Pretty Pictures and a Super Fantastic Pasta with Kale Pesto and Roasted Butternut Squash!

Hi Guys! 
THE FOLLOWING PICTURES MAKE ME HAPPY AND I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THEM. 

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This is a picture of Tim's Grandmother's kitchen window in Albuquerque about 30 years ago, 
one of my favorite pictures ever. 
Marguerite would change the glass out seasonally.

Can someone come to my house this weekend and lay this exact sidewalk by the summer kitchen, please? Hello? Bueller? Bueller?

artpeople.net

mariakillam.com...check her blog out, she's a fantastic designer and colour expert.

This entryway intrigues me. Even the carpet,
 but especially that railing. 
I want to tour the rest of the house.

Maria Killam is a designer and colour expert. 
This is her living room. Talk about put together!

On the other hand, this entryway intrigues me too. 
I'm nosy. 
I want to know what's upstairs and what's on the main level here.

I saved this picture because I think the walkway might be realistically doable for me down the road.

mariakillam.com

This is gazpacho. Doesn't look like any gazpacho I've ever seen. Yes please, I'll take two bowls, er I mean glasses.

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And when I get tired of that porch, I will retire to this other porch, also attached to my imaginary dual-porched house.

I'll eat that gazpacho out here on my pretend porch, by the sea.

Something is driving me crazy though....um, 
WHO has floors that clean?? In a kitchen??? Who???

And I will wash up those gazpacho pedestal glasses in this here kitchen in that imaginary house by the sea.

Okay, now we get to a delightful dish that makes me super happy too. 
This light refreshing dish is full of flavor and just a delight to eat. 
Pasta with Kale Pesto and 
Roasted Butternut Squash.

Lottery Hill Farm in Vermont.

This dish is one of the top five things I've made and devoured!!
In fact I made it for breakfast the other day, I was craving it so much.

So this dish is from 
Melissa Clark with the 
New York Times!

And here's the fixins for this 
refreshing pasta dish!

Also, I used a whole wheat, 
locally made pasta.

Oh gosh, I think this style is called corkscrew or twizzler or something...I'll remember before I'm done with this post. 

Rotini, maybe?? Oh heck, I'll just google...
Okay, just googled, 
it's either fusili or rotini.  
Anyhoo, use whatever you have in the pantry.

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Here's the recipe....Just click HERE to go directly to the New York Times recipe.

Pasta With Kale Pesto and Roasted Butternut Squash
 MELISSA CLARK...straight outta cooking.nyt.com

• Time 45 minutes
• Yield 2 to 3 serving

Here is a one-pot meal designed explicitly for the hungriness of a long-distance runner, with garlicky kale pesto and sweet roasted butternut squash. Making the pesto with kale instead of basil gives it a structure the basil-rich original lacks, and it interacts beautifully with the crisp-and-soft smoothness of the roasted squash. A terrific dish.
 
INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ pounds butternut squash
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, more for squash
•  Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small bunch (about 1/2 pound)lacinato kale, center ribs removed
• 8 ounces pasta (penne rigate works well)
• ⅓ cup toasted pine nuts
• 2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
•  Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
•  Freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
•  Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
• 
  
  PREPARATION
  

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a vegetable peeler to peel squash, then halve it lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Dice squash flesh into 1-inch pieces, place on a baking sheet, and toss with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Spread pieces into an even layer, making sure there is space between them. Roast, stirring squash pieces once or twice, until golden brown and tender, about 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; have ready a bowl of ice water. Drop kale into boiling water and cook for 45 seconds. Use tongs or slotted spoon to transfer kale to ice water. Bring water in pot back to a boil, adding more if necessary so there is enough to cook pasta.
3. Drain kale well, then wrap tightly in a dry kitchen towel and squeeze thoroughly to remove any excess moisture. Roughly chop leaves. When water in pot comes back to a boil, cook pasta according to package directions.
4. In a food processor, pulse together kale, nuts, garlic, salt and lemon zest until mixture is smooth and salt has dissolved. With motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil until fully incorporated. Taste and add more salt dissolved in a little lemon juice, if necessary.
5. Drain pasta, reserving a little cooking water. Toss pasta with kale pesto and some pasta cooking water if necessary to help it coat pasta. Add cheese, lemon juice and salt to taste. Serve topped with squash and more cheese.

So we'll start by toasting the pine nuts in the oven for 
10 minutes at 300 degrees.

Angie's Public Service Announcement: 
Do not, 
I repeat 
do not 
have heart palpitations when you see how much pine nuts are at the grocery. 
Just
#1 Breathe 
#2 Cover your eyes with your hands and 
#3 Buy them, they are essential here... 

Just wanted to mention that I bought Lacinato kale, 
or what is commonly referred to as 
Dinosaur kale, 
instead of the more traditional curly kale.


Either one works fine, for sure!!

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First, prep all your ingredients. 
Cut, chop, toast, grate and shred.

Olive oil up that yummy cut butternut squash, and salt and pepper them and bake 
for 30 or so minutes....

Now get your boiling water in a pan ready for the kale 


and then have a bowl with Ice cubes and water beside....

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Throw that kale into the boiling water for
 45 seconds or so...

...And then throw the kale into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking...


it should look a gorgeous bright green!

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Drain the kale on a paper towel and squeeze dry.

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Throw the pasta in the boiling, salted water...

Now chock the kale, toasted pine nuts, the garlic, and lemon peel in the food processor and pulse away!

Now drain your pasta...


you're getting close!!!

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It should smell heavenly, 
just heavenly, 


and look like this.

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Toss 
the pasta with the kale pesto....

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Add a tiny bit of pasta liquid, if needed, to keep things nice and coated...

Looking good, yes??  
Also, you can not even imagine how wonderful this smells with the toasted pine nuts and lemon peel, garlic and kale....fantastic!!

Oh my goodness gracious, 
now add the roasted butternut squash...

Shred some of that fresh Parmesan on top....

I can still smell the lemony pesto 
with the sweet butternut squash 
and the saltiness of the Parmesan.

Like I said earlier, I made this twice in one week cause it was so light, refreshing, delicious, a perfect combo of everything summery.

OH! You can eat this warm or eat it for 
lunch the next day cold.
 Either way it's terrific and I really hope you try this recipe out sometime!!!

Okay, so closing out, I would like to share a couple of other pictures that make me happy (none of the pictures showcase potato chips or cheesecake though, that's for another day :)

So the weather last week was 
a-changin' to the south there....

Tim was sitting on the deck...

rather 
enjoying himself with a
 cigar, 

a glass of wine,

and the Bible, 


his usual evening 
accouterments. 

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I looked over at the sitting area off the deck, under the tree,

 and stated how peaceful it looked that night,
 
with a newly mowed lawn.

So Tim decided that would be a good vantage point to watch the storms in the southern skies.

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At least one cat thought so too, 


and joined us as well.

And the sky that night was quite lovely to see, when you're far, far away...

Okay, so that's all I have for today! 
I really do hope y'all try out the 
Pasta and Kale Pesto recipe sometime soon though!!


So have a good rest of the week kiddos,
 stay cool, 
and we'll talk at ya soon!!!