Kale Soup & Irish Potato Bread

A quiet return after gasp almost three years away!

This winter Steve & I have had an abundance of kale. Four fields were planted in with it as winter feed for the cows. Though both us & the cows are on our last little section of field- we have eaten it every single day over the winter. Thankfully- we love it. Here's a photo of the cows enjoying it:

This last field is a variety called "hungry gap", so named because it really takes off during March when there is traditionally a gap between winter & spring crops. The new shoots are so tender and delicious! We even make like the cows and eat the stripped stems raw :)

The past few weeks this has been one of our staple meals. One of us will pick a big bunch of kale, then in the soup it goes. Talk about fresh! The more kale you put in, the more green your soup will be. We love it when it's really green- it just looks like spring that way.

The bread, is really what dreams are made of (it's the potato), it's so easy- especially if you start it the night before, and put it in the fridge overnight. It makes a little mess, but is more than worth it. It is spongey and light in the best possible way, with a nice crust on it. Perfect for soup dunking!

KALE SOUP

Ingredients

• Olive oil 1 onion


• 2 cloves of garlic (or 4 wild garlic leaves if available- love these!


• 2 ribs of celery (optional)


• 1 tbs coriander paste (or chopped fresh coriander)


• 1 vegetable stock cube1/2 tin of coconut cream


• 1 1/2 cups of red lentil


• water to cover


• 3 medium sized heads of kale (leaves & stems only)


• salt & pepper to taste

1. Chop your onion, garlic & celery and put them in a large pot on a medium-high heat.


2. Drizzle in olive oil to give a good coating, and stir in your coriander paste.


3. Once the onions and celery has softened a little pour a small amount of water in, just to cover what's in your pot. Put your stock cube in and let sizzle away until your celery is nice and soft.


4. Pour in your lentils and coconut cream. Pour in water so it's just above the lentils in your pot. Stir well and let simmer on medium heat. Keep an eye on it as you may need to add some water. You'll know when your lentils are done because they'll start to look all nice and puffy, but by all means have a taste to check. You want them nice and soft.


5. When the lentils are cooked, put in your kale, pressing the leaves down into the lentils. If your lentil mix looks a bit dry, pour in a little more water so the kale is just covered.


6. Let the kale cook for a couple of minutes- it doesn't need long at all. Then give the whole thing a nice whizz with a food processor stick.

IRISH POTATO BREAD