Hi friends! It’s me again! This time with an entry for the CSA Super Extreme Ultimate Challenge! As you saw in Gwen’s post, last week we received a whole metric buttload of kale. The trouble is I don’t particularly like kale, and my husband has a hardwired aversion to all things new and leafy and green. What to do?

Scanning around the internet, I saw a Gourmet recipe for a Potato and Kale Galette that was awfully similar to a recipe in my repertoire called Potatoes Anna. I’m a big believer in having a few core recipes that can be modified to make a different dish. Adding kale to Potatoes Anna seemed like a prime candidate. I was hoping the potatoes would mellow out the harshness of the kale, and I figured that if you add enough garlic and Gruyere to anything it’s bound to be good.  Luckily, Gourmet was right on the money, and this dish even earned a “Mmmmmm!” from my veggie phobic hub.

You will need:

- 1 metric buttload of kale. To be more precise, about 4 good sized bunches, to cook down to about 1 cup. I used a variety of kales, and a little chard. I think any hearty green would hold up well in this dish.

- 2 medium Russet potatoes

- 2 cloves garlic, minced very fine

- 1 cup grated Gruyere (use a little less if you’re feeling health conscious)

- 1 tablespoon butter, melted

- salt and pepper

- olive oil

First, set your oven to 450 degrees. Then, wash and dry your greens well. Roll them up and chop them in a fine julienne. Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan, then add the kale and a heavy pinch of salt. You want to wilt the greens down well in this step, but the real cooking will happen in the oven. About 2 minutes before you pull the kale from the heat, add the garlic and cook briefly. Next, we need to remove some of the moisture from the kale. Place it in a fine strainer or on a bunch of paper towels and gently press the excess moisture out. You may want to chop the kale even finer at this point if it still seems really chunky.

Peel the potatoes and slice them very thin. Using a mandolin is best to get even pieces, but if you have to do it the old fashioned way, I’d aim for between an 1/8th and 1/16th of an inch. Brush the inside of a lidded, oven safe dish with some melted butter, then start placing the sliced potatoes in the bottom of the dish so they overlap slightly. Once you have one layer of potatoes complete, brush with a small amount of the butter, then sprinkle very lightly with salt, pepper, and Gruyere. Remember, go very light on the seasonings here, because they will add up over the layers. Then, sprinkle half of the cooked kale over the potatoes. Add another potato layer, season, then a kale layer, and one last potato layer without the cheese. Cover, and then place in the oven for 20 minutes. After the time is up, remove the cover, and then back in the oven for 10 minutes. Add the rest of the Gruyere to the top, and then 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes, so the potatoes and cheese can set a bit. Then, slice like you would a pie and serve!

Alright, here’s the first of my CSA veggie exploits! Sort of a play off of a classic gratin., using squash, potatoes and tomatoes for a fun twist. We ate it as an entree with a spinach salad, but I think it’ll work better as a side dish. On to the recipe…

Squash Medley Gratin
Serves 4 as a side dish

1 medium zucchini, ends trimmed
1 medium summer squash, ends trimmed
1 large patty pan squash, ends trimmed and quartered.
2 – 3 medium red potatoes
2 – 3 roma tomatoes
1 cup half and half
1 clove garlic, finely grated into pulp
1/2 tsp dried thyme (or 2 sprigs fresh if you got it)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 -2 tbsp cold butter, cut into tiny cubes plus more for greasing the pan

Preheat your oven to 375ºF. Butter a 13×9 or comparable sized casserole dish and set aside.

Its time to slice the veggies (so sharpen your chef’s knife, pull out your mandolin, or ideally… both). Start by slicing your tomatoes into 1/8 inch thick circles. Tomatoes are highly watery, so I suggest salting them gently on both sides and setting them aside while you prep the other veggies. Switch over to your mandolin, if you’re lucky enough to own one, and slice the potatoes, zucchini, summer squash, and patty pan squash into 1/8 inch thick slices.

Starting at one end of your casserole dish, arrange the slices with one vegetable per row, overlapping as you go. You’re attempting to create a striped pattern, which looks really elegant in the final product. Try to separate the squashes with the potatoes and the tomatoes to create variety in the overlapping textures. Work your way row by row until the entire casserole dish is covered. Top with salt and fresh ground pepper, the thyme, and the grated parmesan cheese. Dot with the tiny butter cubes. The combination of the butter and the cheese ensure lots of flavor and a golden brown top to our gratin.

In a small saucepan, combine the half and half and the garlic. You want the garlic to be as close to pulp as possible (I recommend grating it straight into the saucepan using your fine microplane grater/zester. Bring the liquid to a boil of medium-high heat, removing from heat immediately when it starts to foam up. The technique here is to dissolve the garlic into the half and half, offering a gentle garlicy flavor that more efficiently infuses the dish, unlike minced garlic that you’d only taste every few bites. You can also use this technique to make some killer mashed potatoes. The other benefit of this technique, is that the hot liquid helps the dish come to temperature faster in the oven, offering a quicker cooking time.

Gently pour the half and half over top of the casserole, taking care not to disrupt the veggies too much. If you’re using a smaller casserole dish, you might not need all of the half and half. You’re only looking for the liquid to barely come halfway up the vegetables. Pop this into the oven. This takes about 30-40 minutes to get nice and caramelized on top, and make sure you rotate your pan halfway through the cooking process to ensure even browning.

Mmm, delish. It was luscious and light all at the same time. Enjoy it, we definitely did!

This is a recipe from my charming cousin Constance who lives somewhere there’s actually seasons. The first time I tried it, she had made it as an entree for the feasting vegetarians at a family holiday dinner. The best part about the recipe is how flexible it is, but I was super impressed with how inexpensive and filling it was for a dinnertime meal for 2. She sent me her bare bones recipe and her blessing for experimentation and this is what it evolved into in my kitchen. Onto the recipe!

Constance’s Stuffed Acorn Squash

1 acorn squash
2 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (about 1 cup uncooked if you’re making it for the recipe)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 small onion, small dice
1 apple, peeled, small dice (i like fuji)
1 rib celery, small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp brown sugar
Fresh ground black pepper
1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
1/4 cup sliced almonds (optional)
1 cup grated colby jack cheese
1 egg, beaten

Preheat your oven to 350. If you don’t have pre-cooked rice, start by cooking it and set aside to cool.

Split your acorn squash in half (I prefer lengthwise, some people prefer horizontally). Scoop out the seeds and place facedown in a microwave safe dish with a few tbsps of water, and cover tightly with syran wrap. Microwave 10 – 12 minutes until the flesh is fork tender.

Very carefully, scoop out the flesh of the squash, leaving the skin intact. This is a delicate and very hot process! Mash up the flesh and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the oil and butter until melted over medium-high heat. Saute together the onion, celery, and apples until they begin to soften and become translucent, about 5-8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute an additional 2 minutes until the raw flavor cooks out. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, mix together the rice, the contents of the skillet, the flesh of the acorn squash, all the seasonings, almonds, raisins, breadcrumbs, and 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Give this mixture a taste, and season accordingly. Then add the beaten egg and mix again. Make sure the mixture is not too hot or the cheese and egg will begin to cook too soon. Divide this mixture in half and fill the empty squash skins, then top with the remaining cheese.

30 minutes later… mmmm golden brown and delicious. The squash makes the filling rich and creamy and oh so tasty. ENJOY! And don’t forget to experiment to your tastes, this recipe is as forgiving as it is delicious! THANKS CONSTANCE!