Cheesy Mashed White Beans With Kale, Parmesan, and a Fried Egg

Special equipment: Potato masher or food processor

Ingredients

serves Serves 4, active time 30 minutes, total time 30 minutes

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium garlic cloves, finely minced (about 2 teaspoons)
• 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 ounces grated sharp white cheddar cheese
• 2 ounces grated Parmesan (plus more for serving)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups finely shredded kale
• 2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup finely sliced scallion whites and light greens

Procedures

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add beans, cream, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer, then mash beans lightly with a potato masher. Add water until a loose, porridge-like consistency is reached. Stir in cheddar and Parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
   
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add kale, season with salt and pepper, and cook, tossing and stirring frequently, until wilted and starting to crisp, about 4 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and transfer to a bowl.
   
3. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add eggs, season with salt and pepper, and cook until whites are set but yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes.
   
4. To serve, stir half of scallions in white beans and adjust consistency with water as necessary. Transfer to warm bowls, top with sautéed kale then with a fried eggs. Sprinkle with remaining scallions and grate some Parmesan over the top. Serve immediately.

Skillet Kale and Pumpkin Pasta

This quick and easy one-pot meal delivers a hearty serving of kale and pumpkin over farfalle, tied together with a generous topping of nutty Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients

serves Serves 4, active time 30 minutes, total time 30 minutes

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• 3 1/2 cups cubed, peeled and seeded sugar pumpkin or kabocha squash
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
• Pinch of dried red chili flakes
• 1 clove garlic, minced or grated with a Microplane (about 1 teaspoon)
• 4 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 pound farfalle pasta
• 3 cups chopped lacinato kale (tuscan or cavolo nero), stemmed and leaves removed from ribs and cut into 1-inch ribbons
• 1 tablespoon fresh juice from 1 lemon
• 2 ounces finely grated Parmigianno-Reggiano, plus more for serving

Procedures

1. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the pumpkin, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Push to the side and and add the shallot and chili flakes and cook until softened, about 1 minute more, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant, another 30 seconds.
   
2. Add the stock and the pasta and adjust the heat to maintain a vigorous boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta has about 4 minutes left to finish and stir in the kale leaves. Allow the pasta to finish cooking and the kale to wilt. Remove from the pan and toss with the lemon juice and cheese. Season to taste. Serve drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with more cheese.

Roasted Butternut Squash, Kale, and Lemon Soup

Combining the best of both worlds: a blended soup with big hunks of veggies to scoop out.

Ingredients

serves serves 4, active time 20 minutes, total time 40 minutes

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, chopped into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 red bell pepper
• Kosher salt
• 1 bunch kale, ends trimmed, leaves roughly chopped
• 1 lemon, quartered
• 2 medium garlic cloves
• 3 cups homemade or store-bought low sodium vegetable or chicken stock
• Smoked hot paprika to taste

Procedures

1. Adjust racks to upper middle and lower position and preheat oven to 450°F. Add 2 tablespoons oil to a large roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. Add squash, onion, and bell pepper and toss to coat. Season with salt. Add remaining oil to a second roasting pan or baking sheet and add kale, lemon, and garlic. Season with salt and mix well. Place squash on top rack and kale on lower rack and cook, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until squash and red pepper are tender and kale is crispy, about 20 minutes for the kale and 30 minutes for the squash.
   
2. Transfer butternut squash, onion, and garlic to a blender and add the stock. Blend until smooth. Pour this mixture into a large saucepan set over medium heat. Being careful not to add any seeds, squeeze the roasted lemon wedges into the soup and season with salt to taste.
   
3. When the red pepper is cool enough to handle, remove skin, stem, and seeds, and roughly chop the flesh. Ladle the soup into four bowls. Top with a handful of roasted kale and a quarter of the chopped red pepper. Sprinkle some paprika over everything and serve.

Grilled Bread and Kale Salad With Red Onions, Walnuts, and Figs

This standout salad takes a turn from the ordinary by wilting the kale over heat before serving.

Suggested tweaks: You could fiddle with the fruit if figs aren't in season, using apples, pears, or even grapes instead.

Ingredients

serves Serves 2 to 4, active time 35 minutes, total time 35 minutes

• 5–6 ripe figs
• 1–2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
• 1 3-ounce piece Parmesan cheese
• 1 loaf ciabatta or sourdough baguette (fresh or day-old)
• 1 large or 2 small bunches (1/2 pound total) lacinato kale
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small red onion, cut in half and then into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• A handful or two walnut halves, toasted and coarsely chopped
• Black pepper
• Lemon or lime wedges

Procedures

1. Stem the figs and slice them lengthwise into about 5 wedges per fig. Place them in a medium dish and sprinkle with the lemon or lime juice. Toss gently to coat and set aside.
   
2. Shave strips of Parmesan from the block of cheese, using a sturdy vegetable peeler. Lovely cheese ribbons will ensue. Set aside.
   
3. Slice the bread into approximately a dozen thin (as in almost see-through) slices. Larger slices from a ciabatta can be halved for easier handling and consumption. Set aside.
   
4. Hold each kale leaf by the stem and use a very sharp knife to release the leaf from the stem (it’s OK to leave the narrow part of the stem that blends into the leaf farther up). Make a pile of the leaves, roll them up tightly, and cut crosswise into super-thin strips. Transfer to a large bowl of cold water and swish around to clean. Spin very dry and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.
   
5. Heat a large deep skillet over medium heat for about a minute. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Turn up the heat to medium-high and add the onion and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring and/or shaking the pan a little, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the onion becomes shiny and is still this side of tender.
   
