Kale with Buckwheat and Acorn Squash

In keeping with my new tradition of cooking every Sunday and, of course, posting it here, I invited my friend over on Sunday for a nice, healthy, home-cooked meal. This Sunday's recipe is inspired by a dish that I had at Barbuto. My roommate and I have been getting kale and squash almost every week this winter from our CSA, so this dish is a great way to use up our weekly veggies. And everyone agreed that it's delicious, too! I served it as a main course with a side of avocado salad, but this dish itself would make a great side.

Kale with Buckwheat and Acorn Squash

1 bunch kale

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small acorn squash (I only used half of the squash, and saved the other half for lunch the next day)

1/2 cup buckwheat

juice of 1 lemon

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and stringy insides and discard. Place cut side down in an oven safe dish. When oven is ready, place squash in oven and roast until tender, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring 1 cup water to boil, add buckwheat, and let simmer until water is absorbed, about 20 minutes (or cook buckwheat according to instructions on package).

Rinse and dry kale. Trim off the stems and chop coarsely. In a saute pan, heat a bit of olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, then add kale and combine. Saute until tender, about 8 minutes, and season with salt and pepper.

When the acorn squash is ready, remove from oven and let cool. