Fabulous Kale Salad with Garlicky Dressing

JuJu and Morgan Maloney serve up some greens

This past Saturday, I made what's become my signature dish, Kale Salad with Garlicky Dressing.  To promote the produce that was available at the Columbia Heights Farmers' Market, I did a cooking demo and I added roasted butternut squash for a sweet twist.  This is wonderful, quick to make salad, that can be served as a side dish, or as the main course with the addition of beans, cheese and toasted nuts.  Everyone who has tried it, loves it.  It was freezing cold, but the smiles of the markets' customers warmed me up.  Now, if only I had a dollar for every time someone said, "Oh, this tastes so good"....

Kale and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Garlicky Dressing

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into dice

1 Tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 ground cinnamon

1/4 olive oil

Dressing:

3 cloves garlic, peeled

Juice of two lemons

 1/4 cup soy sauce

3 inches fresh ginger, peeled

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup olive oil

1 bunch fresh kale, washed, leaves removed from stems, and cut into small pieces

Optional:

1 grated carrot

1 cup grated or shredded red cabbage

1/2 cup dried cranberries (craisins)

1 cup cooked garbanzo or red beans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the oregano, salt, cinnamon, and olive oil together and spread it over the squash.  On an oiled cookie sheet, spread the squash and cover tightly with foil. Bake until tender, 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more, until squash is brown. 

Put all dressing ingredients, except oil, into blender and puree.  Slowly add oil with blender running on low.  Pour dressing over kale (and other optional ingredients if using) and mix thoroughly, adding optional ingredients if desired.  Let sit for 10 minutes.  Serve topped with several pieces of roasted squash on top.

Mac and Cheese--comfort food at its best!

The weather has turned cold, so it's time to break out the woolly sweaters, light a fire and eat something that makes you feel like you've been hugged.  For many of us, mac and cheese is THE dish that we turn to when we need a little food love. I made this dish for my family last night to highlight the gorgeous Cheese pumpkins that are available in markets now.  So called because they resemble a wheel of cheese, these squash have orange, sweet flesh. In this recipe, it's simmered in milk and vegetable stock until tender, then baked with pasta and cheddar cheese. Paired with spicy sausage and a kale salad, it's a hearty winter meal.

Macaroni and (Long Island) Cheese (Squash)s

http://www.thenheathersaid.com/2010/10/07/macaroni-long-island-cheese-squash/

Ingredients
1 lb long island cheese squash, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup vegetable stock
2 cups skim milk
1 lb macaroni, or other pasta
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar, (I used Cabot reduced fat cheddar)
3/4 cup low-fat ricotta
3 Tablespoons breadcrumbs

Instructions
1. Preheat Oven to 375
2. Heat squash cubes, milk and stock in a medium pan. Bring to a Boil, and reduce head to simmer.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. I like to cook my pasta a bit al dente, as it will be baked in the oven as well.
4. When squash is tender, remove from heat and mash squash.
5. Mix spices into mashed squash.
6. After pasta is done cooking, transfer it to a large bowl. Stir in squash mixture as well as cheddar and ricotta.
7. Transfer to a 9×13 baking dish and sprinkle breadcrumbs over top of dish.
8. Cover with foil & bake for 25 minutes.  Remove Foil and bake for 45 minutes. Dish is finished when the top is browned and crispy, heated well throughout.  Let cool slightly before serving.

Sausage for Dinner or Breakfast

Now that cooler weather has arrived, I want something hearty and spicy for my meals.  I developed these recipes to use the ground pork, from pasture raised pigs, that we carried on Arcadia's Mobile Market this year.  The Pork and Lemongrass Sausage would pair well with a ginger and shitake mushroom based broth, with bokchoy or spinach thrown in.  The second recipe, Breakfast Sausage, is a take on the more traditional herbed English style meat.  This is delicious with buttered grits, fried green tomatoes and biscuits.  Make a pot of tea, cozy up to the fire and feast on goodness.

Pork and Lemongrass Sausage

JuJu Harris

2 pounds ground pork

5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 Tablespoon fresh lemongrass, chopped*

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 cup cilantro, finely chopped

2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

2 Tablespoons fish sauce

1/2 to 1 teaspoons salt

1/2 to 1 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and knead it together with your hands.  Form into patties and fry over medium heat until done.  Unused sausage can be refrigerated up to one day.  
*To prepare lemongrass, cut off the root end, discard the stiff, outer leaves, and use the tender core. 

Breakfast Sausage

JuJu Harris

2 pounds ground pork

5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2 Tablespoon fennel seeds

6 teaspoons fresh oregano

4 teaspoons fresh thyme

2 teaspoon fresh sage, finely chopped

1 to 2 teaspoons salt

1 to 2 teaspoons black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and knead it together with your hands.  Form into patties and fry over medium heat until done.  Unused sausage can be refrigerated up to one day.