6. Transfer the hot onion to the kale in the bowl and stir everything around a bit, then return the entire bowlful of kale-plus-onions to the pan. Stir-fry quickly—just for a minute or so—over medium-high heat until the kale turns an even deeper shade of green and wilts slightly.
   
7. Return it all to the bowl, tossing in the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt. You can add some of the cheese at this point, if you’d like it to melt in slightly.
   
8. Remove the pan from the heat, wait a minute or two, then add the vinegar to the pan (stand back—it will sizzle), swirl it around, and pour what’s left of it into the kale. (It will mostly evaporate.)
   
9. Without bothering to clean the pan, return it to the stove over medium heat. Wait another minute, then add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the bread slices in a single layer and grill on each side until lightly golden and perfectly crisp.
   
10. Transfer the toasts to the kale, along with the figs and all their juice and the shaved cheese to taste. Toss quickly (no need to get things uniform), adding the remaining cheese and the walnuts as you go. Serve right away, passing a pepper mill and offering wedges of lemon or lime to be aimed straight at the figs.
    
11. Optional enhancements:
    Not a fig person? You can swap in a crisp fall apple, sliced thin and lemon juice-doused.
    Go in an entirely different direction and substitute slices or chunks of a very sweet ripe heirloom tomato or a few handfuls of very sweet, ripe cherry tomatoes.

Make-Ahead Harissa Couscous With Pear, Kale, and Lemon

Ingredients

serves Serves 2, active time 20 minutes, total time 20 minutes

• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon harissa (see note above)
• 1 Bosc pear, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2/3 cup couscous
• Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon zest and 2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon
• 2 cups roughly chopped kale (tough stems removed)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large radishes, very thinly sliced

Procedures

1. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in small saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add harissa and cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add pears and cook, stirring, until coated and just beginning to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in couscous to toast, 1 minute. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, the lemon juice, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, then quickly cover and remove from the heat. Let sit for 5 minutes.
   
2. Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add kale, season with salt, and cook, stirring, until wilted and starting to crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover couscous, fluff, and gently fold in kale, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and the lemon zest. Fold in radishes. Serve immediately, or let cool and then refrigerate until ready to eat.

Squash, Shiitake, Kale, and Kimchi Stew

Ingredients

serves Serves 4, active time 20 minutes, total time 30 minutes

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 scallions, ends trimmed, green and white parts thinly sliced and kept separate
• 4 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 4 teaspoons)
• 1/2 pound squash, ends trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 pound shiitakes mushrooms, ends removed, caps sliced
• 1 bunch of kale, ends trimmed, leaves roughly chopped
• 2 cups kimchi, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup kimchi liquid
• 4 cups homemade or store-bought low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili paste)
• 2 tablespoons doenjang (Korean miso paste), or Japanese white miso paste
• 1 pound soft tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons kochukaru (Korean dried chili flakes), more or less to taste (optional)

Procedures

1. Warm sesame oil into a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add scallion whites and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add squash and shiitakes, stir well, and cook until squash starts to soften, 3 to 5 minutes minutes. Add chopped kale and cook, stirring often, until leaves turn bright green and wilt slightly, about 2 minutes.
   
2. Stir in kimchi, kimchi liquid, stock, water, soy sauce, mirin, gochujang, and doenjang. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to a strong simmer. Stir in soft tofu and kochukaru (if using), and cook until kale is tender and soup has slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and chili flakes if desired.
   
3. Serve soup immediately, sprinkled with scallion greens.

Skillet Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Kale

Ingredients

serves Serves 4, active time 30 minutes, total time 30 minutes

• 8 ounces bacon, pancetta, or guanciale, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)
• 3 cups chopped curly kale, stems discarded, leaves cut into 2-inch ribbons
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 ½ cups homemade chicken stock or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for finishing

Procedures

1. Heat bacon in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the fat is rendered and begins to crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the shallot and cook until fragrant and lightly softened, about 1 minute. Add the kale and cook, stirring, until the kale cooks down and begins to crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer kale, bacon, and shallots to a bowl and set aside.
   
2. In the same pot, add the broth and pasta, adjust the heat to maintain a vigorous boil, and cook according to the package directions until al dente, stirring occasionally to ensure nothing sticks. While the pasta is almost done cooking, add the raw eggs, cheese and black pepper to the kale and bacon mixture. When the pasta is finished, remove from the heat, add the kale mixture to the pan, and vigorously stir with a wooden spoon until thickened and creamy. Season strongly with black pepper and serve immediately with more cheese and black pepper on the side.

Kale, Parmesan, and Fried Egg Tartine

Ingredients

serves serves 4 as an appetizer, active time 20 minutes, total time 20 minutes

• 4 slices of hearty bread, such as French pain au levain or sourdough
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium clove garlic split in half, and 1 medium clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 quart of finely sliced kale leaves (about 8 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
• 4 eggs
• 1 ounce finely grated Parmesan cheese

Procedures

1. Preheat broiler to high and adjust rack to 6 inches below element. Brush bread slices on all sides with 2 tablespoons olive oil and rub with split garlic clove on all surfaces. Season with salt and pepper. Place on a rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan and broil until golden brown and toasted on first side, about 3 minutes. Flip and broil until second side is toasted, about 2 minutes longer.
   
2. Toss kale with 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and massage with hands to coat evenly. Pile dressed kale on top of toasted bread, covering entire surface. Return to broiler and broil until kale is wilted and charred, about 5 minutes.
   
3. Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium non-stick or cast iron skillet until shimmering. Add eggs and cook until whites are set but yolk is still runny, about 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
   
4. Place 1 egg on top of each slice of kale and toast. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.