Garden Happenings: October Fest Day, Kale & Chickpea Crunch Bowl + Winter Salad Kit Sign Up
#32: Fall Happenings @ Featherstone Garden
Welcome to Vol. #6 of Featherstone’s Fall Happenings Newsletter. Each week we will share a rotating variety of garden updates: from heirloom seasonal produce features, to veg-ed(ucation) content, farm stand news, plant-centered recipes, community partners, and more. As a subscriber, you will be the first to know all about our Garden Happenings. If you’re not a newsletter subscriber but would like to be, click below to sign up.
Winter (Salad Kit) is Coming! SIGN UP TODAY!
(Hopefully that GoT reference isn’t too outdated)
Our 6-week Winter Salad Kit Sign Up is NOW LIVE!
Starting on November 16th - December 21st, each week our Salad Kit Subscribers will receive a yummy, healthy kit that includes a rotating variety of:
Pickup Tuesdays 1:30-3:30pm
@ the Featherstone Nursery
1021 Manistique St. Detroit, MI 48215
Delivery Tuesdays 4-7pm
You will receive an insulated Featherstone grocery bag the first week of your subscription, please leave the bag out each subsequent week for kit delivery.
Click below to view details & signup on our website:
*Limited delivery radius: MorningSide, East English Village, Grosse Pointe Park, Grosse Pointe, Ferndale, Pleasant Ridge
October Fest Day in Detroit!
Motor City Grounds Crew, founded by one of Featherstone’s owners, Aaron Smith, is hosting an October Fest Day on Saturday, October 23rd from 9am - 4pm in our lovely MorningSide neighborhood. Join us for a day of free fall fun!
Warm Kale & Chickpea Crunch Bowl w/ Avocado and a Poached Egg
By Renee Sandoval
Am I alone in feeling like October is flying by? On Monday, I opened a newsletter that said Christmas was 75 days away, so now it’s 72 days away—making me both giddy and anxious at the same time. I want to savor the days leading up to the holiday season, and cooking warm salads, stews and roasted veggies helps me slow down when everything else seems to be speeding up.
Usually, when developing a new recipe, I start by checking my fridge and cabinets to see what I have on hand. This week in the fridge, I found 1 bunch of kale, half an onion, half an apple, and a single radish that’s been sitting at the bottom of my crisper drawer for quite some time. In the cabinet, a can of chickpeas, many tins of fish, cans of coconut milk, and Asian noodles, (spoiler: I’m not using tinned fish, coconut milk, or Asian noodles in this recipe, but that’s what I’ve got!).
My original thought was to do collard greens cooked down in onion, garlic, tomato paste, and veggie broth—a dish I made for myself last week after a dentist appointment that left my gums tender and sore. I followed a similar approach with this dish, but using kale rather than collards to cut down the cook time, and adding crunchy toppers now that I can chew like a normal person again. I kept the spice combination very approachable (salt, pepper, paprika), but you can easily substitute your favorite spices, like curry and cumin, for instance. The crunchy and vibrant colored toppers can be swapped out with whatever you have on hand. So there you have it, a warming nutritious kale & chickpea bowl that’s sure to brighten your day.
Recipe: Warm Kale + Chickpea Crunch Bowl w/ Avocado and a Poached Egg
Yields: 2-3 servings
Ingredients:
1 bunch of kale, stems removed and leaves chopped or torn
1 (15oz) can chickpeas, drained
2 tablespoons olive or coconut oil
2-3 tablespoons water
1/2 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon pepper (plus more to taste)
1 lemon, juice squeezed (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)
Suggested toppers:
chopped apples
sliced radishes
avocado
poached egg
shaved almonds
Directions:
Step 1
In a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat, add 2 tbsp oil and cook down onion and garlic until translucent and tender (about 6-10 min). Add tomato paste and (optional) red pepper flakes, stirring frequently, until the paste deepens in color (about 3-5 minutes).
Step 2
Once onions and tomato paste are cooked down, add 2-3 tablespoons water, chopped kale, salt, pepper, and paprika. Allow kale to cook down enough so you have room in the pot to add the chickpeas, 5 minutes or so, then pour in your can of drained chickpeas and stir until everything is warmed through. Turn off heat and add lemon juice. Taste, then add more salt, pepper or paprika as needed.
Step 3
Divvy out into individual sized bowls, add your favorite crunchy toppers, like apples, radish, and/or nuts, gently toss to warm them up, then add avocado on top. Add a poached egg for extra protein, or do without to keep it vegan. My preference is to add a poached with a custardy runny yolk.
Making a poached egg: If you’ve never tried a poached egg before, it’s easier than you might think. Heat up a small pot of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add a cap of vinegar (any kind will do—and don’t skip this important step! The vinegar is what helps the egg whites bind together, or coagulate). Carefully crack the egg and place it into a small bowl. Swirl the boiling water with a spoon to create a whirlpool, then pour your egg into the water. Keep heat on medium high, set a timer for 3 minutes for a runny yolk (or longer if you want a less runny yolk), then use a slotted spoon to drain excess water when removing the cooked egg. Place on top of your kale & chickpea bowl, add a pinch of pepper, and enjoy!
Notes to our Stir Fry / Microgreens / Bread & Spread Subscribers:
This week our Culinary Subscribers will be receiving one (or all) of the sustenance below.
All Good Things Must Come to an End.
We hope everyone enjoyed their thoughtfully prepared Fall Stir Fry, Bread & Spread, and Microgreens Culinary Subscription Kits! As we mentioned above, our Winter Salad Culinary Kit & Weekly Microgreens signup is now LIVE on our site(!!), and the first week is launching mid-November. We will also have additional goodies for purchases as the holiday season approaches, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for our upcoming newsletters.
Thanks for reading!
For more about our garden, follow us on instagram (@featherstone.garden), and check out our website. Feel free to email us or comment below with any questions or suggestions. We’d love for you to share our newsletter with a friend by clicking the button below.
Have a great week,
Annie, Aaron, Renee, Jessi, Phoebe + Chili, Pepper & Bean (our farm cats)
