Red is the new Green; Stalks are the new Kale…. I am loving the new Fall food trends, not just because a few of my favorite items have made the list, but also, between us, I loathe Kale. There, I said it. I don’t like Kale and have never once made a Kale Chip or a Kale Salad. Do you still love me? But I do love broccoli and am twirling in my apron at the the news that broccoli stalks are trending. Yes, there are a few things on the list that I am trying to wrap my taste buds around, but I’m willing to give them a go and see if I can embrace all 5 trends with gusto.
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Dulse. You might have seen Dulse making an appearance on your summer salads; it’s a red seaweed that grows on rocks and is a perfect for adding to a salty finish dish, Fall soup, and roasted salad dish. The beauty with Dulse is that you can eat it fresh or dried. It comes in a ready pack dried and when you add it to any liquid it offers the most amazing salty finish. On the plus side, it is vibrant and makes the color of your dish pop, just look at the deep red in the photo above.
Rooibos Tea. Earthy, mellow and mild, it makes a great compliment to stews, or you can go wild and mix up a fabulous fall cocktail with it like I did with my Sparkling Rooibos Tea Cocktail. As a teenager, I would drink it hot, milky and sweet in South Africa. And as a decaffeinated blend, it is light enough to tuck you in to bed on a cold night.
Teff. Most people are just getting used to using Quinoa, but Teff is quickly making news in food blogs everywhere. I first tried Teff when I was North Africa years ago and loved the sweetness if offers; its hearty, almost earthy and like Quinoa, it is a great substitution for rice. Teff is harvested in Ethiopia and is Gluten Free, rich in fiber and packed full of iron. If you’ve used Teff flour, you will love the grain. Fun fact: Did you know that Teff is the worlds smallest grain (use that at your next trivia night, the crowd will love you).
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Broccoli Stalks. It seems that every farm to table restraint across the US is filling up their menu with some variation of this wonder vegetable. I first tried stalks while living in China: braised in ginger on a bed of steaming hot sticky rice and my world vision changed forever. There is no end to what you can do with stalks: pan fry them in butter toss in a few strips of bacon and feast on the glory; bake them with your next mac and cheese casserole; add them to soups; toss them in a batter and fry them; or be a purist and steam them as a tender side dish.
Ramen Noodles. Step away from the instant noodles, traditional Raman is nothing like the 40 cent college version, and has emerged as the super star of the new food trend. Unlike the instant kind, they are silky, heavy and add a great full-bodied flavor to any dish that calls for a pasta of some kind. I love adding them to soups because they absorb all the flavor of the broth, especially if you cook them directly in the broth. What’s more, they are really inexpensive and take 4 minutes to cook.
