Kale and Wild Rice Casserole

 

This recipe and this post came together through a couple of habits: a current one and an old one. The current habit has to do with flipping around on the internet looking at, bookmarking, and “pinning” recipes. I’m not sure if this is a good habit or a bad one, since it seems to take up a lot of time that might be better used cleaning the bathroom or something.

The other habit is the one I used to have when I had more time. I used to really tightly plan my meals for the week, build my grocery list according to the recipes I’d chosen (many of them discovered using habit #1), and then spending a good deal of time making delicious meals every day. Well, my life doesn’t really allow for this kind of behavior anymore, but I miss it.

 

And so, I dug a kale and wild rice casserole out of my internet bag of tricks and modified it to my personal taste. While I mostly made this in one cooking session, I also found ways that I could break this recipe up into a few steps that could be done ahead of time. There are some suggestions along those lines in the recipe text below.

The resulting dish is hearty and satisfying. There’s a lot of wild rice here, which I love, and its nutty chewiness goes well with the slightly bitter green kale. I liked the sharp cheddar cheese, but Gruyere or a milder Swiss cheese would be good, too. There’s just enough cheesiness and creaminess from the sauce in this dish to hold all the healthy ingredients together and give them additional rich and savory flavor. There’s a big herbal hit from the thyme in there. While I only had dried thyme on hand, fresh would be even better. Increase the amount of fresh thyme leaves to a tablespoon.

As far as habits go, I think getting back to good, solid meal plans is something worth nurturing again. A new role in my day job just made my life a bit more, let’s say, “interesting.” I’m going to need a good plan, and some make-ahead strategies like the ones in this recipe and the previous one I posted, if I’m going to avoid going hungry!

Kale and Wild Rice Casserole

Based on a recipe at Half Baked Harvest

I usually cook up a big batch of wild rice when I need it for something like this. Measure out what you need for the recipe and freeze the rest. You can cook your wild rice a couple days ahead. Cover and keep in the refrigerator until needed.

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

8-10 cups chopped kale

1 ½ teaspoon coarse salt, divided

¼ cup water, or as needed

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 large yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons butter

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

1 cup vegetable broth

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

4 cups cooked wild rice

2 cups grated extra sharp cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a 2-3 quart casserole dish with cooking spray or grease it with butter or oil. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute. Do not let the garlic brown. Add as much of the kale as you can get in the pan and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook until the kale is wilted enough to add the remaining kale (you may need to do this in a few batches.) Continue cooking the kale until it is completely wilted and tender, adding ¼ cup water or more as needed to keep the kale from getting too dry and burning in the pan.

3. Stir in the black pepper. Transfer the cooked kale to a bowl and set aside. (This can be done up to 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate if making ahead.)

4. In the same large skillet (cleaned) or in another one, heat the remaining olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are soft and golden brown, about 20-30 minutes. (You can cook the onions at the same time as you are cooking the kale. You can also make the onions up to 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

5. To make the sauce, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour to make a very thick paste. Cook the paste about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the milk. Whisk in the vegetable broth. Continue to whisk until all the flour lumps are removed.

6. Cook the sauce, stirring frequently, until it begins to boil. Boil gently, continuing to stir, for about 1 minute, or until the sauce thickens. Stir in the thyme and nutmeg. Remove from the heat. (I do not recommend making the sauce ahead of time.)

7. In a large bowl, combine the cooked wild rice, cooked kale, half of the cooked onions, and half of the cheese. Stir together and stir in the sauce.

8. Spoon the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Distribute the remaining onions over the top of the mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. (You could cover and refrigerate the entire casserole at this point and bake it the next day. Bring it as close to room temperature as you can before baking, and increase the baking time.)

9. Bake, uncovered, at 375 F for 20-25 minutes, or until bubbly and heated through. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. Cover and refrigerate leftovers and reheat to serve.

Makes 6-8 main dish servings.

Other recipes like this one: Barley and Corn Casserole with Provolone, Quinoa and Spinach Casserole, Winter Squash and Rice Casserole

Squash and Kale Frittata

 

I’m still in a rut of sorts, I guess. No post for days and days. I finally get something simple and seasonal and delicious on the table and it’s still more days and days until I can write it up. Still, for all its lateness and simplicity this frittata with butternut squash and kale is nothing to be ashamed of.

