1 tablespoon of brown sugar (I used 1 tablespoon Agave instead.)
Sugar, substitute  to equal 1/2 cup of brown sugar.  (I used 1/2 cup of Agave instead)
1 medium onion sliced. (I diced them so my kids would not realize the meat had onions in it.)
1 can of tomatoes  (1 lb).

Mix the hamburger with the eggs, dehydrated onions, raw rice, salt, and pepper.   Take a large spoon and plop some meat right into the middle and then fold the leaf on top of the meat.

Then fold the sides of the leaf over the meat as if you are making an envelope.

When you turn it over, it should look like a purse. I put a toothpick in the center to hold it together.  (Does anyone have a greener way?)

Then, I place it in a large pot with its seam towards the bottom. According to the recipe, they suggest using a 3 quart pot. I just use my largest pot.  Continue adding to the pot until all the meat is gone. (See the picture at the beginning of the Article. Note, the red string you see is a chain that I attach to my camera.)

In another pot combine the ketchup, vinegar, agave, raisins and onions.  Drain the tomatoes and reserve the liquid.  Chop up the tomatoes in a food processor and add to the pot.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes.  Add the sauce to the cabbage rolls and simmer for 2 hours. (I served the Kale rolls at this point since everyone was hungry.  However, the recipe continues.)

Transfer cabbage rolls to a 3 quart casserole dish.  Pour the sauce to a gravy separator and allow to stand for 20 minutes.  Pour off accumulated fat, if you have a gravy separator, or if not skim off the fat with a  spoon.  Then pour the remaining sauce over the rolls as well as the reserved tomato liquid.  You can either cover them and refrigerate them up to 1 hour before serving.  Then cook them at 350 for 30-60 minutes.

The above picture is a plate full of stuffed kale. The rolls actually look better than the picture. I realized I had not taken a picture of the rolls and my son’s second helping plate was my last opportunity to capture what the Kale rolls looked like. Yes, a second helping plate already full of tomato sauce. If I had to redo my tinkering with the recipe, I think I would have put in less Agave.  Maybe more like a 1/3rd cup.  Agave is sweeter than sugar. No one seemed to mind except me.

I served it with millet, which I toasted.  (Very similar to rice) The sauce was very tangy and went well with the millet.  You can easily use potatoes which goes really well with the rolls.  In addition, I made a broccoli/pea/snap bean dish with citrus dressing.    (Cut the broccoli that day too.)

My kids’ verdict? Did they eat the kale?  Some did.  They sure like the hamburger. No surprise there…

Readers, what recipe have you made around your garden? If you have an article from your website which lists the recipe, link it here.

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• Join the Tomato Sauce Challenge!
• Help! Beautiful Yellow Worms Devouring my Dill Plants
• Greening the Tomato Sauce Process
• Roasted Cauliflower or Broccoli Leaves. Nutritious and Delicious
• Experimenting with Eating Sunflower Leaves

Photo by permission of Shira Gal

2009 is going to be an amazing green year. My bones can feel it and they are never wrong.  In the green mail box this week is an eclectic mix of topics ranging from the old stand-by of green building articles, kiddies’ green TV to greening your business’ IT (information technology) Department.  Remember, to add your own favorite Green article, which can include you own, to the mix. (Self promoting is okay.) All I ask is that you provide a short summary of the article so Green Talk readers can decide if they want to read it.

 Mail Time….

 USGBC Opens Door To Ending FSC’s Green Wood Monopoly via Builder.  Under the current LEED system, points are given for the use of FSC certified wood.  Although the article is written in August, 2008, I thought it was interesting that the USGBC was seeking comments to expand wood certification to other agencies.  FSC has always been known as the gold standard despite grumblings amongst the timber industry.

 What Is Green IT? Part 1: Cutting Emissions and Energy Use Enterprise-wide and Part 2 What Is Green IT? Part 2: Converging with the Shadow Network via Energy Priorities. According to Part 1 of the articles, data centers in companies consume the most energy per square foot than any other part of an office building.  Instead of solely focusing on the amount of energy used for lighting, read both part one and two of the above articles to  turn your attention to  reducing your companies true energy hog, the IT center.

 Nickelodeon’s Big Green Help.  The Nickelodeon’s entertaining website is chalk full of daily green messages, videos, and quizzes to help our children get their green groove on.  We all know that kids love to play video games.  Have them head on over to play LeBron James’ video to teach kids to “curb the car” and use their bikes instead.

 ”Duke Wants to Rent Rooftops for Solar Power” via Greener Buildings Staff (Greenbiz.com).  This is my favorite of article on the list.  Duke Energy is seeking approval to lease commercial and residential roofs to install solar panels for a cleaner creation of energy.  All utility companies should take notice of what Duke Energy is doing.

 ”Can you super insulate that house, please?” via CNET’s Green Tech. Super insulating your house is not a new concept but CNET’s article brought the concept into the mainstream consciousness of insulating your house from the outside as well as inside.  What about the cost, you might be thinking.  Read on.

“Dell: Apple’s Green Claims “Are Not Accurate“  via GreenerComputing.com. Dell is screaming hog wash about Apple’s green claims.  Not only do companies have to worry about the consumers screaming greenwashing, they have to worry about their competitors as well. The motto? Keep it honest, boys and girls.

 ”Vegawatt plugs in grease-fired restaurant generator ” via CNET’s GreenTech.  Restaurants can now use their own oil to power up part of their electricity with a Vegawatt system by Owl Power Systems.  With a monthly lease payment of $435 a month, a restaurant using the machine found that it cut its monthly utility bill by $800.  Talk about burning the midnight oil.

Which article is your favorite this week and why?  Do you have a favorite green article that you read this week?  Even if it is yours, let Green Talk readers know.

Similar Posts:

• Be Creative, Use Your Power Tools For Cooking
• The Green Buzz for week of September 8, 2009
• Home Depot BP Solar Partnership. No Installation Deals here.
• You’ve Got Green Mail, Dec 7, 2008 Round-Up
• You’ve Got Green Mail, January 18, 2009 Round-up

Use your power tools to create one delicious, creative dinner.  Huh?  No, I am not sipping a little of the sauce. Ask Duke DesRochers, the creative chef/handy man behind his Renaissance Man video (see above) as his entry to become the Next Food Network Star. Think Emeril Lagasse of Green Planet/Bob Villa with a little of bit of Jerry Seinfeld thrown in serving you a fixed table with a carrot spindle as part of the presentation.

Duke is Lorelle VanFossen’s cousin of Lorelle on Wordpress fame (one of the blogs I follow).   Taking something you have to create something new is right up there in my book as being environmentally friendly.   Even if you can’t connect the dots on cooking and power tools, this is pretty darn creative.

Before you go run for your dusty old power tools, Duke warns wear protective eye ware and CLEAN your power tools well.  If you think Duke’s turning a potato into a cup topped with a sauce is pure genius, put a comment under his video at the Food Network site or view his video there.   Just think what he can do to an apple. Duke, perhaps a table?

Just think what a hit you will be at your next family gathering if you create some power drill master pieces?  Your family will never complain about your food again.  Priceless…

So, Readers, have you used something at your home that was a little unusual like Duke’s use of tools to help him cook?

Similar Posts:

• “You’ve Got Green Mail” January 4, 2008 Round-up
• Greening the Tomato Sauce Process
• Join the Tomato Sauce Challenge!
• Gore’s Message to Repower America
• Can Eating Your Food Cold Reduce the Energy Crisis?