Creamy hummus loaded with crispy kale chips and edible flowers this is a great way to use up your Kale harvest. Perfect for entertaining, served with toasted bread, pitas, or spooned onto a salad wrap.
Loaded Kale Hummus
Ingredients
Hummus
2 cups chopped Kale
1½ cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 1 can)
⅓ cup smooth tahini
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, more to taste
2-3 Roasted garlic cloves
6 tablespoons water, or as needed to blend
Crispy Kale Topping
2 cups chopped Kale
1 TBSP Olive Oil
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp paprika or smokey seasoning
Edible flowers to serve*
Fennel fronds to serve
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Wash and dry off Kale.
Add two cups of chopped Kale (approx 2cm square chunks) to a mixing bowl.
Add 1 TBSP oil and massage into the Kale. Sprinkle on the 1/4 tsp salt and the paprika and stir to combine. Add to a baking tray along with the whole cloves of garlic (unpeeled lightly coat in oil).
Bake until Kale is crispy (10minutes). Check if the garlic is soft and if not remove the kale and cook the garlic for a further few minutes.
Set the crispy kale aside in a bowl.
Add all the hummus ingredients into a mixer or blender including the roasted garlic (remove the peels first). Blitz to combine. Taste and add extra salt or lemon juice if needed.
Pour the hummus into a bowl and load up the crispy Kale chips on top. Sprinkle over edible flowers and optional chilli flakes and serve with warm toasted bread.
Notes
Edible flowers I used are: Onion flowers, pansies, calendula, cornflower, chrysanthemum, and nasturtium.
Toasted nuts and seeds would also be delicious additions.
Simple and so delicious this really is the best Kale salad! Garden-to-plate in a couple of minutes. Kale can be a struggle for many people to like but the curly edges and small dimples are amazing for holding on to flavours. This dressing is so easy and full of flavour it can be used on any of your garden salads.
The Best Kale Salad
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Simple and so delicious! This Kale salad is a staple garden-to-plate recipe.
Ingredients
4 cups chopped Kale (I used the Tuscan Variety)
2 TSBP Nuts or Seeds (Pumpkin and Sunflower)
3 Fresh Calendula Flowers
3 Fresh Nasturtium Flowers
1/4 tsp Salt
1 pinch dried chilli flakes
Salad Dressing
2 TBSP Lemon Juice
1 tsp Olive Oil
1 1/2 tsp Maple Syrup (or Honey)
Instructions
Wash and chop the Kale into 1cm strips. Add to a mixing bowl.
Toast the nuts or seeds in a dry frying pan - medium heat - for 2-3 minutes until slightly golden.
Mix together the dressing and massage into the kale with your hands until fully coated.
Sprinkle the salt, chilli, and calendula petals over the Kale and mix.
Add the salad to a serving dish and sprinkle over the seeds and Nasturtium Petals.
Enjoy!
Notes
Serve with a protein of your choice or pan-fried Haloumi or enjoy it on its own!
Ssubstitute edible flowers for what is available in your garden.
Kale (Brassica oleracea) is a member of the Cabbage family and produces an abundance of leafy greens. The great thing about Kale is that it grows vigorously and is much more pest-resistant than cabbages. Kale is packed with nutrients and antioxidants and can be used raw or cooked similar to lettuce or spinach.
Benefits from regular compost and natural fertilizers.
PESTS
Slaters, slugs, aphids, snails, and green caterpillars/ cabbage moth.
HARVEST
Harvest the outer leaves as the plant grows or cut the mature plant off and allow new growth to form.
REPRODUCE
Kale is Bi-annual so seeds usually form in the summer or second season.
Why Grow Kale?
Kale is a fantastic crop for beginner gardeners or those wanting a low-maintenance edible garden. Kale is hardy and grows well in many different conditions.
