Colcannon (Mashed Potatoes with Cabbage) Recipe

In the last post I mentioned that I had another head of napa cabbage and potatoes from our CSA box to use up. I searched for recipes using both of these items. I have combined a couple of recipes here to come up with the one I will try. I'll post a photo of it after we make the dish.

Colcannon (Mashed Potatoes with Cabbage)

Potatoes and Cabbage have been sustenance foods in Ireland for ages. This classic Irish dish combines the mashed potatoes and cabbage.

1 1/2 lbs potatoes, peeled & cut into small even size pieces

napa cabbage leaves, washed, trimmed & cut into 1/4-inch strips

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

4 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 cup green onions, white and green parts, chopped

olive oil

1 small container of sour cream

desired amount of cheddar cheese

2 cups grated Parmesan

desired amount of Panko

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450F.

2. Lightly grease a heat resistant serving or baking dish.

3. Boil the potatoes for about 20 minutes or until soft.

4. In a skillet or wok heat olive oil, half the garlic and sauté chopped green onions until tender; remove from the heat.

5. In the same skillet or wok, add olive oil and cabbage. Bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes until cabbage is tender. Take off the heat, drain & allow to cool in a colander.

6. Drain the potatoes. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, sour cream, Parmesan, and the remaining garlic, Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes thoroughly until smooth & with no lumps.

7. Add the cabbage, green onions, parsley & chives to the mashed potatoes - gently mix together.

8. Pile the mixture into your greased (I use Pam with olive oil) serving or baking dish - scatter the grated cheddar cheese over the top

9. Spread some Panko bread crumbs over the cheese.

10. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes in the oven, until the cheese has melted and is bubbling and the panko is a golden brown.

I think next time I will use a different crumb topping instead of the Panko, maybe corn flakes or something else. But otherwisde this was a good dish. There are many variations of this recipe on the internet too.

Another cabbage and rice dish

Since we got double our veggies in our CSA box last week, I had to figure out what to do with all the napa cabbage I had. So I changed another recipe I had to include rice and not pasta.

1 head of napa cabbage leaves and stalks

desired amount of country blend long grain rice (or any rice you prefer)

1 onion

5 small cloves of chopped garlic

1 tbs. fresh chopped sage

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

5 ounces of goat cheese

We use a rice cooker for the rice. We also buy the rice from the bulk dispensers at the grocery stores. You can use any kind of rice you want, and cook it any way you'd like.

I use the napa cabbage leaves and stalks. I tear the leaves from the stalk and rinse them in water. I wash and cut the stalks as I would celery. It makes a nice crunchy taste.

Chop the onions, sage and garlic.

Brown the cabbage stalks, onions and garlic in a frying pan or wok. Add the cabbage leaves and chicken broth to the mixture. Saute until tender. About half way through, I added the sage.

When the rice is cooked and cabbage is tender, mix the rice, cabbage mixture and goat cheese in the wok. Cook until the goat cheese is blended in.

Serve!

Had I had tomatoes I would have added those as well.

Now I have another head of napa cabbage and a bunch of potatoes. So I'm searching the web for a recipe to combine those two items.

Butternut squash gratin with blue cheese and sage

Butternut squash gratin with blue cheese and sage

Ingredients

5 cups (3/4-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 2 pounds)


1 (1 1/2-ounce) slice white bread 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided

2 cups thinly sliced onion

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cooking spray

1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Steam butternut squash, covered, 10 minutes or until tender.

3. Place bread in a food processor, and pulse 12 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1/2 cup. Transfer to a small bowl; add 2 teaspoons oil, and toss with a fork to combine.

4. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced onion to pan; saute 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl. Add butternut squash, chopped sage, salt, and black pepper to bowl, and toss gently to combine. Spoon squash mixture into an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. Sprinkle crumbled blue cheese evenly over squash mixture, and sprinkle evenly with breadcrumb mixture. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and crumbs are golden brown.


  http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/butternut-squash-gratin-with-blue-cheese-sage-10000001860069/

Strawberry Apple Smoothies

Last night Doug used most of the strawberries that we got in our CSA box and one apple to make us smoothies after dinner. He added some yogurt to the drink.

