Summer is here (OK, a few more days to go at the writing of this blog post), which means the farmers market on the Lindeman Pavilion patio at Virginia Mason’s Seattle location is back — operating on Mondays so you can get your week’s worth of good food. The new First Hill Pike Place Express at Virginia Mason offers the highest quality food from world-famous Pike Place Market vendors, including Magna Farms, Ellenos Greek Yogurt and Honey Biscuits. Think of it as a small, pop-up version of Pike Place Market.

The improved market is an innovative new partnership between Virginia Mason and Pike Place Market. Both organizations are committed to community health, so the market will accept SNAP (food stamp EBT) cards. When neighbors use their SNAP card, they get twice the value in produce thanks to Seattle’s Fresh Bucks program. The Pike Place information booth will also offers Market Bucks (debit cards accepted for those light on cash), which you can use with any vendor at the Express Market.

The market will be here every Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. until late September. See you on the patio!

And if the sight of fresh fruits and vegetables doesn’t make you hungry for healthy foods, then perhaps we can temp you with recipes from Virginia Mason’s Executive Chef Brian Brooks. Celebrate the beginning of summer with his Pollo Con Crema.

“I really like the flavor of Cholula hot sauce in this dish; it lends a robust acidity without being overly spicy,” says Chef Brian. “I also garnished it with a little chopped fresh cilantro for added flavor and color.”

Pollo Con Crema

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:
1.5 pounds chicken tenders
1.5 cups Low Sodium chicken broth
1.5 cups heavy cream (can sub. Milk)
3 ounces of fat free sour cream
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
8 ounces diced red bell pepper
8 ounces sliced onions
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 ounces roux (equal parts butter and flour)
8 each 6 inch corn tortilla

Preparation:

1. Coat the chicken in oil and season with salt and sear
2. On all sides then add mushrooms, onions and peppers, as well as the garlic and cumin
3. Once slightly caramelized, move to the cold side of the skillet and heat up roux on the hot side, add stock and cook until thickened
4. Then add cream & sour cream – mix the entire dish thoroughly
5. Let simmer until thickened and adjust seasoning as needed
6. Serve with warm tortillas

To trim down the calories, Chef Brian recommends using whole milk instead of cream. “Just make sure you leave ample time – 20 to 30 minutes – to let it further reduce the stock to provide the same rich consistency,” he says.

Kale and radishes at the farmers market.

Chef Jeff is on vacation from the Farmers Market for the next few weeks, but Cynthia Lair, author of “Feeding the Whole Family: Cooking with Whole Foods” was gracious enough to share her Kale and Currant Salad recipe with us. You can find more of her delicious, whole food recipes and cooking demos at cookusinterruptus.com.

Kale is a nutritional powerhouse. The Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI) is a score assigned to whole foods that contain the highest nutrients per calorie. This system was developed by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of “Eat For Health and Eat Right America Nutritarian Handbook.” Each whole food is given a score between zero to 1,000, with 1,000 being the most nutrient dense. Kale, along with collard greens and watercress, received an ANDI score of 1,000, labeling it as one of the most nutrient dense foods you could choose.

Kale is an excellent source of vitamins A, K and C, as well as the mineral manganese, and a good source of fiber, copper, tryptophan, calcium, vitamin B-6 and potassium.

If you can’t view the video above, you may view it here

Massaged Kale and Currant Salad

Makes 6 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup toasted sunflower seeds

1/4 cup diced red onion

1/3 cup dried currants

3/4 cup diced apple

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons unfiltered apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Preparation:

1. De-stem kale by pulling leaves away from the stems. Wash leaves, spin or pat dry. Stack leaves, roll up and cut into thin ribbons (chiffonade).
2. Put kale in a large mixing bowl and add salt. Massage salt into kale with your hands for 2 minutes.
3. To toast sunflower seeds, put in a dry skillet over low to medium heat and stir constantly for a few minutes until they change color and give off a nutty aroma.
4. Stir onion, currants, apple and toasted seeds into kale.
5. Dress with oil and vinegar. Taste for salt and vinegar, adding more if necessary.
6. When at desired flavor, toss in cheese. This salad will keep for several days and still be great!

Nutrition information:
Calories: 188 Fat: 15 grams Protein:  5 grams Carbohydrate: 12 grams Fiber: 3 grams Sodium: 448 mg Cholesterol: 3.6 mg Saturated Fat: 4 grams Monounsaturated Fat: 7 grams Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 grams

Come visit the Farmers Market, sponsored by EnviroMason, this Friday, August 2. Jennifer Buchanan, MS, RD, healthy eating specialist from Whole Foods Market in Roosevelt Square, will be at the Virginia Mason Farmers Market from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. demonstrating how to prepare Zucchini Avocado Walnut Pesto Pasta. Come by and try this delicious dish!