I am seriously loving this CSA and all the awesome veggies we get every other week. Truly, I enjoy the excitement and mystery of "what's in the box this time" and "how am I going to use these.
But MAN it's overwhelming too. I mean, how on earth can I use up all these veggies and herbs before they go bad??
So when I stumbled across a recipe that used not one, but THREE, of the CSA veggies from our most recent pickup I thought "WOOHOO." Nevermind the fact that I would normally completely bypass this one, was convinced my boys would hate it, and wasn't even sure I would like it.
Let's hear it for experimentation!! Because this one is so good I'm seriously contemplating eating this for breakfast.
Pasta with Corn & Kale
Recipe slightly adapted from Food Network Magazine
Prep time: 35 minutes Cook time: 45 minutes
3 ears of corn
2 1/2 cups uncooked, short-cut pasta [I used whole wheat rotini]
2-3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2-3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped or torn into bite-sized pieces
2 scallions, chopped
2 tbsp butter
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1. Get out your rarely-used Bundt pan and stand the corn up in the middle of it. This little tube will hold the corn steady while the kernals fall beautifully into the dish below it. Using a sharp knife, cut the corn kernals off the cob. Then scrape the sobs with the back of your knife to extract the liquid. Set aside.
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| Picture courtesy of my 6-year-old, with the help of a chair. |
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| See? All neatly contained. |
2. Put the corncobs in a large pot and fill with water. Cover and bring to a boil; salt, then add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining. Discard the cobs.
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| These help give the cooking water SO MUCH extra flavor!! |
3. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp EVOO in a large skillet over high heat. Add the chopped mushrooms in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes (psst! You may need to do these in batches if you have a lot of mushrooms). Season with salt, stir and continue cooking until tender, about 5 more minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
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| I went for the "rustic" look and just hacked away at the 'shrooms |
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| Don't salt until AFTER they get some color; salt brings out the water. |
4. Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil, the garlic, and pepper flakes to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is soft, about a minute. Stir in the kale and season with salt. Cover and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the corn kernels, mushrooms, scallions, and butter. Cook, stirring, until the butter is melted and the mixture is heated through, about 2 minutes.
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| Kale: before wilting |
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| Kale: after wilting. So pretty!! |
5. Add the pasta and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Cook, stirring, until heated through, adding more pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
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| Just start tossing everything back into the pot. |
About 2/3 of the way through cooking this I really couldn't decide how this dish was going to go. I mean, it's got mushrooms and kale in it. But it smelled SO GOOD!! But it has weird ingredients in it. But it smelled SO GOOD!! I was in some serious inner turmoil.
I scooped this into bowls and served it with some crusty, whole wheat bread. I don't think I ate the bread though, as I was too busy inhaling this garlicky, corny, pasta-y goodness. I truly could not eat my first bowl fast enough because I wanted a second so badly. I did look up long enough to notice my youngest chowing down on the pasta bits and mushrooms. And even my Picky Eater, who declared he didn't like it, didn't make that Super Gross Painful Gagging face as he ate his required six bites. I sense an opportunity there to change his mind.
Because there will be other opportunities as I am SO MAKING THIS AGAIN!!