Spaghetti squash and kale

When we went to pick up our CSA box on Wednesday, we were informed that someone took our large box (it was the last one) rather than taking their small box. So they had to give us two small boxes instead. So we now have 8 apples, 12 tangerines, 4 packs of strawberries, 8 potatoes, 2 bunches of carrots, 2 bunches of dino kale and 2 large napa cabbages. We should have also had snow peas, broccoli, cilantro and beets. So I needed to find a way to use up the kale since we are going to our son's this weekend. I knew it wouldn't keep until we got back. I had the spaghetti squash already.

In this recipe I used spaghetti squash in place of pasta or noodles that I would normally do.

Other items:

dino kale

napa cabbage stalks in place of celery since we had so much extra

cherry tomatoes cut in half

1 onion, chopped

5 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1 package of a garlic herb sauce

The easiest and quickest way I have found to prepare spaghetti is by microwaving it. Cut the squash in half and scrape out the seeds. Microwave the halves on a plate with a cover or saran wrap, cut side up, for 12-14 minutes or until very soft. Allow them to cool before scraping the flesh out with a fork. (The flesh will easily come out in strands that look like spaghetti.) Set the flesh aside, and discard the rind.

Wash the kale and remove from stalks in small pieces and drain.

Wash the cabbage stalks that you will use. I cut the leaves away from the center white stalks. I cut them as you would celery into about 1/4 inch thick pieces. I also put the leaves that I had into the kale mixture.

In a wok saute the garlic, cabbage stalks and onions in some olive oil.

When they are done, add the kale and saute until wilted. This type of kale is hardier and thicker and so it has to be sauteed a little longer than regular kale.

While the kale is cooking, mix the ricotta, Parmesan cheese and package mix into a bowl and set aside.

Once the kale is wilted, add the tomatoes and mix in. Cook for two to three minutes more.

Add the spaghetti squash back in and stir.

Then add the cheese mixture in and mix together. Continue cooking until the cheese is melted.

Serve.

Doug's veggie soup recipe

Doug's veggie soup recipe

Cabbage

chicken broth

tomatoes

potatoes

carrots

peas

rice

basil

parsley

oregano

celery seed

Pasta and zucchini with lemon basil ricotta cream

Pasta and zucchini with lemon basil ricotta cream

The Washington Post, June 27, 2012

Here, the ricotta is treated to lemon and basil. Zucchini and onion are sauteed until tender, then everything is combined with corkscrew-shaped pasta. It’s easy, delicious and taste like summer.

4 or 5 servings

Ingredients:

• Salt
• 8 ounces dried corkscrew-shaped pasta, such as rotini or fusilli
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion (from a medium onion)
• 1 pound zucchini, cut into cubes no larger than 1/2 inch (about 2 medium zucchini)
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons low-fat milk
• Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon, plus more for optional garnish
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped basil leaves (about 16 large leaves), plus 2 basil leaves cut into thin strips for optional garnish
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick saute pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and season with salt to taste; cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens. Add the zucchini and toss to combine. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat so the zucchini becomes tender but does not brown.

Combine the ricotta, milk, lemon zest and basil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
When the pasta and vegetables are ready, add them to the bowl and toss to combine. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Transfer to a serving bowl or to individual serving plates. Garnish with more lemon zest and the basil strips, if desired.

Recipe Source:

From Nourish columnist Stephanie Witt Sedgwick.

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2012/06/27/pasta-and-zucchini-lemon-basil-ricotta-cream/

Kale salad with roasted butternut squash and almonds

Kale salad with roasted butternut squash and almonds.

