Recipes: Kale, Squash, Beet Salad and more

Kale slathered with dark sesame oil trumps those creamed onions, hands down. "Even gravel would be delicious covered with roasted sesame oil," notes Atina Diffley. "We love serving kale on Thanksgiving for a couple of reasons. The cold weather makes it really sweet. It loses some color from repeated freezing, is no longer crisp, no longer marketable but it is at its absolute peak for sweetness and tenderness. We think it's just so cool that we can go out and pick it frozen, thaw it out and cook it. As one of our main cash crops, eating it reminds us to be thankful for another successful farming season."

Sesame Kale

Serves 6 to 8 and is easily doubled.

From Gardens of Eagan. "This is super-duper nutritious - an excellent source of iron, calcium, vitamin C, folic acid, vitamin K and carotenoids [providing vitamin A]," Atina Diffley says.

• 2 bunches kale

• 2 tbsp. olive oil

• 2 tbsp. sesame oil

• 2 to 6 cloves garlic, minced (adjust to taste)

• 1/2c. water

• Dark sesame oil, to taste

• Rice wine vinegar, to taste

Directions

Remove the stems and coarsely chop the kale. Heat the olive and sesame oils on medium-low in a large, deep-sided skillet or saucepan. Sauté the garlic for about 20 seconds, stirring, and add the kale and toss. Stir in the water and cover.

Steam until the kale reaches desired state of tenderness, about 5 to 10 minutes. Spread on a platter. Sprinkle with dark sesame oil and rice wine vinegar to taste.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories 100 Fat 8 g Sodium 25 mg

Carbohydrates 6 g Saturated fat 1 g Calcium 78 mg

Protein 2 g Cholesterol 0 mg Dietary fiber 1 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 vegetable, 1½ fat.

Simple Baked Squash with Cranberries and Pecans

Serves 8.

Winter squash baked with apples and cranberries and sweetened with a touch of honey or maple syrup is simply good. Laura Frerichs and Adam Cullip of Loon Organics in Farmington pair this pretty stuffed squash with a fresh beet salad.

• 4 small squash, halved, seeds removed

• 8 tsp. unsalted butter or olive oil

•¹/₄c. brown sugar

•¹/₂tsp. cinnamon sugar (granulated sugar with a little cinnamon in it), or to taste

•¹/₂c. fresh cranberries

•¹/₂c. chopped pecans

Directions

Place the squash cut side down on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 375-degree oven until tender, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the squash over so the cut sides are up. Put a teaspoon of butter into each half while it's warm. In a medium bowl, toss together the brown sugar, cinnamon sugar and cranberries and pecans. Divide the mixture evenly among the 8 halves. Return to the oven and continue baking until the cranberries have popped and the filling is heated through, about 15 minutes.

Nutrition information per serving (using acorn squash):

Calories 198 Fat 9 g Sodium 10 mg

Carbohydrates 31 g Saturated fat 3 g Calcium 81 mg

Protein 2 g Cholesterol 10 mg Dietary fiber 8 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 bread/starch, 1 other carb, 2 fat.

Beet Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Serves 4 to 6.

From Loon Organics in Farmington. "This is our favorite salad," said Adam Cullip. "The variations are endless. Add dried cranberries, toasted almonds, candied walnuts, or any artisan cheese." Cullip prefers Shepherd's Blue Cheese or Prairie Hollow Feta.

• 2 lb. beets (mix of red and golden, preferred)

• 8 oz. baby spinach or a large head of romaine or butter lettuce, rinsed and dried

• Handful of fresh herbs (parsley, basil, thyme)

• 2 carrots, shredded

Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

•¹/₂tbsp. honey or maple syrup

• 1 large shallot, minced

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 5 tbsp. olive oil

• 4 oz. blue cheese or feta, cut into small cubes

Directions

Trim the beets. Discard the leaves. Thinly slice the beets and steam until soft, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss together the spinach or lettuce, herbs and carrots.