Here are some of the many reasons to grow Kale:
Easy to grow
Versatile produce
Low maintenance
Bulk up salads
Nutritious smoothies
Less susceptible to pests
Visual Aesthetics
Supports Immune health
Rich in Vitamin C,K,E
Can be eaten raw or cooked
Popular Kale Varieties
‘Tuscan / Tuscano’ – Heirloom variety. Produces long dark green, palm-like leaves. Popular for flavour and texture.
‘Red Russian’ – Silvery green curly leaves with striking purple veins. Young leaves are good raw and older leaves are better cooked. Great for microgreens.
‘Siberian‘ – Green curly leaves. Mild sweet flavour. Hardy and prolific.
‘Scarlet‘ – Bright purple frilly leaves. Colour deepens with cool weather. Nutritious and ornamental.
When to Plant Kale
Kale is best planted from the end of Summer to Spring. Flavour improves with cool weather. In summer plants can get covered in aphids and caterpillars and the flavour is less palatable.
How to Grow Kale
Plant seeds into seed trays first (young kale is popular with pests) and transplant them in a sunny location once they have 4-5 leaves.
Dig in compost and composted manure to feed the soil.
Kale has shallow roots so add mulch to keep retain moisture and regulate temperature.
Care/ Maintenance
Keep Kale well-watered and keep an eye out for pests.
Pests / Disease
Slugs and snails may eat young seedlings. Older plants can suffer from aphids and green caterpillars, especially in warmer months. Use natural pest management.
How/ When to Harvest
The best time to harvest your Kale is during the coldest months. This is when the flavour is at its best! Harvest a few of the bottom leaves off each plant to allow continuous growth. Towards the end of winter/ early spring, you can cut the Kale plants off just leaving the stalk in the ground. This will reshoot multiple side shoots for a new harvest into Spring.
Reproducing
Kale is biennial so it will go to flower and produce seeds in its second season/ year or if the weather gets too warm. If your Kale does go to flower, wait until the flowers turn into seed pods and once they start to dry and turn brown they can be harvested. Keep the seed pods somewhere warm and dry until they have completely dried out. Pop open the seed pods to reveal the small Kale seeds. Keep your seeds in a dry, dark cool location.
Cooking and Using Kale
Kale can be eaten raw or cooked.
Kale pairs well with: Garlic, onion, chilli, apple, lemon, potato, beetroot, sweet potato, cauliflower, cabbage, tomato, mustard, honey, radish
Kale ideas:
Salads
Smoothies
Quiche
Pie
Curry
Pastries
Stirfry
Pesto
Preserving the Harvest
Kale can be easily preserved to use throughout the year.
Garden toast is something I created one day when I was scraping together something for lunch and all I had was a crust and some cottage cheese in the fridge. I didn’t have any avocado, eggs or anything special to have with it. So I went out into the garden and found some inspiration! I picked two small tomatoes, herbs and edible flowers. It looked like a mini garden on toast and now I can’t stop making these beautiful, tasty creations!
Here are the creations I have made so far..
Original Garden Toast
My first addition with the last piece of bread I had left! I had fun making this and it definitely tasted delicious! Ingredients: Rye Multigrain toast, Cottage Cheese, Fresh tomato, Parsley, Rosemary, Rosemary flowers, Zinnia Petals and Basil leaves.
Fairy Garden Toast
It’s amazing what a little bit of Beetroot juice can do! Natural colouring and plenty of beneficial nutrients with an array of micro herbs and greens. You may even be able to convince your kids to eat more greens with this Fairy Garden toast. Get them involved in the process by having a bowl each to go outside and collect herbs. Ingredients: White Multigrain Toast, Cottage Cheese mixed with beetroot juice or fresh grated Beetroot, Baby Nasturtium leaves, Parsley leaves, Basil leaves, Sweet Violet flowers, Rosemary Flowers, Baby Pink chard leaves, Pink Zinnia Flower petals and Dill Flowers.
Jungle Garden Toast
Packed full of herbs and flavour! Ingredients: Country Grain Toast, Basil Pesto, Orange Nasturtium petals, Tiger Eye Viola Petals, Strawberry Flowers, Parsley leaves, Rosemary Flowers, Pea tendrils, Burgundy Marigold Petals and Purple basil leaves.