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 medium shallot, minced
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups 1/2-inch cubed butternut squash
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed, cut into 1/2-inch wide ribbons (about 5 cups)
• 3/4 cup whole almonds, toasted, coarsely chopped
• Parmesan (for shaving)

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with foil. Whisk 5 Tbsp. oil, vinegar, shallot, and Dijon mustard in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside. Combine squash and 2 Tbsp. oil in a medium bowl and toss to combine; season with salt and pepper. Transfer squash to prepared baking sheet and roast, turning occasionally, until squash is tender and lightly golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add kale and cook, tossing frequently, until bright green and slightly wilted, 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat; add 3–4 Tbsp. dressing and toss to coat. Transfer kale to a baking sheet and cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Add reserved squash and almonds to kale; toss well and season with pepper. Divide among bowls; drizzle with more dressing, if desired. Using a vegetable peeler, shave Parmesan over.

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2012/02/kale-salad-with-butternut-squash-and-almonds#ixzz2IjAdSItc

Here's some other variations of that same recipe:

Roasted Butternut Squash and Almond Kale Salad - http://thewholegoodlife.com/roasted-butternut-squash-and-almond-kale-salad/

Northern Spy's Kale Salad - http://food52.com/recipes/15584_northern_spys_kale_salad

Roasted Butternut Squash with Kale and Almond Pecan Parmesan - http://ohsheglows.com/2012/09/24/roasted-butternut-squash-with-kale-and-almond-pecan-parmesan/

This one adds Brussels sprouts to the mix:

Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash - http://www.joanne-eatswellwithothers.com/2012/11/recipe-kale-and-brussels-sprout-salad.html

Goat cheese and arugula over penne

Goat cheese and arugula over penne

The sauce

5 1/2 ounces crumbled goat cheese

2 cups chopped arugula

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

Mixed together and mix in pasta.

Ingredients:
5 1/2 ounces goat cheese
2 cups coarsely chopped arugula, stems
included
1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil 2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces penne pasta
Directions:
1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
2. Crumble goat cheese into a large serving bowl. Add arugula, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper.
3. Drain pasta, and toss with goat cheese mixture
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe-Tools/Print/Recipe.aspx?recipeID=11698&origin=detail&servings=6&metric=false

This dish has a little bit of a spicy taste to it. That's because of the chopping of the arugula.

Arugula (Eruca vesicaria sativa) is a leafy green herb of the mustard family. Known also as rocket, Italian cress, roquette, and rucola, it has elongated dark green leaves that are lobed like the leaves of an oak. In the ground, the plant resembles a loose lettuce with long, slender leaves.

This herb is related to both the radish and watercress, and the flavor of the leaves is similarly hot and peppery. The leaves can be between 3 and 8 inches (7.5 and 20 centimeters) in length, depending on the maturity of the leaf. Native to the Mediterranean region, arugula has been grown as a vegetable since the Roman era. The Romans ate the leaves, used the seeds to flavor oil, and made aphrodisiac and medicinal compounds from the plant.

*Description from the internet.

Using bay leaves in cooking

Since that last recipe I posted called for using a bay leaf, and I had never done that before, I searched the web and found the following information:

How to Use Bay Leaves - http://www.wikihow.com/Use-Bay-Leaves

How to Use Bay Leaf in Cooking -
Read more: How to Use Bay Leaf in Cooking | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2318328_use-bay-leaf-cooking.html#ixzz2IH2RMZus

Bay Leaf - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_leaf

Cooking with Bay Leaves - http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/05/30/2823923/cooking-with-bay-leaves.html

And here are a couple of recipes using bay leaves:

Potatoes Roasted with Olive Oil and Bay Leaves
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Potatoes-Roasted-with-Olive-Oil-and-Bay-Leaves-108250#ixzz2IH4NcCYf

Ingredients

8 medium-size red-skinned potatoes

1/2 cup olive oil

40 small bay leaves

1 tablespoon coarse sea salt

2 teaspoons herbes de Provence*

1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely cracked black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Using small sharp knife and working on 1 potato, make 5 crosswise vertical cuts, spaced evenly apart, from 1 side to other side (do not cut through). Place potato in 13x9x2-inch broilerproof baking dish. Repeat with remaining potatoes. Add some of oil to dish and toss potatoes to coat. Slide 1 bay leaf into each cut in each potato. Mix salt, herbs, and pepper in small bowl and sprinkle over potatoes. Roast potatoes until tender, about 55 minutes. Remove dish from oven. Preheat broiler. Drizzle remaining oil over potatoes. Broil until potatoes begin to brown, about 4 minutes.

