Mom had the day off yesterday and wasn’t able to pick up her veggie co-op delivery, so her coworker brought it to me at my office.
And I had first dibs. 
One of the most enticing offerings was a big ol’ bunch of kale which I decided I wanted to cook down and stuff into a sweet winter squash.
Last time I roasted an acorn squash, I severely undercooked it (trying to impress the boyfriend’s stepdad, no less) – a mistake I was sure not to repeat. I cooked the halves face-down for about 30 minutes at 400° after spraying them with oil and sprinkling with salt and pepper.
In a sauté pan, I browned some low-fat sausage and then sautéed some garlic and onions along with chopped zucchini.
Once these veggies had cooked down a little, I added the chopped kale followed by a couple of chopped plum tomatoes and some kosher salt.
It may sound crazy, but I thought some sweetness would do well with the squash, sausage, and bitter kale, so I added some maple syrup before piling it all in the upturned squash and baking about 15 minutes more.
At first I thought I’d be able to evenly distribute the stuffing and squash with each bite, but I had a feeling I’d finish the innards before the squashards, so I scooped it all out and ate it in one ugly mash (spared y’all the picture of that).
This was an AMAZING combination! I think it’d be good with some parmesan or mild cheese like mozzarella, but it was perfect enough without! What “thrown together” dishes turned out better than you’d hoped? Any weird-sounding combinations that surprised you? Any that didn’t work out so well? I once added a nut brown ale to shrimp and grits and served it to tailgate guests….don’t ask what possessed me to try it – I’m sure you can guess how that turned out. 