I based this on a recipe from Vegetarian Times magazine, but the original recipe had more eggs and sweet potatoes instead of squash. I pared the number of eggs to four, since I’ve had success making quick frittatas that way and I just didn’t have the energy to mess with things too much. I really think sweet potatoes and winter squash can be used almost interchangeably with some variation in cooking times and slight flavor changes. (Usually sweet potatoes are sweeter than squash in my experience.) The kale was a cinch to acquire, since there’s still some alive in my garden despite the many frosty nights.

 

After selecting my seasonal ingredients, I simply held to basic frittata theory and all was well. Once my onions, squash and kale were cooked, I poured over an egg mixture flavored with Dijon mustard. I like to partially cook the eggs in the pan, then put the pan under the broiler, but not right up to the broiler. I think I originally did this in hopes of causing less stress on my nonstick pan, but I like the way the frittata “bakes” a good distance from the broiler as well. Of course I wasn’t putting this in the oven at all until I sprinkled it with a generous portion of feta cheese.

You could really vary this simple dish many, many ways, even using leftover roasted vegetables or roasted vegetables and sausage or any kind of cooked greens. I was pleasantly surprised by the combination of flavors in this particular variation. Squash and kale, perhaps both being autumnal in nature, complement each other well. I added a chile pepper for extra punch, but you wouldn’t have to if you don’t like it. The subtle zing of the Dijon mustard is quite nice enough to enhance the dish without any added spice.

 

No, I’m not ashamed of this dish at all. For its somewhat rustic simplicity, it’s quite fabulously flavored, nourishing and satisfying. With any luck, this quick fix will get me out of the doldrums caused by workday weariness and darkening days so I can post about more good stuff more often!

Winter Squash and Kale Frittata with Feta

Based on a recipe in Vegetarian Times magazine

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 medium chile pepper, minced
12 ounces winter squash (I used butternut), peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
¾ teaspoon coarse salt, divided
¼ teaspoon black pepper
4 large eggs
¼ cup milk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 large curly kale leaves
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
 
1. Heat the oil in an oven-proof nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally for about 8 minutes, or until softened and beginning to brown. Add the minced chile pepper and cook about 1 minute more.

2. Add the squash, ½ teaspoon salt and pepper to the onion mixture. Cook, turning occasionally until the squash is softened, but still firm enough to hold its shape, about 20-25 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium-size bowl, combine the eggs, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, milk and Dijon mustard. Whisk together until lightly beaten and well combined. Set aside.

4. Preheat the broiler and place a rack just above the middle of the oven. (I like to heat the frittata from above, but not place the pan so close to the broiler.) Remove the thick stems from the kale and discard. Finely chop the leaves. Add to the squash mixture when the squash is done. Cook until the kale is well-wilted, about 3-5 minutes.

5. Pour the egg mixture over the squash mixture, keeping the squash mixture in an even layer over the bottom of the pan. Cook, stirring just a little and gently, until the egg is set around the edges of the pan. The middle should still be runny. Evenly distribute the feta cheese over the top of the frittata.

6. Place the frittata in the oven and bake (with the broiler) for 8-10 minutes until the egg is firm throughout and the frittata is lightly golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and let stand at least 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 4-6 servings.

 

Other recipes like this one: Potato and Bacon Frittata, Zucchini and Mint Frittata with Tomatoes on Top

One year ago: Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Sugar Frosting, Whole Wheat Pita Bread, Cranberry Walnut Cornbread

Sauteed Kale and Baked Eggs

I don’t know whether the last 18 months or so will stand out in my memory for being so odd, or if some self-defense mechanism will cause me to shut them out forever. Either way, I hope that come next spring, I remember that it’s a good idea to plant kale in my backyard garden. The Red Russian variety that I planted early didn’t seem like it was going to do much when just a few seeds germinated and then, as it warmed up, the insects moved in. My little bed of kale was resilient, however, and I now have more than enough to eat. More than enough for those recipes that call for seemingly impossible armloads of the stuff.

I didn’t actually start with one of those recipes for this dish, but one contributed by Yotam Ottolenghi (the absolute monarch of fabulous vegetable dishes) for Bon Appetit magazine. This original recipe called for lots of spinach instead of kale. Since the kale worked well even though it is much less delicate than spinach, I think you could use whatever variety of greens you have available whether from the supermarket, farmer’s market or, growing well in your garden.

