Rain, Cold and Delicious Kale

Last Saturday was the first time that I'd done any kind of cooking at a market in the rain. It was really storming; so much so that many vendors packed up and went home. The 5 quarts of soup I'd made and brought didn't even last 2 hours although the samples were only a few tablespoons. It did add some warmth but I still left cold and wet.

When I got home I couldn't wait to make more soup so I cooked up some Potato Leek soup that was thick and creamy. I used All Red potatoes which are pink inside but still the soup was green. I hoped to see a light pink soup.

I also cooked more kale but this time I used my pressure cooker. I am somewhat of a pressure cooker fanatic. I put the kale leaves in the cooker with a couple of chopped cloves of garlic, half a hot pepper and some salt. I brought it to high pressure for 2 minutes and then quick-released it. It was perhaps the most delicious and tender kale that I have ever had. I am going to repeat this with a bunch of Red Russian kale that I purchased that rainy Saturday and check the results.

I also learned that cold and wet farmers may be more likely to give you deals on their produce rather than have to pack it up in the cold and rain. I got an extra bunch of leeks, a bag of Satsuma mandarins and 33% off a bunch of green onions. I suspect that there may have been other deals but I was too wet to care.