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Recipe: Ironweed Farm's sesame kale

Ironweed Farm's sesame kale

1/2-pound kale, or any leafy green, fresh or frozen

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

1 onion, diced

1 tablespoon frying oil

1/2 red pepper, diced (hot pepper is good)

1 clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons tamari, or to taste

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon sesame seed oil

• Toast the sesame seeds in a hot, dry skillet; remove and set aside. Wash and chop the kale leaves into bite-sized pieces. Saute the onion in the oil briefly; then add the rest of the ingredients and cook until the kale is well wilted. Adjust seasoning. Good served over somen or chow mein noodles or rice.

Yield: 2 servings.

Italian barley soup

3 pounds paste tomatoes, peeled and diced

11/2 teaspoons salt

1/3 cup barley

4 cups water

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced green pepper

1 cup sliced carrot

1 cup sliced celery

1 tablespoon basil

11/2 teaspoons oregano

1 minced clove garlic

1/2 teaspoon crushed fennel seed

1/4 cup burgundy

• Cook first four ingredients for one hour. Add remaining ingredients and cook at least 30 more minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve.

Yield: 3 quarts.

Red hot sauce

2 quarts (about 12 large tomatoes) chopped and peeled tomatoes

11/2 cups (about 24) chopped and seeded hot red peppers

1 quart vinegar, divided

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon mixed pickling spices

• Combine tomatoes, peppers and 2 cups of the vinegar in a large pot. Cook until soft. Press through a food mill. Add sugar and salt. Tie spices in a bag and add to tomato mixture. Cook 30 minutes or until thick, stirring often. As it thickens, add remaining vinegar. Cook until desired thickness. Put into jars and process in boiling water for

15 minutes.

Yield: about 41/2 pints.

Tomato-eggplant gratin

1 pound or more, eggplant

cooking spray

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons chopped oregano

1/4 teaspoon pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound, or more, tomatoes

1 pound or more, zucchini or summer squash

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice eggplant about 1/4-inch thick. Arrange in a single layer on a lipped cookie sheet coated with cooking spray. Spray eggplant with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt. Bake eggplant about 15 minutes, turning over about halfway through cooking time.

• Arrange 1/2 of eggplant in a 2-quart casserole dish coated with vegetable spray. Arrange 1/2 of tomatoes, sliced about 1/4-inch thick) and 1/2 of zucchini (sliced about 1/4-inch thick) in layers on top of eggplant. Sprinkle with half of oregano, pepper, and garlic. Arrange the rest of the eggplant, tomatoes and zucchini in layers and sprinkle with the rest of the oregano, pepper and garlic.

• Bake covered at 375 degrees for about 1 hour.

• If freezing casserole, let cool, wrap tightly and place in freezer. When ready to use, place covered casserole in a 350-degree oven for about 1 hour, or until heated through and bubbly. Then proceed with recipe.

• Uncover casserole and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake another 10 minutes until cheese is melted and browned.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.