About Town: Austin | Belle Vie Farm & Kitchen Recipe: Portuguese Migas Salad

On the 40-acre Belle Vie Farm and Kitchen, located just north of Elgin, Texas, ducks, geese, turkeys, and now pigs peacefully share the good life with humans Aubrey and Perrine Noelke with a sweet cherub of a baby girl, and another baby on the way. They are dedicated to humane, sustainable farming practises and feed only certified organic GMO free grain. They never chemically treat constantly rotating pastures. Read more about 2 of my favorite Central Texas farmers at Edible Austin.

The offerings from their kitchen, which expand deliciously and often, are available for sale at the Texas Farmers' Markets at Lakeline and Mueller, Antonelli's Cheese Shop, and for purchase directly.

Recently, I had the pleasure of working with one of their newest sausages, lively-spiced turkey chorizo with the full flavor you'd expect of chorizo, but with less fat....and perhaps less unknown.

It is a pleasure to cook with assurance the products from trusted folks and farms, like the vendors with which I have the honor to work and cook at Texas Farmers' Markets.

Portuguese Migas Salad with Belle Vie Farm Turkey Chorizo

Yield: 4 entrée-sized salads 

Chorizo, a highly-spiced sausage found in Mexican and Spanish cuisines, is a perfect choice for those who aren't quite ready to take the meatless plunge, yet would like to reduce their consumption of animal fats. a little goes a long, flavorful way. 

Portuguese and Spanish Migas are different from the Tex-Mex Migas we traditionally enjoy for breakfast in the Southwest. The word migas means crumbs. Tex-Mex cuisine takes the tortilla chip route. Portuguese and Spanish cuisines follow a more literal route of bread crumbs-- fried bread crumbs, more specifically. The slight crunch stands up nobly to the textures and flavors of this hearty salad, high in fiber and chock-ful of vitamins and minerals, and ready in around 30 minutes for busy weeknights.

1 pkg Belle Vie Turkey Chorizo

1 cup stock or water

½ c chopped spring onion

2T chopped green garlic

2 bunches lacinato kale, chopped

1 can black beans, rinsed, drained

Migas (see below)

Dressing (see below)

In a medium skillet, gently braise chorizo, onion, and garlic, turning chorizo frequently to cook through, but remain in casings. When firm, browned, and cooked to an internal temperature of 150°. Remove sausages and cool until easily handled. Slice and reserve.

Add kale to simmering stock and toss well to coat, heating until slightly wilted. Remove to serving platter.

Add black beans to skillet; reduce heat to medium low, stirring frequently to warm through, about 3 minutes. Mound atop kale on platter. Top with chorizo.

Add a few drizzles of dressing and top with toasted migas, both below.

Dressing:

Juice of one grapefruit

Juice of 2 limes

1t cumin

2T chopped cilantro

1 avocado, diced

Combine all ingredients in a blender and whirl together on low until well blended. Correct seasonings, adding a touch of honey if a little sweetness is desired.

Migas:

Day old baguette, crumbled

1T extra virgin olive oil

Warm olive oil in a medium high sauce pan until shimmering. Add bread crumbs, tossing to coat and toast until golden. Remove to paper toweling to absorb excess oil. 

NOTE: If you're observing a gluten-free diet, try a gluten-free bread for the migas. If you skip the bread altogether, well, it's not migas. But it wouldn't be bad........

Vendor Sources: 
Belle Vie Farm & Kitchen
Johnson's Backyard Garden

If you're looking for a little inspiration for the seasonal selection from your market haul and find yourself in the Austin area, stop by the Texas Farmers' Market Lakeline on Saturday, April 16, and the TFM Mueller, Sunday, April 17, where I will be celebrating Earth Day, and demonstrating techniques for solar cooking, including a quick solar cooker for use in the hot Texas sun! I'd love to see you there.