Summer Garden Toast
Summer on toast! Homegrown tomatoes are so sweet and delicious and tomato on toast is one of my favourite ways to eat them! Ingredients: Rye Multigrain toast, Red, yellow, orange cherry tomatoes, Purslane, Red basil leaves, Strawberry Flower, Sweet Violet Flower, Dill flowers, Rosemary Flowers, chopped Purple Kale, baby Nasturtium leaves and Fresh Chilli.
Botanical Garden Toast
Pest on toast is so delicious! I made extra pesto and if you follow me on Instagram you would have seen that I ate this for breakfast for an entire week! It was also so good with a poached egg on top. Ingredients: Sourdough toast, Basil pesto, Cottage Cheese, Chopped walnuts, Fresh Chilli, Basil Leaves, Fennel Flowers, Pink and White Dianthus, Baby Pumpkin Tendrils, Parsley Leaves and Strawberry Flowers.
Unicorn Garden Toast
My latest creation and maybe my favourite yet! Purple sweet potato spread is a vibe! Ingredients: Sourdough Toast, Mashed Purple Sweet Potato and Cottage Cheese, Overnight Pickled Red Cabbage and Red Onion (1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, a teaspoon of sugar heated to dissolve. Pour cooled liquid over Cabbage and Onion), Purple Kale, Grilled Baby Eggplant, Purple Pansy, Multicoloured Dianthus, Rosemary Flowers and Red Basil.
Get Inspired by your Garden
There is always something in my garden to make a toast topping and I love how easy and creative it is! Each piece is so unique and full of fresh garden nutrients! Having these ideas tried and tested means I know I can always whip up something even when my fridge is looking very lean.
Get creative and inspired by your own garden. There is something so satisfying about being able to walk outside and make a meal from your own fresh, homegrown veggies. This is a great meal idea for beginner gardeners who don’t have many established edibles. Just look out for baby leaves and edible flowers (make sure you research and clearly identify they are edible). Baby leaves and flowers can add subtle flavours and turn any dish into a work of art!
Be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can see your creations!
Holly 🌱
MY GARDENING ESSENTIALS // Fertiliser spray gun: https://bit.ly/366nL1t Retractable Hose: https://bit.ly/2TSC0Bo More gardening tools: https://bit.ly/32IQmbD
DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my page so I can continue to provide you with free content!
I had homemade Garden Pesto on my (Giant) list of things to try and when I finally did… omg I will never buy pesto again! Quick, easy and so delicious!! Also, you can really just add whatever garden greens and herbs you have growing in your garden. I even use the ones with holes from bugs. Just wash and check there are no bugs before using.
Garden Pesto Recipe
2 cups of greens and herbs. I used Nasturtiums (flowers and leaves), young sweet potato leaves, basil, cauliflower leaves, kale, bokchoy, tatsoi, rainbow chard, and parsley.
1 Small garlic clove
1 cup walnuts
1/4 cup Olive Oil
Splash of water
1TBS Lemon juice
Pinch of salt to season
Wash and quickly blanch the greens in boiling water for 30secs then add into iced water. This will help them keep their vibrant green colour.
Strain off and then blend all ingredients except the nuts until combined.
Then add in the nuts and blitz until mixed or chunky if you prefer. I just have NutriBullet and it’s OK, I just need to stop and mix quite a few times. A mixer would be better. Then place it in a recycled glass jar. I kept mine in the fridge and used it that week. You could freeze smaller portions in IceCube trays for later.
Mix your Garden Pesto with some pasta for a deliciously easy, low-waste meal!
Holly 🌱
MY GARDENING ESSENTIALS // Fertiliser spray gun: https://bit.ly/366nL1t Retractable Hose: https://bit.ly/2TSC0Bo More gardening tools: https://bit.ly/32IQmbD
DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my page so I can continue to provide you with free content!
