Garlic Sage Polenta and Acorn Squash Salad
- ktsveggielife
- Nov 15, 2018
- 3 min read
So I have joined this awesome co-op called Cottonwood Produce Co-op and I love it. It is $25 per week for a full box or $15 a week for a half. My family of four, well three because baby only drinks milk, destroys the full box EVERY WEEK. As in by the last day we have no food in our house. And it is a LOT of food. Even though I am a really thrifty and resourceful shopper: I shop at three different stores, I coupon, I use sales, this is saving me so much money. Because I hardly walk into a grocery store anymore. It is so great. And, the pick up is on Tuesday mornings, not Saturdays. With our old co-op we always had to decide on Monday if we were going to be around on Saturday morning to pick up our food before we ordered. That was annoying. But now, I drop my so off at preschool, go pick up my produce, take the dog and baby on a hike until preschool is over. Every Tuesday. It is great.
As for this recipe. It is super easy. It takes time because the squash has to cook, but it isn't very labor intensive. Just time in the oven and that is very doable because I can be doing other things while everything cooks. Because everything in this meal has to cook. So looking at the list and directions can seem daunting, I promise it isn't as scary as it looks. There is minimal prep, it is all just cooking time.
I had the idea to do polenta with the squash from who knows where. I will chalk it up to inspiration and it must have been because it is so EASY and CHEAP to make. And guess what, my three year old LOVED it. He goes, "What's this?" and I said, "It is polenta. It is like a muffin made out of corn. Try it." He tried it and ate three or four polenta balls. I had to give him some of mine because he couldn't get enough. Looks like we will be eating poletna a lot more often. I am not sad about that.
I also topped it with a tahini dressing which is super easy to whip up. You could try a balsamic vinaigrette as well. I bet that would also be really tasty.
Ingredients
Polenta
1/2 c Yellow Cornmeal
1 c Water
1 c Vegetable Broth
Garlic Powder, to taste
Rubbed Sage, to taste
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Squash
1 large Acorn Squash, cut into rounds and seeded
Olive Oil
1 large Clove Garlic, minced
1/2 Red Onion, sliced
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Rubbed Sage, to taste
ChickPeas
1 can or 1 c dry chickpeas
Garlic Powder, to taste
Rubbed Sage, to taste
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Kale
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Tahini Dressing (optional)
2 T Tahini
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp lemon juice
water to thin
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut acorn squash into rounds. (I made about 4-5 rounds because my squash was HUGE.) Place on a baking sheet and baste with a tiny bit of oil. Sprinkle with spices and rub into the flesh. Bake 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, slice onions. After 20 minutes, remove squash and add onions to the pan. Baste with a tiny bit of oil and bake another 20 minutes until squash is really soft.
3. Meanwhile. Combine cornmeal, water, and broth in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking often to prevent burning and sticking, until thick. Stir in spices until desired taste. Let set 10-20 minutes while squash cooks.
4. Once squash and onions are done. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F. Combine precooked or canned chickpeas in a bowl with spices and toss to coat. Pour onto a baking dish and bake 30 minutes, stir half way through.
5. Roll polenta into balls, it will be really mushy and sticky, and place in muffin tins and bake 20 minutes. (I just cooked at the same time I did the chickpeas)
6. Once chickpeas and polenta are done, increase heat back to 400 degrees F. Wash and rip kale into bite sized pieces. Baste with oil and salt and pepper and bake 5 minutes until crunchy.
7. Whisk together tahini sauce (optional) ingredients, assemble your salad, and enjoy.
Comments