Spring arrives

I love this time of year as everything come to life after winter. On each walk through the neighborhood there is more and more color everywhere, from the freesias exploding in bright, bold yellows, pinks and purples to the pear tree in our yard putting out delicate white flowers. Even my favorite weed, Kenilworth Ivy, is starting to bloom and the Graffiti Cauliflower is starting produce gorgeous purple heads that almost look like flowers.

Unfortunately my Swiss Chard got some sort of caterpillar that has burrowed into almost all the leaves and laid eggs on them too. So I've cut out all the leaves with any sign of caterpillar and sprayed them down with an organic insecticide I found (Safer brand Insect Killing Soap) and hopefully the next bunch of leaves will be caterpillar-free.

There was finally enough kale on all 6 plants to cook and share with some friends and it was great. It was much more tender and a little less bitter than store bought. Here is the recipe I found that used several of the ingredients I typically keep stocked in my pantry:

Pasta With White Beans and Kale

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups uncooked radiatore pasta, (or rigatoni, penne)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 (7-ounce) bottle roasted red bell peppers, drained and diced
12 cups coarsely chopped kale (about 1/2 pound)
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, drained
8 oz crumbled feta
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or red wine vinegar)
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
6 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta in a sieve over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid; set pasta aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sliced bell peppers, and saute 1 minute. Add kale and cannellini beans; cover and cook 5 minutes or until kale is wilted, stirring occasionally. Add cooked pasta, crumbled feta, reserved cooking liquid, 1 tablespoon oil, lemon juice, and pepper, and stir well. Spoon the pasta mixture into serving bowls, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.