Farmers Market News: Mature kale likes a good massage

The Carlton County Farmers Market is open for the season, and we enjoyed beautiful weather for our first few Saturday morning markets in Cloquet at the Premiere Theatres parking lot. Our Tuesday evening market in Carlton starts June 18. It runs 4-6 p.m. outside the Four Seasons Sports Complex.

Vendors and customers greeted each other like old friends on opening day. We welcomed several new vendors to the Cloquet market. Lori Little will be there a few times a month with her colorful glass art for your home and garden. Darla van Heerde of Pants Mary Apiary has a wide variety of beautiful preserves, including Victorian barbecue sauce made from rhubarb.

The market is a great place to pick up some staples for your week, including eggs, chicken, beef and lamb from Promised Land Farm, and bread and other baked goods from Bread in the Meadow, Snowberry Bakery, and Rodney Lind. Nothing compares to fresh, homebaked bread, and Terry Sharkey of Snowberry even has a variety of gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan options for customers with dietary restrictions. I buy her goodies for the fantastic taste.

There's still time to pick up quality plants at the market to get into your own garden, and market vendors have produce for sale, too. We hope you're in the mood for salad. This being northern Minnesota, "hot crops" such as tomatoes, peppers, and sweet corn won't show up for a month or two, but market vendors do have some lovely greens, microgreens and colorful radishes to brighten and spice up your salads and sautés, with more variety on the way.

Kale is one of the greens vendors will have at the market all season. We all know it is very nutritious, but we don't all know how to prepare this hearty green. One of the most common questions I get about kale at the market is, "Can I just chop it up and add it to my salads?" Baby kale does star in some of our salad mixes, but bunched kale typically is more mature. Your best bet for enjoying it raw is to massage the kale leaves first.

Massaging with olive oil and lemon juice helps to break down the cellulose in the plant, making for easier chewing and digestion. And massaged kale is handy as a make-ahead salad - it will keep in your fridge in an airtight container for several days without getting soggy like lettuce. Here's how to do it:

Massaged Kale Salad

Ingredients:

1 big bunch kale of any variety (2-3 cups)

2 teaspoons olive oil

1-2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon sea salt

Destem the kale by folding each leaf in half lengthwise and ripping out the center rib. Place the kale into a bowl with the other ingredients. Lightly coat your hands with olive oil, then rip the leaves into smaller pieces and massage each piece with your hands. Continue massaging for 2-5 minutes, until the kale softens to your liking and turns a more vibrant green. Add toppings and dressing of your choice; try the sweet tahini drizzle, below.

Sweet Tahini Drizzle

from NutritionStripped.com

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons of tahini

3 tablespoons of filtered water

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

juice of a fresh lemon (about 2 tablespoons)

Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl until thick and creamy.

Catherine Conover is a vendor at the Carlton County Farmers Market. She grows vegetables at Stone's Throw Farm near Wrenshall.