Sausage and Kale Stew with Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes

1 lb sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed and broken into pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup water
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 large russet potatoes (about 1 pound)
1 small bunch kale, stems discarded and leaves torn (about 7 cups)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for serving

1. Combine the sausage, onion, tomatoes and their juices, tomato paste, garlic, 1 cup water, and 3/4 tsp each salt and pepper in a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker.  Nestle potatoes in the liquid and top with the kale.
2. Cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.  Transfer the potatoes to a medium bowl.  Add the milk, oil, and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper to the bowl and mash.
3. Serve the stew topped with the mashed potatoes.  Drizzle with more olive oil, if desired.

Source: Real Simple magazine, November 2013

Try #1 - February 8, 2014
So, this was not as good as I had hoped.  The kale turned out pretty chewy, and there wasn't as much flavor as I would have liked.  I think I'll stick to some of my other kale and sausage recipes.

Squash Lasagna

2 cups marinara sauce, homemade or purchased
9 lasagna noodles, cooked
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh pepper
2 cups roasted winter squash
1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. In the bottom of an 8×10 casserole, spread 1/2 cup of marinara sauce and top with three lasagna
noodles.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, salt and pepper together until foamy. Add the roasted squash and beat it into the egg until combined. Don’t worry if there are a few lumps.
4. Sprinkle the thyme and the Parmesan into the squash mixture and mix well. Spread the mixture over the lasagna noodles in the pan. Sprinkle with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
5. Layer another 3 noodles in the casserole and top with 1 cup of marinara sauce. Place the remaining 3 noodles in the dish and spread the last 1/2 cup of sauce over the top of them.
6. Finish the lasagna with 1 cup of grated mozzarella cheese and a few sprigs of fresh thyme. Top with 5-7 roasted tomatoes, if you wish.
7. Place in the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until the cheese is golden and the sides of the lasagna are bubbling.
8. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

Source: Let's Eat!

Country Coleslaw

1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
6 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup (about 3) shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped or thinly sliced green bell pepper

In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, sugar, and salt. Add cabbage, carrots, and green pepper; toss to coat well. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Source: http://www.mrfood.com/Deli-Salad/Country-Coleslaw-3931/ct/1

Marinara Sauce

http://www.formerchef.com/2009/09/01/how-to-make-basic-marinara-sauce/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/09/spaghetti-sauce/

http://www.food.com/recipe/slow-cooker-marinara-with-fresh-basil-421371

Don't forget to add some summer squash!

Linguine with Leeks, Radicchio, and Walnut Pesto

8 ounces linguine
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 cups thinly sliced leeks (including some dark green parts)
1/2 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus shaved Parmesan for garnish
1/4 cup walnut pieces (about 1 ounce) plus additional for garnish
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 cups thinly sliced radicchio

1. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add leeks; season with salt and pepper. Cover; cook until tender and beginning to brown, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

3. Puree parsley, 1/4 cup Parmesan, 1/4 cup walnuts, lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons oil in mini processor until coarse puree forms. Season pesto with salt and pepper. 

4. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Add pasta, pesto, and radicchio to leeks; toss, adding cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls if dry. Garnish with walnuts and shaved Parmesan.

Source: Epicurious

Slow Cooker Chile Verde

4 pound chuck roast, or pork shoulder/butt
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 small onion, diced
1 (4 ounce) can diced chiles
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
10 tomatillos, diced (peel off the outer wrapper, if they have one)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons sage
1 Tablespoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more, to taste)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

1. Trim any visible fat from the meat, and plop into your slow cooker stoneware. Add diced bell pepper and onion. If your tomatillos have the leafy-outer skin left on them, take the skin and stem off, and dice finely (use the pampered chef chopping thingy). 

2. Pour in the contents of the diced chile can and the tomato can. Add spices. Stir a bit to get the spices down the sides of the meat. Add chopped cilantro to the top.
3. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, high for 6, or until meat shreds easily with a fork.

Serve with rice, corn tortillas, shredded cheese, refried beans, and a dollop of sour cream.

Source: A Year of Slow Cooking

Try #1 - August 2013
We got tomatillos in our CSA box and I had never cooked with them... but found this recipe and it was delicious!  It made a ton, so we ate it with rice etc. one night and then used the leftovers for enchiladas a couple of nights later.  Yum!

Fresh Tomatillo Salsa

1/2 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and quartered
2 serrano peppers or 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped*
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves
heaping 1/2 teaspoon salt
squeeze of fresh lime juice**

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse to combine and get juices flowing. Blend on low speed until a coarse puree is formed. Pour into a dish, taste and add more salt or lime if desired. Salsa can be thinned with a bit of water if desired.

Recipe Notes: *This amount of chiles produces a medium-spicy salsa; if you’d like it milder, use only one serrano or half a jalapeño. If you want an extremely mild salsa (no heat), remove seeds from peppers. **The lime juice is entirely optional as the tomatillos will lend their own tartness to the salsa. I like lime with cilantro, so I always use a bit.

Source: http://pinchmysalt.com/fresh-tomatillo-salsa/