*A dried herb mixture available at specialty foods stores and in the spice section of some supermarkets. A combination of dried thyme, basil, savory, and fennel seeds can be substituted.

 

Bay Leaf Tea - http://latinfood.about.com/od/beverages/r/bay-leaf-tea.htm

A hot cup of bay leaf tea is comforting, it is almost like aromatherapy. The fragrant leaves release there essence and gives you a spiced tea that will have you going back for a second cup. Older folks in the Caribbean believe that bay leaf tea can lower your blood pressure, aid with digestive problems and even get rid of headaches. Folk medicine is still alive in the Caribbean. Whether or not these claims are true, one thing is certain, you'll love this tea.

Prep Time: 1 minute

Cook Time: 3 minutes

Steeping: 4 minutes

Total Time: 8 minutes

Yield: 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 3 large fresh West Indian bay leaves
• 2 cups water
• Sugar and milk (optional)

Preparation:

1. Add the bay leaves and water to a pot, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Let boil for 3 minutes then remove the pot from the heat and let the tea steep for 4 minutes.
2. Strain and drink or sweeten to suit your taste. If using milk, only use a small splash, as too much milk will dilute the flavor of the tea.

Bubble and squeak and candied shallots - http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/bubble_and_squeak_and_38318

Ingredients

For the candied shallots

• 30 shallots, peeled
• 150g/5oz butter
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 200ml/7fl oz red wine
• 125ml/4fl oz port
• crème de cassis
• 600ml/1 pint beef stock
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 1 lemon, zest only
• 1 tsp dried thyme

For the bubble and squeak

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 leeks, washed, sliced
• 1.25kg /2lb 12oz potatoes, peeled, boiled, mashed and left to cool
• 750g/1lb 10oz spring cabbage, finely shredded, blanched (or leftover cooked cabbage or Brussels sprouts)
• sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation method

1. For the candied shallots, simmer the shallots gently for 4-5 minutes in a pan of boiling water to soften. Drain.
2. Heat the butter in a non-reactive frying pan, add the shallots and fry gently until golden-brown, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the sugar and stir until it melts and begins to caramelise and coat the shallots.
4. Mix the wine, port, cassis and stock together in a bowl. Add a quarter of the wine mixture to the pan with the shallots and bring to a boil, then add the bay leaf and lemon zest. Reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering, then continue to simmer until the liquid has reduced to a glaze.
5. Add some more of the wine mixture to the pan and simmer again until the liquid has reduced to a glaze. Add the remaining liquid bit by bit, reducing each time, until the shallots are coated in the glaze. Set aside until needed.
6. For the bubble and squeak, heat half of the olive oil in a frying pan and cook the leeks for 3-4 minutes, or until softened but not coloured.
7. Mix the leeks, mashed potato and cabbage together in a bowl. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
8. Heat the remaining olive oil in the frying pan. Place four 7.5cm/3in chefs' rings into the pan and spoon the bubble and squeak into the rings, packing down gently. Cook until golden-brown on the bottom, turn the rings over carefully and cook on the other side. Remove from the pan and keep warm until ready to serve, carefully removing the chefs’ rings before serving.

