You know the answer! Food!
I hope everyone is doing well. Word on the street is that at least one suburb of Cleveland, Ohio saw some snow the other day! Yikes! I guess it makes sense. Stores are already playing Holiday music, as of today I’ve heard the term “Black Friday” about 500 times, and this is the second day in a row of turning on the heat in our house for a few hours in the early morning. It gets cold in San Diego!
Let’s not think of the down side of Winter – at least not yet. Let’s think about the food! I love all of the squashes available, and I love making soup for dinner and serving it with delicious bread. The other night, I combined my two loves (other than my husband and Monsieur) of dark greens and squash for a delicious side dish to accompany our halibut.
I found this recipe on Tasting Table, one of my favorite online sites. It’s an adaptation of a recipe by Chef Nathan Foot while he was working at Northern Spy Co. (He’s now the chef at Calyer in Brooklyn – in case you enjoy stalking chefs.)
I made a couple minor changes which are noted throughout the recipe with “**” indicating that change. Basically, you can do anything with this recipe. If you are vegan, on a diet, or prefer meat in every dish you eat, you can adjust this recipe accordingly. If you do, let me know how you make it your own!
Northern Spy Food Co. Kale Salad
2 1/2 cups chopped or shredded kale (preferably Tuscan or black kale) (**I used 1 bunch of Tuscan kale, finely chopped.)
1/4 cup toasted almonds (**I toasted a good handful of slivered almonds I had on hand.)
1/4 crumbled Cabot clothbound cheddar (**I had a coupon for Cracker Barrel Cheddar. I read that the company had won a cheese competition for its Aged Reserve cheddar. I wanted to give it a try. My local grocery store didn’t carry the exact winner, so I tried the sharp cheddar. Not bad! It had a nice creamy texture, and had a decent sharp cheddar taste. I bought a “log” and cut a small chunk. I crumbled the cheese by hand. I didn’t use too much just so it would remain a healthy side dish. However, the cheese does add a nice touch.)
1/2 cup cubed roasted kabocha or butternut squash (**Since I love squash, I used an entire butternut for this recipe. I think it was about 2 pounds or so. I simply tossed the cubes in olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper, and roasted it in the oven for about 45 minutes. The time was solely due to the time I was on a treadmill. I like my squash slightly caramelized, but you may not. Keep an eye on it and pull it out when it’s to your liking.)
Fresh lemon juice (**I didn’t like the idea of lemon juice in this dish. I wanted something more savory and “Fall-like”. I opted for a really great balsamic vinegar. The recipe notes approximately 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice. Whichever you choose, carefully add either lemon juice or balsamic vinegar to taste. You can always add more, so be careful!
Extra-virgin olive oil (**Since I roasted my squash in olive oil, I didn’t feel the need to add any extra. But give the salad a taste. Maybe you prefer a little more?)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Pecornio or other hard cheese, for shaving (optional) (**Again, I was trying to keep this on the healthier side, so I opted not to add another cheese. However, I bet it would be awesome! Maybe I’ll keep it in mind for a dinner party.)
1) In a large mixing bowl, toss the kale with almonds, cheddar and squash. Season to taste with lemon juice (**or balsamic vinegar) and olive oil (**if necessary). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2) Divide salad between two plates. Garnish shaved pecorino cheese, if desired, and serve.
What’s’ your favorite Fall or Winter food? I’d love to hear some thoughts!
Take Care and Happy Eating!
I grew up eating kale and am so happy that it’s now “cool” because it’s everywhere! Hodge’s in Cleveland makes an amazing kale salad w/ smoked mozzarella. I like to get the huge bags of baby kale for my salads because you don’t even have to chop it up then. I’ll have to try this one. yum!
Isn’t that funny, Crystal? When I was dating Franz, we would have lunch at his Grandfather’s on Sunday mornings. He loved cooking with parsnips. At the time, nobody was talking about parsnips. Interesting how certain things become in vogue! Your family and Ota were hip before their time! haha
That kale recipe looks amazing! I love kale!
It’s really tasty! I’m having some leftovers right now as I type! haha
MMMM that recipe sounds amazing! Kyle doesn’t really care for squash but he loves kale so maybe this is a way I can get him to like squash! I will definitely be trying this out next week! Thanks for the recipe!
Just sneak it in there! Maybe he’ll think it’s all just cheddar:)
I love roasted kabocha squash! I’m growing one in my backyard now…hoping it keeps getting bigger 🙂 Your kale salad sounds so refreshing!
I love a good chili and cornbread in the fall…and lots of roasted root vegetables 🙂
Yes to every thing you mentioned!! Chili and cornbread is on the list for next week! Thanks for stopping by!
Yum…definitely adding this recipe to my list! Thanks. Stay warm, we are trying (frost on the ground today).
Ah, frost. I remember it well! 🙂 Hey, at least you don’t have to shovel yet! Eat some warm comfort food. It makes everything better.
I LOVE anything with butternut squash!!! I always make butternut squash soup every fall. I’ll have to try your kale salad! Thanks for sharing the recipe. =)
Glad to share it! Thanks for checking it out!
Needs more meat!
I knew you would say that!