This recipe basically involves sautéing mounds of greens with onions (I added garlic to mine), then creating little nests within the greens to crack open an egg. The whole thing goes into the oven to bake the eggs, then it is served with a drizzle of chile oil. The original recipe called for a dollop of garlic-flavored Greek yogurt as well, but all I had was vanilla yogurt, so I replaced it with sour cream. (I failed to photograph the dish with the sour cream on it, so you’ll just have to imagine it.) Really, if you want things to be simpler, you could save some time by eliminating the chile oil or the sour cream as accompaniments.

I highly recommend at least pulling out a carton of sour cream or plain yogurt for serving this, however, even if you don’t want to take the time flavor it with a garlic-salt paste like I did. The cool and creamy contrast is wonderful with the eggs and kale. I made the chile-infused olive oil with a fresh red chile pepper (also prolific in my garden). It was simple to do and adds just a hint of pure hot spice to the dish when drizzled on a serving. (If you bite into a piece of chile, however, it is more likely to be very spicy.)

I love sautéed greens, especially with garlic, and baking eggs in a bed of greens is really a nice, simple way to make a complete meal out of them. The eggs are neutral but rich and allow the hearty, slightly bitter kale (actually, my Red Russian kale is still more tangy than bitter despite the heat in which it’s been growing), onions, garlic, and spice from the chiles in the finishing oil to provide the main flavors and a lighter texture. And as I said, the garlicky sour cream that I added was a delicious contrast.

Sauteed Kale with Baked Eggs

Adapted from Bon Appetit magazine

This recipe is a basic method that could be made with a variety of greens and accompaniments.

½ cup sour cream

2 large garlic cloves, divided
¾ teaspoon coarse (kosher) salt, plus more to taste
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small chile pepper, thinly sliced
½ cup sliced onion
8-10 cups chopped kale leaves, stems removed
1 teaspoon lemon juice
4 large eggs 

1. Place the sour cream in a small bowl. Chop ½ clove garlic. Sprinkle the chopped garlic with about ¼ teaspoon coarse salt. Continue to chop and press the garlic and salt into a slightly rough chopping surface to create a smooth paste as described in this post.  Stir the garlic-salt paste into the sour cream. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

2. In a small saucepan, pour 3 tablespoons olive oil. Heat over medium-low heat until hot and shimmering. Add the chile pepper and sizzle for about 2 minutes. (If the chile begins to brown before 2 minutes, remove from heat.) Remove from the heat and let stand until ready to serve.

3. Preheat oven to 300 F. Chop the remaining 1 ½ cloves garlic. Set aside.

4. Pour the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil into a 10-inch (or larger) oven-proof skillet. (I used cast iron.) Heat over medium heat until hot. Add the onion and sauté about 5 minutes or until soft and just beginning to brown. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.

 5. Add the kale, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and lemon juice. If the kale does not fit in your skillet (which is quite likely) add it to the skillet a little at a time, adding more as it cooks down. Cook about 10 minutes or until all the kale is wilted and softened. Remove from the heat.

6. Smooth out the surface of the cooked kale and make 4 evenly-spaced indentations. Crack each egg into one of the indentations. Bake at 300 for 10-15 minutes or until the eggs are done. The whites should be set and no longer transparent. Serve each egg on a bed of kale. Drizzle with the chile oil and top with a few dollops of the garlic-infused sour cream.

Makes 2 large or 4 medium servings.

Another recipe like this one: Potato and Celeriac Casserole with Baked Eggs

One year ago: Garlic and Squash Flower Soup

Pasta with Sausage and Kale

Okay, I admit it: my new job is kicking my blog’s butt.  Until my time management skills are up to par, it’s going to be difficult to organize new recipes, shop for their special ingredients, prepare and photograph new dishes, and write something about them to post to The Messy Apron.

Luckily, there are lovely green things growing in my garden (and other people’s gardens) that make it relatively simple to squeeze in a fresh and simple pasta dish for a late supper after working all weekend.  The star of this dish is a nice bundle of Red Russian kale, which, despite its reputation as a cold weather plant, has been growing quite nicely in my backyard, even in the 100+ degree heat. I paired it with spicy Italian turkey sausage and flavored it with garlic and fresh basil and oregano.

