Student Farm intern, Alexa Wilhelm organized a cooking demonstration that emphasized how to utilize fresh herbs in salads and dressings. Recipes covered in the demonstration included a fresh kale summer salad, and delicious dressings to compliment a variety of greens and other vegetables.
Intern, Alexa Wilhelm prepares for the cooking demonstration at the Student Farm. Photo: Carissa Heine
Guests learned about how to harvest and store fresh herbs, and what kinds of flavors they compliment best. Alexa also demonstrated preparation techniques for kale, which includes kneading and chiffonading the leaves. Guests sampled the salads and dressings and had the opportunity to ask home gardening and cooking questions.
Samples of fresh lettuce and dressings. Photo: Carissa Heine
“Monday’s event was a great opportunity to interact with our CSA members and showcase our workspace! We were able to demo several versatile recipes, each employing at least one farm-grown herb, as well as speak to and even learn from attendees. Fostering community and constructing a people-to-people platform for sharing, learning, and building is just as important as planting, cultivating, and harvesting here on the farm,” said Alexa Wilhelm, who is studying the CSA model this summer.
The cloudy weather didn’t keep attendees from enjoying the demonstration and farm site. Photo: Olivia Hort
To top off the evening, guests enjoyed Creamery ice cream, great conversation and tours of the farm! See below for the recipes included as part of this demonstration.
Summer Kale Salad
Ingredients: 1 bunch kale, 1 tsp tahini, 2 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp miso, ½ tsp agave syrup.
Remove large ribs of kale and chiffonade leaves (thinly slice into ribbons. In a bowl, mix kale, tahini, lemon juice and miso. Massage leaves until wilted ~ 4-6 minutes). Add agave and any garnishes. Toss to combine.
Garnish suggestions: Caramelized julienne of red onion, thinly sliced green onion, sunflower kernels.
Creamy Chive Dressing
Ingredients: 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt, 2 tbsp chopped chives, ¼ cup of olive oil, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Combine all ingredients in sealed jar and shake vigorously.
Serving suggestions: Toss with green salad or pour over warm steamed yellow potatoes.
Ginger-Garlic Vinaigrette
Ingredients: 2 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp shredded ginger, 1 tsp dijon mustard, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 6 tbsp olive oil, salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
Mash ginger and salt to paste with flat side of knife. Finely chop garlic. Combine all ingredients in sealed jar. Shake vigorously to combine. Serve at room temperature.
Serving suggestions: over salad greens, grilled or steamed vegetables. This can be kept in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Sweet Maple and Balsamic Dressing
Ingredients: ½ cup of olive oil, 1 ½ tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp of basil (finely chopped), ½ tbsp lemon juice, ½ tsp dry mustard, 1 clove of garlic, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Toss all ingredients into a sealed jar. Shake vigorously.
Serving suggestions: over salad greens, grilled or steamed vegetables.
Keep in fridge for up to 2 weeks.