Recipes using McCormick Whole Bay Leaves - http://www.spiceplace.com/rice-pilaf-recipe.php 3 tbsp butter 1 onion, finely chopped 1 1/2 cups rice 2 1/4 to 3 cups chicken stock or water 1 bay leaf 3 sprigs thyme 4 large sprigs parsley (including stalks) 4 inch piece celery stalked with leaves 2 (4 inch) pieces leek tops (green part) salt and freshly ground black pepper Make a Bouquet Garni by placing one leek tops flat on a plate, topping with celery stalks, then parsley, thyme, and bay leaf. Top with other leek top, and tie tightly with cotton string. The amount of liquid necessary to cook the rice depends on the quality of the rice. Use water rather than stock in cooking the pilaf if it accompanies a dish with a sauce. Chicken Stock or water should be about 2 times the amount of rice. So if using 2 1 1/2 cups of rice, use 3 cups stock or water. In a heavy bottom casserole, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and saute the onion until soft but not browned. Add the rice and cook about 2 minutes, stirring, until the butter is absorbed and the grains look transparent. Add 2 1/4 cups of stock or water with the Bouquet Garni, salt and white pepper; put a round of buttered parchment paper on the rice, cover and bring to a boil. Simmer on top of the stove or cook in a moderate oven (350 ° F.) for exactly 18 minutes. If the liquid has evaporated but the rice is not cooked, add more liquid arid cook a few more minutes until tender. Let the pilaf stand, covered, 10 minutes so the rice grains cool and contract slightly. Remove the bouquet garni. Dot the top of the Rice Pilaf with the remaining butter, stir with a fork to fluff up the rice, and taste for seasoning. Rice Pilaf can be prepared ahead and kept 3-4 days in the refrigerator or it can be frozen. To Reheat Rice Pilaf Place Rice Pilaf in a moderate oven (350° F) for about 15 minutes or heat it gently on top of stove until very hot. It is best to use a pan with a large surface area for reheating, so the Rice Pilaf will heat up quickly and evenly.

Cabbage and Rice Casserole

Here's a recipe that I found but I can't remember the where on the web.I've modified it a little

Cabbage and rice casserole

What you need: 

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups short grain rice, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper (I didn't use pepper)
2 teaspoons Hungarian paprika, divided
3 cups water
1 small head cabbage, finely chopped
1 (8 ounce) can tomatoes (I used cherry tomatoes cut in half instead)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon ground rock salt (I didn't use salt.)

What you do: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat oil in a large pan. Add onion and saute until translusent, but not brown. Add rice and saute for about five minutes.

2. Add all remaining ingredients in the following order: pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika, water, cabbage, tomatoes, bay leaf, salt. Stir well. Cook on stove top for about 5 minutes and transfer into a small rectangle glass pan. Sprinkle generously with remaining paprika.

3. Bake for half an hour, or until done. Serve with warm crusty whole wheat vegan bread.

Preparation Time: 

1 hour

Cooking Time: 

Servings: 

4-6

Here's another recipe that is similar if you are looking for the cabbage and rice combo:

German Cabbage and Rice Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter, preferably unsalted
• 4-5 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 large onion, chopped, about 1-1/2 cups
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
• Shredded Swiss cheese for garnish, about 1 cup
Heat butter in large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Add cabbage and onions. Cover; cook until cabbage is golden-brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. (Cabbage heads tend to have different amounts of moisture depending on several factors, including the time of year. You might need to add a little moisture or, conversely, you might have to remove the lid to get it to brown.).

Add broth, water, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes.

Add rice. Continue to simmer, covered for about 20 minutes, stirring often. Taste for seasoning.

Serve in individual soup bowls.

Pass shredded cheese separately.

Notes: You can substitute half of the butter with olive or canola oil. Use a really good Swiss or Swiss-style cheese, such as Gruyere, Emmentaler or Jarlsberg. The more flavorful the cheese, the less you will need.

Can carrot leaves be used for cooking

We got some carrots last week in our CSA box. They always come with the greens still attached. I always hate to throw them away. I already use the celery leaves for cooking and juicing. So I decided to search on the web and see if I could do something with the carrot greens. I found a couple of good sites that talk about this. But basically I can use the greens in several ways. This first article even talks about using radish and beet greens as well.