In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, honey or maple syrup, shallot, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Whisk in the olive oil in a slow steady stream.

Place the hot cooked beets on the greens. Lightly drizzle the salad with balsamic vinaigrette and sprinkle the cheese over all.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories 207 Fat 17 g Sodium 397 mg

Carbohydrates 9 g Saturated fat 5 g Calcium 198 mg

Protein 6 g Cholesterol 14 mg Dietary fiber 3 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 2 vegetable, 3½ fat.

Dehn's Garden's Rosemary Potatoes

Serves 4 to 6 and can be easily increased.

Note: Bonnie Dehn and her family have been providing the Minneapolis Farmers Market and area stores with gorgeous fresh cut and potted herbs for more than 25 years. Her cookbook is a treasure trove of fresh, simple recipes. This one for roast potatoes is a fine alternative to mashed, though most years, we make both.

• 10 to 12 small potatoes (Yellow Finn, Yukon Gold)

•¹/₃c. olive oil

• 2 tbsp. chopped garlic

• 3 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary leaves

• Coarse salt

Directions

In a medium bowl, toss together the potatoes, olive oil, garlic, rosemary and a sprinkle of coarse salt. Spread on a large baking sheet and roast in a preheated 375-degree oven, shaking occasionally, until crispy outside and fork tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories 186 Fat 12 g Sodium 9 mg

Carbohydrates 18 g Saturated fat 2 g Calcium 20 mg

Protein 2 g Cholesterol 0 mg Dietary fiber 2 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 bread/starch, 2½ fat.

What could be more Minnesotan than wild rice? Real wild rice, not the long grained, shiny black cultivated rice from Canada, but the mottled tender, nutty tasting-grain (grass seed, actually) hand harvested from our lakes and streams. The real stuff is parched in small batches over an open fire. It cooks quickly and carries a subtle note of smoke. Though pricey, "Hand Harvested 100% Naturally Grown Lake and River Wild Rice" is literally worth its weight in gold (tripling in volume as it cooks). It takes far less time to make (about 20 minutes, vs. 45 minutes to an hour for the cultivated rice).

Wild Rice Cranberry Pilaf

Serves 6 to 8.

Scott and Patty Burns' Scenic Waters Wild Rice Co. in Blackduck, Minn., sells rice at the Minneapolis and St. Paul markets. They shared the recipe for a remarkable wild rice pilaf, sweetened with dried cranberries. It's delicious served warm or at room temperature. It can be made ahead and quantities can be doubled or tripled to serve a crowd.

• 1 c. uncooked wild rice

• 21/4 c. chicken stock

• 1 c. craisins

•¹/₄c. vegetable oil

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1 c. sliced almonds, lightly toasted

• 1 tsp. grated orange zest

•1/3 c. fresh orange juice

• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

In a large saucepan, combine the rice with the chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered 20 to 30 minutes. The rice should be tender but not mushy. Remove from heat.

Add the craisins, oil, salt, almonds, orange zest and juice and black pepper. Refrigerate for about 2 hours. Bring to room temperature and serve.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories 268 Fat 14 g Sodium 585 mg

Carbohydrates 33 g Saturated fat 2 g Calcium 37 mg

Protein 7 g Cholesterol 0 mg Dietary fiber 4 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 bread/starch, 1 other carb, ½ medium-fat meat, 2 fat.

Baked Beans

Serves 8.

This is a classic Scandinavian dish from Greg Reynolds via his grandmother. "It's easy," Reynolds notes, "but not very quick." He adds serrano peppers for a little kick. The longer they stew with the beans, the hotter the dish will taste. "If you have time, these are best made a day ahead," Reynolds says. Reheat before serving. For leftovers, serve the beans with buttered bread.