I was amazed at the bright, tangy flavor of the kale in this dish. I thought for sure it would have grown especially bitter in the heat (like me). You could do this whole thing your own way, of course, but I went heavier on the kale than on the sausage, though the sausage did add plenty of richness and spice. This is really about using what you have and making what you have time for.

…and enjoying a few quiet moments in the garden, then in the kitchen, then at the table. Even if you end up sitting down to dinner in front of the TV at 9 pm when the light isn’t so good for photographs.

I hope to be posting more regularly soon.

Pasta with Sausage, Kale and Fresh Herbs

6-8 ounces dry short-cut pasta

8 ounces spicy Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 tablespoon olive oil, optional
2 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
large bunch kale, stems removed, chopped (about 8 cups)
¼ teaspoon salt
a few grinds of black pepper
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just a little firmer than you like to eat it. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking water.

2. Meanwhile, place the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until just browned, breaking the sausage apart to brown evenly. If the sausage is lean, add the olive oil to the pan to keep it from sticking.

3. Add the garlic to the pan and cook about 1 minute, stirring frequently.

4. Add the kale, salt, pepper and about ½ cup reserved pasta cooking water.  Increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is well wilted and the sausage is cooked through, about 5-8 minutes. Add the basil and oregano. Cook and stir about 1 minute more.

5. Add the cooked pasta to the pan and stir to combine. If the pan seems dry, add some more of the pasta cooking water. Cook just long enough to heat through. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

 Makes about 4 servings.

Other recipes like this one: Pasta with Kale, Summer Squash,Olives and Feta Cheese; Penne with Chicken Sausage, Olives and Walnut Sauce

One year ago: Flour Tortillas with Cornmeal, Summer Squash Galette with Ricotta and Feta

Wheat Berry Salad with Kale Dressing

I grew this Red Russian kale. Really! And so when I wanted to eat it, I went searching for a recipe that would be interesting and flavorful, and maybe even something new that I could post here. Initially, I headed toward a barley and kale gratin recipe in Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.

I also grew these peas, and picked them the same day as I harvested the kale.

I intended to add these peas to the barley gratin, but then it got too hot to make a gratin in the oven, so I decided to make a salad. I can’t remember exactly why I made the switch from barley to wheat berries, but I think it was simply a matter of not having any barley cooked, but having just the right amount of cooked wheat berries in the freezer.

Anyway, I ended up using an idea from the original gratin recipe of sautéing and pureeing the kale and stirring it into the grains to envelop them with plenty of flavor and the color green. I cooked the kale in olive oil and a little garlic, cooled it, then processed it with some vinegar and a pinch of nutmeg. This became the dressing of my salad, which not only flavored the wheat berries and fresh peas, but also served to hold together these little round ingredients.

The kale “dressing” is much like a pesto, but the flavors are mellower than most raw-leaf sauces. Cooking the kale first softens its flavor somewhat, so it’s not so bitter. It also softens its texture, making it easier to process, and, frankly, a little easier to eat. The kale flavor is still quite present and earthy enough to compliment the sweet, fresh peas. This all goes well with the nice dose of grated Parmesan cheese I added to give a further flavor kick to the salad.

This salad is delicious, probably even more so because I picked the ingredients making up nearly half its volume just before tossing them together. It lasted several days in the refrigerator, with the leftovers making a fabulous brown-bag lunch. It was also a fun idea to see through from the garden to the gratin to the more seasonally appropriate but still hardy salad. And it looks like I should be able to grow enough kale to try that barley gratin some other day.

Wheat Berry Salad with Fresh Peas and Kale Dressing

Partially inspired by a recipe in Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

8 ounces fresh kale (I used Red Russian, but other varieties would work, too)

¼ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons water
pinch nutmeg (preferably freshly-grated)
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons cooked wheat berries
1 cup fresh or frozen peas (thawed)
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (I coarsely grated the cheese in a food processor)

1. Remove the tough stems from the kale. I like to hold the kale by the long stem and run my hand down the stem to strip off the leaves. Coarsely chop the leaves and discard the stems.

2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the kale, garlic, salt and water. Cook, stirring often, until the kale is tender and well-wilted (it will still maintain some structure, rather than wilting completely like spinach), about 8-10 minutes.

3. Remove from the heat. Stir in the vinegar and nutmeg. Cool.

4. Transfer the cooled kale mixture to a food processor. Process until a coarse paste is formed, stopping to scrape the sides of the processor bowl as needed.