Salad of Edible Radish, Beet & Carrot Top Greens – Exciting, No Waste Recipes -

http://whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/radish-salad-beet-salad-carrot-top-salad/

What to do with carrot tops aka carrot greens - http://nedraggett.wordpress.com/2009/07/31/what-to-do-with-carrot-tops-aka-carrot-greens/

Here's a recipe - Veggie Might: Carrot Top Scramble — No Joke! - http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/2009/07/veggie-might-carrot-topsno-joke.html

Grilled Carrots with Carrot Greens Pesto - http://noteatingoutinny.com/2010/07/18/grilled-carrots-with-carrot-greens-pesto/

Salad of Edible Radish, Beet & Carrot Top Greens - http://whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/radish-salad-beet-salad-carrot-top-salad/

Another good article - Yes, Carrot Tops are Edible...and Delicious - http://www.gilttaste.com/stories/489-yes-carrot-tops-are-edible-and-delicious

And this one is probably the best one of all - Eat Your Carrot Green Tops (the leaves) - http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/carrotops.html

Here's a couple more recipes:

Carrot Greens with Sesame Dressing - http://www.melissaclark.net/blog/2012/10/carrot-tops.html

Don’t Throw Out Those Greens – Put Them In Your Green Smoothie Instead! - http://www.incrediblesmoothies.com/green-smoothies/dont-through-out-those-greens/

Another stir fry variation

Here's another version of a stir fry recipe. We've got some leftover napa cabbage leaves and stalks, celery leaves and stalks, broccoli, cauliflower, snow peas, onions, shallots, and garlic. The celery, broccoli, snow peas and cauliflower came from the CSA box. We used a low-sodium soy sauce.

Spaghetti Squash and Kale Gratin

Yesterday I wanted to see if I could find a recipe that would use spaghetti squash and kale. We had the spaghetti squash left and got kale in our box. I found several recipes. I modified this one and used it.

 

Spaghetti Squash and Kale Gratin

1 large spaghetti squash
1 large onion, diced small
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
garlic cloves chopped
chopped kale leaves
2 TSP finely chopped fresh chives or sliced green onion
2 cups Ricotta cheese
1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese plus about 1/4 cup more for topping the gratin
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 400F. Wash the outside of the spaghetti squash if needed, then cut off the stem and blossom end, stand squash upright, and using a large chef's knife, carefully cut in half lengthwise.

Use a sharp spoon to scrape out seeds and the slimy material that surrounds them, and discard.  Place the squash halves on a microwaveable plate, put a plastic wrap and microwave until cooked (this will vary depending on the microwave, but mine took about 9 minutes).  Let squash cool for a few minutes, then shred into spaghetti-like strands.

Wash kale leaves if needed and spin dry or dry with paper towel.

Chop onion.

Heat olive oil in wok, add chopped onions, season with dried thyme and sauté until onion is softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute more, then add kale all at once. Cook about 1-2 minutes, turning a few times until it's wilted to about half the size it was. The kale shouldn't be completely cooked, since it will cook more in the gratin.) Turn off heat.

Spray a dish with non-stick spray or olive oil.

Using a large fork, gently mix the chopped chives or green onion and shredded spaghetti squash into the onion/kale mixture. Combine the ricotta, Parmesan cheese, and beaten egg and mix into the kale/spaghetti squash mixture. Then put the combined ingredients into the gratin dish, and press down so it's evenly distributed in the dish. Sprinkle top with about 1/4 cup more Parmesan cheese.

Bake about 30-35 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling and cheese is browned on top. Serve hot.

Modified from this recipe: http://selfishcooking.blogspot.com/2012/09/spaghetti-squash-and-kale-gratin.html#!/2012/09/spaghetti-squash-and-kale-gratin.html

Here's another similiar recipe: 
http://www.trufflehead.com/peter-sherwoods-spaghetti-squash-and-kale-gratin/