another new green

Vegetable that is. I think my life is beginning to revolve around food too much. Wait - not too much but more. In a good way. As in I'm becoming a little bit more adventurous with trying new things - especially when it comes to vegetables. A couple of weeks ago I was looking for chard at the market and asked the guys at one of my new favorite stands - an urban garden co-op, if they had any left. They didn't (I found it at some other of my fav's stands) but they did have collard greens. I confessed I'd never had collard greens and the guy told me to cook it the same way I did chard - it has a different but still sharp, green, good flavour. So last week I served it sauted with some onion and thai chili sauce as a side veggie and it delivered - green earthy goodness. And then I happened across this recipe from Tea - so last Sunday I picked up more collard greens and an acorn squash and last night I made it. I'd roasted the squash earlier (I just pop the whole squash into the oven at 350 deg F for about an hour - when you can smell it roasting, it's usually time to take it out).

Ginger glazed squash with collard greens and sausage (adapted from Tea & Cookies)
1 roasted squash, peeled, seeded and diced
1 bunch collard greens, ribs removed, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 lb mild italian sausage

4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 c water
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp honey
grated fresh nutmeg

Saute the onion and sausage over medium high heat until the onion is soft and turning golden brown and the sausage is broken up and mostly brown.

Meantime, in a small saucepan combine the water, ginger, butter, honey and nutmeg and bring to a simmer, simmering gently for 10 minutes or so.
To the onion and sausage mixture, add the squash

and saute for 5 minutes. Add the collard greens and 3 tbsp water and cover. Let cook for 3-5 minutes and then stir. The greens should be wilted but not soggy. Pour the ginger glaze over the dish and let cook for a couple of minutes. Serve.

This is how I served it - alongside roasted purple potatoes harvested from our garden.

Note: the ginger glaze smelled really familiar to me and it suddenly struck me just before I finished the dish - it smelled like Vicks Vapo-Rub which I've been putting on T this week (tickle medicine) as he's been stuffed up - it also smells a bit like ginger beer or maybe that was just wishful thinking! Either way, the glaze was delicious.