5. In a medium-size bowl, combine the wheat berries, peas and Parmesan. Add the kale mixture and stir everything together to combine well. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt or vinegar if desired.

Makes about 6 servings. Keep leftovers refrigerated for a few days.

Other recipes like this one: Three Grain Salad with White Beans and Artichokes, Wheat Berry Salad with Sugar Snap Peas and Lemon Vinaigrette, Quinoa and Spinach Casserole

 One year ago: Three Pea Salad with Walnuts and Parmesan

Winter Soup Makeover

When I first made this soup back in the fall, it was to combine the compatible flavors of vegetables in our CSA box in a dish that was hearty, warming and delicious. I probably added the bacon because I was on a squash-and-bacon kick after eating this dish. It was quite successful and I was going to post it, but there were a few minor issues, one of which was that I realized the soup could really be seen as a winter makeover of White Bean Soup with Fresh Herbs.

It has become my habit to start seeing and writing recipes as variations on basic themes. (If you read enough food and cooking literature, you might start to see things this way, too.) I don’t suppose I’ll ever reach a Grand Unified Theory of recipes, but there was no point in writing up a completely independent white bean soup recipe just because I had added some seasonal ingredients. I looked at the soup again, compared the recipes, re-wrote it, and finally tested it recently with a butternut squash from our winter CSA share and a giant bunch of kale that I found at a local store. I think this time it was even better because I was thinking about it in a more streamlined fashion. The way was clearer to me.

Okay, so there was another reason the soup was better this time around. When I made it before, I stirred all the bacon into the pot of soup at the end. The result was flabby, water-logged bacon that contributed so poorly to the texture of the soup that I considered not making it again. It was even worse in the portion of the soup that I froze to eat later. Sometime between then and now, it occurred to me to just sprinkle crisp bacon on top of each serving of soup (not particularly enlightened, but I’m a bit slow sometimes), and the result was much, much more pleasant.

Since there’s usually just two of us eating, we never eat an entire pot of soup in one meal, so I reserved some of the bacon in the refrigerator and heated it up to serve on top of leftover soup. I only cooked 3 strips of bacon, though the soup serves 4 to 6, because I knew I would be freezing about half the soup. When I thaw out the soup and serve it again, I’ll just cook up some more bacon to garnish each serving. Sure, it’s a little more work than just heating up frozen soup, but the porky rubber that was floating in that frozen soup was something I’d gladly make a little effort to avoid.

Of course the soup could also be served without the bacon garnish. In fact, you could skip the bacon altogether, and use your favorite cooking oil in place of the rendered bacon fat to sauté your vegetables. The bacon really just plays back-up to the mild white beans, sweet squash, earthy kale and herbs. I used what herbs I could get in fresh form, that is, those that are still surviving the season by gleaning as much light as they can from the gloomy winter windowsill. I ended up with sprigs of sage and rosemary (the thyme was a casualty), but use what you can easily get, even dried herbs if that’s what’s available. Just use a small amount of the dried herbs and taste the soup as you go to see what more it may need.

And while you’re varying the soup, you could add some cooked grains to make a complete protein with the beans, use either vegetable or chicken stock, add some canned tomatoes to approach something like minestrone, use sweet potatoes in place of the squash, or put in whatever vegetables or meats you like. Need I go on? It’s likely that I will, but the next makeover of this soup will probably be looking forward to spring.

White Bean Soup with Bacon, Squash and Kale
I usually use lightly salted homemade broths, and add more salt to taste when making soup. Adjust the salt and other seasonings to your own taste. If you do not have fresh herbs, you can use dried, but consider using them sparingly.

You could use another kind of winter squash. I find butternut squash to be easiest to peel and chop.

6 strips thick-cut bacon
½ cup finely chopped onion
½ cup finely chopped carrot
½ cup finely chopped celery
1 teaspoons coarse salt, divided, or to taste
2 cups peeled and chopped (1-inch cubes) butternut squash
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
a few sprigs fresh herbs such as rosemary, sage, thyme, or whatever is available
1 dried bay leaf
4 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
4 cups cooked or canned white beans, such as navy or Great Northern (drained and rinsed if canned)
4 cups chopped kale

1. Decide the number of servings you will need on the first day the soup is served. Select 1 to 1 ½ slices of bacon for each serving. Refrigerate the rest to cook and serve with leftovers. Place the bacon strips in a large pot over medium-low heat. Cook, turning often, until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan. Set aside to drain and cool. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pot.

