Farm to Table: Kale and Pumpkin Sauce

When I'm not working on this blog, taking notes in class, or at work, I also volunteer for a cause that I'm passionate about: supporting local agriculture! Living on Long Island for most of my life has given me a huge appreciation for the local farmers that dedicate their lives to providing communities with real, fresh, sustainably-raised produce. Because of this, I spend time helping out at a Farmers' Market where we sell all types of fresh fruits and veggies planted on Long Island. This past weekend, I picked up some kale (among other nutritious goodies) and was thinking about possible recipes I could come up with. I looked in my cupboard and saw that I had a can of pumpkin (it would be even better if I had fresh pumpkin, but it's not late enough in the season for that). I decided to combine the two to make an awesome, delicious sauce that I'm sharing today. I made this sauce up as I went along, so feel free to adjust it based on your tastebuds.

Ingredients 

• 2 cups of kale (raw), chopped
• 1 twelve-ounce can of pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix in a can!)
• 1 cup unsweetened, plain almond milk, rice milk, or soy milk
• 2 gloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped, or 2-3 tsp. dry basil
• 2 tsp. dried oregano (I didn’t have fresh oregano, but if you have it, use it)
• a dash of salt and pepper, to taste
• ⅛ tsp. of nutmeg (this is optional, nutmeg complements pumpkin really well, but if you don’t have any on hand, don’t worry about it!)

 

Directions

• Finely chop garlic and use non-stick spray to grease a pan on low-medium heat
• Allow garlic to sizzle a little
• While garlic is cooking, use blender to combine kale and unsweetened non-dairy milk until uniform
• Add 12 ounces of pumpkin and the kale/non-dairy milk mixture to the pan containing the garlic
• Continuing to stir on low-medium heat, add olive oil, basil, oregano, salt and pepper, and nutmeg for 10 minutes or until warm and uniform in color and texture
• Prepare your favorite pasta, rice, or protein and use this sauce to add an unexpectedly delightful feast your body and tastebuds will equally enjoy! I roasted some veggies and made some sprouted grain fettucine, but the possibilities are endless with a little imagination.

-Jess