Get to Know...Mung Beans

Mung Beans are one of those food that people generally assume they won't like. To be honest, once cooked, they are not the most appetizing looking, so it is somewhat understandable. Mung Beans have a part in most Asian cuisines where it is used a hundred ways, including in many desserts. Americans have yet to really embrace the Mung Bean, maybe someday their time will come. They certainly are good for you, being beans they are high in protein, carbohydrates, phosphorous, and potassium. 

Surprisingly, the kids at CR like Mung Beans. The teachers, on the other hand, have proven harder to convert. It took a couple a tries to get it right for the kids, turns out you should cook them like lentils.  

At CR the cooking water is seasoned with no-salt stock powder, salt, dried onion, granulated garlic, and some dried oregano. 

Using 2 1/2 cups water to every cup of bean. They are simmered on medium until thoroughly cooked and mushy. Don't be afraid to add more water, just do it a 1/2 cup at a time. 

Once cooked give them a good stirring to mash them up a bit and stir in some Olive Oil. 

Years ago I had a friend whose family owned a Thai restaurant, her mom told me a recipe for mung bean cakes simmered in coconut milk, i can't recommend it enough. 

In a food processor combine 1lb tofu, 1 cup cooked mung beans, 1/2 bunch cilantro, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 TBS ginger, 3 green onions, 1 1/2 TBS cornstarch (although i use arrowroot), 1tsp salt. Process until smooth and taste for salt, then set aside.

Large pot pour 3 cans coconut milk, 1 can water and 2 tsp salt. 1TBS green curry paste can be added also if you like. Turn the burner to medium and bring to a simmer. Once simmering scoop the bean mixture into the broth using a small ice cream scoop, cover the bottom of the pan, try not to overlap. reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes. Spoon the cakes out and serve them over rice. 

How to Prepare...Black Radishes

Radishes have been featured on the blog before, those were smaller more delicate ones. This time it's a about the larger Black Radishes. These radishes came from Lakeside Organics in Watsonville CA. Rich in folic acid and potassium; also good sources of vitamin B6, riboflavin, and magnesium.

These radishes had great taste, unfortunately because of the size they were a little woody and chewy in texture. When that happens the best thing to do is to shred it. Rinse and lightly scrub the radishes. The scrubbing removes the smaller roots. The larger roots can be trimmed with a knife when you cut off the tops and bottoms.  

Cut the pieces to fit into the food processor chute. They can be shredded by hand easily also, but when your doing 25lbs, the machine is your best friend. 

After the radishes are shredded, they are tossed with olive oil, salt and a splash of cider vinegar. Let the radish chill in the fridge for a couple hours,  the salt and vinegar will bring out the sweetness and tenderize the radishes. 

Right before serving sprinkle with parlsey. 

A recipe my mother taught me was for Radish Salad. Shredded radish and carrots, green onions, dijon mustard and mayonnaise. Works great as a side dish or on a sandwich made with toasted bread, sharp cheddar and lettuce. Trust me it's great. 

Get to know...Black Beans

I fairly certain that ChildRoots families are no stranger to the Black Bean. The most common variety is the Black Turtle Bean, in fact there's a good chance that they're the only kind you've ever had. The brand that we use is organic and grown in California. High in protein and a good source of iron and dietary fiber. Black Beans are most common in Latin cuisine, often as a side dish. Spanish explorers brought the beans to Europe, and they slowly migrated to Asia. In Asia Black Beans are often fermented and used more as a flavoring or a sauce. 

It takes over 20 cups of dried Black Beans to feed the kids at CR. They are simmered on the stove for hours;   in the broth is no-salt stock, oregano, granulated garlic, some dried onion and a little salt (Black Beans are naturally high in sodium). 

Black Beans also make great cold salads or salsas. They can also be substituted for Garbanzo beans in a Hummus Recipe, Black Bean Hummus is gaining popularity at CR.  

CR's First Sampling Event.

This past Thursday was our first sampling event. We wanted to share with the parents some of the healthy and hearty snacks that their kids get to enjoy. Hummus, White Bean, Spinach Miso Tofu, and Herbed tofu represented the dips excellently. Carrot Ginger Bars, Flax and Oat Bars, Banana Oat Bars, and Sesame Sunflower Bars prove that baked goods don't have to be loaded with sugar to be loved. Of course it was a success, who doesn't like mingling around snacks?

Recipe packets were available and quickly snapped up. If you missed out on the packet we'll be printing more up this week.

A big thank you to Kitchen Assistant Extraordinaire Breana for manning the table while I was upstairs getting ready for the teacher training day's asian lunch buffet. She also did most of the cooking for the event.

I'm hoping we'll be able to do another sampling event again in the future. We'll keep working on new recipes, we don't want the kids to get bored.

How To Prepare...Rapini

I've wanted to serve Rapini (also know as Broccoli Rabe) at ChildRoots for quite some time. Farmers must have found themselve flush with Rapini recently because for a couple of weeks the price dropped and we were able to give it a try. Rapini, on the surface anyway, seems like a cross between Kale and Broccoli. While Rapini is in the same family as those it is actually a closer relative to the Turnip. The flavor of Rapini is distinct, it has the bitterness of green and a slight nutty flavor. Like it's greeny relatives Rapini is a good source of vitamins A, C, and K. Potassium, Calcium and Iron are also well represented. When shopping for Rapini look for slightly tough leaves, and tender (not soft) blossoms. Don't let some yellowing leaves or bug hole deter you. 

At CR when trying out a new vegetable, I generally go for the simplest preparation. So for Rapini I went the steaming route. As with most leafy greens the first step is soak in cold water for at least ten minute. 

After soaking, swish the bunches around in the water to loosen up any dirt or grit still present from the farm. Take the Rapini out of the water, give it a good shake to get rid of excess water and let drain (in a stainer or something it can stand up in) for a few minutes.

Lay the bunch down a large cutting board. If the bunch is unruly, separate it into a couple of smaller bunches. 

Using a sharp knife slice down the bunch.All but the very ends of stems can be used. Be sure to keep those fingers curled under. 

At CR veggie are steamed for around 20 minutes in our tightly cover steam table. A home one bunch of Rapini would steam in less than five minutes. 

Once steamed the Rapini is tossed with salt and olive oil. 

The Rapini was a resounding success with the kids and teacher alike. I hope that I'll be able to get more soon.

My favorite way to do Rapini is to sauté it with pasta. When doing that blanch the chopped Rapini in the pasta water first (for no more than two minutes), using a slotted spoon to lift the Rapini out of the water and place in a bowl of cold water. Boil the pasta, any kind will do, I recommend angel hair. In a sauté pan (large enough for the veg and pasta) ,on medium, sauté a  chopped clove a garlic with olive oil for a minute, then add the Rapini, about a tsp of salt, and the juice of a lemon (or a splash of white wine). Some red pepper flakes can be added now, if your family likes the spicy. Sauté for another couple of minutes and add the pasta. Keep the pasta moving until it is all mixed and warmed through. Pour in a little cream and toss well, more cream can added if you want it saucier. Place the pasta on a large platter and sprinkle with Parmesan. I've done this recipe using plain unsweetened soymilk and nutritional yeast also, and it works great.