2. Raise the heat to medium. Add onion, carrot, celery and ½ teaspoon salt. Saute about 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent and the carrot and celery are beginning to become tender. Add the squash and sauté another 5 minutes, or until the squash begins to soften and the vegetables begin to brown, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute more.

3. Tie the herb sprigs and bay leaf together with kitchen twine. Add this bundle and the chicken broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and boil gently for about 30-40 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

4. Stir in the beans and kale, and cook, stirring occasionally 10 minutes more. Remove the herb bundle. Taste for salt and add more if desired. Crumble the reserved bacon and sprinkle some on each serving.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Other recipes like this one: White Bean Soup with Fresh herbs, Sausage and Spinach Soup

One year ago: Roasted Red Pepper, Garlic and Onion Dip

Back to School and Cool

While the warmth of the summer tends to linger well into September, there are pretty clear signs that autumn with its cooler weather is sneaking in. There’s heavy fog in the morning (perhaps not exactly a “clear” sign) and the foliage on a few of the smaller maple trees is starting to turn. The cool-weather crops are beginning to sneak into our CSA* share as well, such as the first acorn squash of the year, a hefty fellow that conspired with the melons to break my back (luckily, the only actual casualty was a crumpled toenail.) Gone is the sweet corn and cucumbers, but in their place are broccoli, cabbage, and kale.

This is also the time when everyone is back to school. Since I’m married to an astronomy professor (and astro-blogger), back to school means scurrying to get a meal on the table in time to be eaten before night classes two days a week. That meal often ends up being some kind of leftovers or a quick pasta dish like Italian Chickpeas, Farfalle with Cherry Tomatoes, Olives and Basil, or a vegetable sauté with noodles, like the one I made this week with kale and what is probably the tail-end of the season’s yellow summer squash. I also like to put in olives and feta cheese, both of which always seem to make savory dishes extra delicious.

There are several varieties of kale. The one I had had medium-dark green, curly leaves with pretty purple stems and veins. Sadly, the purple color doesn’t have much to do with this dish, since I mercilessly strip the leaves from the tough stems and chop them up. I will use the stems of beet greens or chard, but I don’t know that the kale stems are tender enough to be salvageable.

There must have been another time when I had dark greens and summer squash at the same time, because I’d made a similar pasta dish before. I often use Swiss chard or beet greens, and I think spinach would be good as well, but this week, I happened to have the kale. (I also was prodded a bit by a recipe for braised kale with spaghetti in the Cooking Life column by Molly Wizenberg in the October 2009 issue of Bon Appetit.) If I use other greens that are more tender, I skip the covered, moist-heat cooking step and just sauté them until they are well-wilted.

For a little fancy twist, I shaved the yellow squash with a vegetable peeler. It makes the texture more consistent with that of the kale. You could also chop the squash and sauté it with the onions until tender, or just leave it out if you don’t have any and are just hungry for some dark greens with pasta, briny-bitter olives, and sharp, salty feta. Mmmmm….I’m glad there are leftovers!

Pasta with Kale, Summer Squash, Olives and Feta Cheese
You could substitute the white wine with broth or water.

8 ounces fettuccine
salt (for the pasta cooking water)
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup sliced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
about 6 cups chopped kale
¾ teaspoon salt, divided
¼ cup dry white wine
2 small summer squash (such as yellow squash or zucchini), shaved into thin strips with a vegetable peeler or mandolin.
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup chopped kalamata olives

1. Cook fettuccine in boiling salted water until done the way you like it. I like it cooked through but still a little firm.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until beginning to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté another 30 seconds.

3. Add the kale and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook and stir until the kale is well coated with the oil and beginning to wilt. Add the white wine. Cover the pan, reduce the heat and simmer about 8 minutes or until the kale is tender. If the pan becomes dry before the kale is tender, add a little more water.

4. Add the squash and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt to the kale, increase heat to medium, and cook about 3 minutes or until the squash is tender.

5. Add the hot cooked fettuccine, kalamata olives and feta cheese. Toss together until well mixed.

Makes 4 main dish servings.


CSA = Community Supported Agriculture. Ours is here.