Posted on 10.21.11

The Final Lunch-n-Learn: Thoughts on our Locavore Lunch Summer

by Jeff Livorsi

Our final Lunch-n-Learn was a feast where Tim put together an amazing assortment of vegetarian options.

As we wound down our Lunch-n-Learn season we all reflected on everything that we’ve eaten and discussed throughout the summer.

Our final Lunch-n-Learn was a feast. We had a lot of credits left over from the Andersonville Farmers Market, and Tim went out and spent it on what turned out to be another fantastic meal. Tim put together an amazing assortment of vegetarian options. He prepared Kale, Kohlrabi, and Bean Stew, Melted Savoy Cabbage with Whole Grain Mustard and Umeboshi Plums, and Roasted Golden Beets with Puree of Bitter Greens, Balsamic Vinegar, Bleu Cheese, and Walnuts. Needless to say we had a feast.

As always, we purchased most of the ingredients from the Andersonville Farmer’s Market.

Learn: Reflection on our Lunch-n-Learn season

As we wound down our Lunch-n-Learn season we all reflected on everything that we’ve eaten and discussed throughout the summer. We all agreed that we enjoyed everything about our Lunch-n-Learn and that we would love to continue it in some way. The idea of having one of the Mightybytes employees cooking for the whole crew, while we sit down enjoy their fantastic meal, and discuss important issues was pretty awesome.

I always saw it like it was Mightybytes’ version of “Sunday dinner” with the family. It built camaraderie, and brought us all together. And in a summer where I was hired by Mightybytes it made me feel welcome where I was allowed to sit in on these discussions, and enjoy all the great food that was prepared.

It was unanimous that we should continue these Lunch-n-Learns next summer, but most agreed that we’d like to continue in this vein throughout the winter months as well. Our food resource in the Andersonville Farmer’s Market has gone down to only once per month, so we now have to figure out how to keep this tradition alive in the spirit by which it was created. The thing that we all liked most was spending 60-90 minutes every Thursday away from our busy days and sit down, relax, and discuss.

I know for me personally I looked forward to Lunch-n-Learn every week. Maybe as we get into the Fall and Winter months we have some kind of theme with our meals based on the time of year (i.e. halloween, thanksgiving, holiday season, etc). And then we can keep our discussions alive by still being able to sit down once a week as a group. Wherever this winter takes us I hope we still maintain all the positive vibes we’ve gathered this summer with our Lunch-n-Learn series and move forward with it to make it even bigger and better for next summer.

And now for the food:

First, some pics:

And now for some recipes:

Lunch: Kale, Kohlrabi, and Bean Stew

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp olive or grapeseed oil
• 1 large Kohlrabi, chopped into ½” dice
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup white wine
• 3 bunches Kale
• 2-3 medium sized tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups cooked Garbanzo and/or Cannellini Beans
• ½ cup white wine
• 32 oz vegetable stock
• 1 piece Kombu
• 1 tbsp chili-garlic sauce

Cooking Instructions:

Using a Dutch oven, saute the onions and kohlrabi in the olive oil until onions are soft and kohlrabi has started to caramelize.

Meanwhile, finely chop the kale and remove any large stems. Deglaze the pan with white wine and scrape any brown bits up. Add the kale, tomatoes, and beans, stirring regularly. Add the kombu, stock, and chili-garlic sauce. Cover and simmer for 30-60 minutes or until kale is wilted and vegetable are soft (but not mushy).

Serve with cooked quinoa.

Melted Savoy Cabbage with Whole Grain Mustard and Umeboshi Plums

• 1 head Savoy Cabbage, chopped
• 1 granny smith apple, peeled and chopped
• ½ white or yellow onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp Whole Grain Mustard
• 3 Umeboshi Plums, pitted
• ¼ cup rice wine vinegar

Add the following to taste:

• 2-3 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp to ¼ cup arame seaweed
• 1 tsp to 1 tbsp chili-garlic sauce

Put first six ingredients into a crock pot on low and let simmer until volume decreases by about one-third. Stir and add remaining ingredients to find the right balance between salty/sweet/spicy for your personal taste. Continue simmering until cabbage is melted and flavors have blended together.

Roasted Golden Beet Salad

• Roasted Golden Beets
• 2-3 bunches Dandelion greens, arugula, or other bitter greens
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Olive Oil
• Bleu Cheese crumbles
• Walnuts, toasted

The combination of beets with bitter greens, balsamic vinegar, bleu cheese, and toasted walnuts is a real winner. This recipe veers from the standard salad in that the greens are sauteed, drained, then pureed and tossed with the beets, somewhat like the Indian dish saag paneer. The color combination of golden beets and bright green dressing is pretty slick…and tastes good too.

Roast beets in a 400 degree oven for about an hour or until they are soft. Remove from pan and immediately place in a paper bag for 10 minutes. Run under cold water to remove skins. When cool, chop beets into bite-sized pieces.

Saute greens and minced garlic in olive oil until they are soft but still retain their color. Run under cold water or shock in an ice water bath, then drain thoroughly. Puree in a food processor, adding olive oil to facilitate blending.

When greens are thoroughly blended, toss beets with greens puree and drizzle with balsamic vinegar to taste. Top with bleu cheese crumbles and toasted walnuts, then serve it up!