iEat Green - Bronx Vegetables - 07/18/12

My guest this week will be Stephen Ritz. Stephen is an acclaimed NYC DOE educator/administrator whose work in the Bronx continues to attract national attention and support. To date, he has grown more than 20,000 pounds of Bronx vegetables with his extended Bronx Family - the youngest certified workforce in America - who operate a profitable, in school, student Farmer Market and routinely install green walls and green roofs across NYC/NYS. ___________ Kale in Garlic and Oil 2 large bunches of kale ¼ cup olive oil ¼ white wine 12 cloves garlic Salt and pepper Method #1 Sautéed Trim off bottom of kale. Cut into large pieces and sauté in oil for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for a few minutes more. Add white wine and salt to taste. Add more oil (or broth or water) if more liquid is needed. Method #2 Blanched Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add cut up kale for 2 minutes. Drain and put in large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. In wok, add chopped cloves of garlic to oil, being careful not to let it burn. Add kale, and mix to cover with oil. May add wine or broth if desired. ____________ Beet, Orange and Black Olive Salad Serves 8 people 6 large Beets (or 10-12 small beets) 6 Oranges 2 cups Baby Spinach 1 cup baby arugula 1 red onion, thinly sliced ½ cup chopped parsley 1 cup pitted black olives, halved ¼ cup walnut oil ¼ cup orange juice ¼ cup red wine vinegar ½ lemon ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper to taste Cover beets with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook until soft (1-2 hours) Cool Cut in half and then into wedges, and place in large bowl. Peel the oranges by cutting off the tops and bottoms, and then cutting down the sides with a sharp knife, following the natural shape of the orange. Remove the segments of oranges with the knife, leaving behind the membrane. Discard the membrane and put the oranges and juice in the bowl with beets Wash and spin-dry the baby spinach and arugula. Add to bowl Squeeze the juice from the lemon over salad. Add remaining ingredients and toss. Add more salt and pepper to taste