Our local farmer’s market has opened back up for summer here in Gadsden, Alabama and shopping there this past Friday reminded me of my many trips to the Pazar’s of Istanbul only on a much smaller scale. Not only did I buy lots of fresh veggies, I also bought an “old” variety of Hydrangea that I still have not planted. I bought two different kinds of heirloom tomatoes, a couple of cayenne peppers and some gorgeous Tuscan Kale from Tobe’s Tailgate Produce. The Tuscan Kale was perfect for making my Kiymali Toskanalı Mangir Otu ve Sarimsakli Yogurt – Tuscan Kale ala Turka with Garlic Yogurt. I also bought some Habanero Peach Jam from Cyndye that I used to make an awesome salad dressing for the salad I made with the tomatoes and cucumbers. That recipe will be coming soon. I also bought Peaches and Cream Corn and some more tomatoes and cucumbers from another vendor. I also used some of the Kale to make a Lentil Soup with Tuscan Kale and Mini-meatballs that is also coming in a future post. It was amazing. This is a quick and easy recipe that is yummy and good for you also. Afiyet olsun!
- ½ pound ground beef (with a little fat)
- 2 pounds fresh Tuscan Kale, roughly cut into ribbons
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup rice (rinsed and drained)
- 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 4+ cups water
- To taste Salt & pepper
- 8 ounces Yogurt
- 2-3 Cloves Garlic
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- Saute the chopped onion in the olive oil.
- Add the ground beef and cook till no longer pink.
- Add the tomato paste, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 cup of water (you can add more if it is too thick), and the kale.
- Lower heat to medium and cover.
- Once the kale has wilted down ( a couple of minutes) add the rice and the remaining 3 Cups of water and cook 20 minutes.
- Taste the broth and adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
- In the mean time, smash 2-3 cloves of garlic and a dash of salt in a mortar and pestle.
- Add to the yogurt and stir well.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- When the Kale is cooked, serve piping hot, topped with garlic yogurt and a nice crusty bread for dipping all the delicious juices. Afiyet olsun!