• 21/2 c. dry cranberry or Swedish brown beans

•¹/₄lb. bacon, chopped

• 1 onion, peeled and chopped

• 1 clove garlic, minced

•¹/₃c. molasses

•¹/₂c. brown sugar

•¹/₄c. ketchup

• 1 tbsp. dry mustard

• 1 tsp. pepper

• 2 whole serrano peppers

• Salt

Directions

Pick through beans; put in a pot and cover with water and let soak overnight. Drain and rinse.

Fry the bacon until almost crisp, remove and drain. Fry the onion in the bacon grease over medium heat until brown, about 5 minutes, add the garlic and sauté until translucent, another 2 minutes. Add the beans, molasses, brown sugar, ketchup, dry mustard, pepper, serrano peppers and enough water to cover completely. Bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer until the beans are tender, about 15 to 30 minutes, adding water as needed.

Taste the sauce as it cooks and when it is hot enough, remove the serranos. Season with salt to taste.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories 367 Fat 7 g Sodium 195 mg

Carbohydrates 63 g Saturated fat 2 g Calcium 176 mg

Protein 16 g Cholesterol 8 mg Dietary fiber 9 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 2 bread/starch, 2 other carb, 1½ medium-fat meat.

Cinnamon-Vanilla Applesauce

Makes about 3 to 4 cups.

Note: Much as we love pies, it's good to have an alternative dessert that's not quite so rich or sweet. Applesauce from Burning River Farm in Osceola, Wis., fits the bill. It can be made ahead. Cook it down further for a thick, dense apple butter. This freezes beautifully.

• 5 c. peeled apple slices (from tart apples such as Haralson or Cortland)

• 2 cinnamon sticks

•³/₄c. apple cider

• Juice of¹/₂lemon

• 1 vanilla bean

• Sugar, honey or maple syrup to taste, optional

Directions

Put the apples, cinnamon sticks, cider and lemon juice into a large pot. Split the vanilla bean and with the back of a knife, scrape the seeds into the pot and then add the bean. Simmer over low heat, stirring, until the apples become very soft and the sauce bubbles, about 30 minutes.

If you'd like a thicker, richer sauce, continue cooking and stirring. Mash the sauce with a potato masher or fork. Serve at room temperature or cool.

Nutrition information per serving of ½ cup :

Calories 62 Fat 0 g Sodium 2 mg

Carbohydrates 16 g Saturated fat 0 g Calcium 7 mg

Protein 0 g Cholesterol 0 mg Dietary fiber 1 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 fruit.

Stuffed Winter Squash

Serves 8.

Winter squash is a traditional vegetable that, when stuffed with nuts and vegetables, makes a satisfying vegetarian entree. Diffley's version plays off the corn, celery and red pepper that's been frozen for winter's eating, the garlic and onions, picked for storage, and the fresh parsley and sage still growing in the herb patch. Use any of the local varieties. Acorn is the most familiar and available, red kuri is a round, vibrant orange that's very tender and mild, and delicata is smaller, thin-skinned and very sweet.

•4 small winter squash (acorn, red kuri, delicata) halved, seeds removed

•¹/₄c. olive oil

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 ribs celery, diced

• 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced

• 1 red bell pepper, seeded, deveined and chopped

•¹/₂c. sliced almonds

• 3 c. cooked rice

• 2 c. sweet corn kernels

•¹/₂c. black olives, pitted and sliced

•¹/₂c. chopped parsley

• 2 tbsp. rubbed sage

• 1 tsp. salt

Directions

Place the squash cut side down on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 375-degree oven until tender, about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet and sauté the onion, garlic, celery, mushrooms, red pepper and almonds until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice, corn, olives, herbs and salt. Remove the squash from the oven, turn over and place the cut side up on the baking sheet and fill the squash with the stuffing.

Return to the oven and bake an additional 30 minutes.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories 327 Fat 12 g Sodium 620 mg

Carbohydrates 54 g Saturated fat 1 g Calcium 122 mg

Protein 7 g Cholesterol 0 mg Dietary fiber 10 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 vegetable, 3 bread/starch, 2½ fat.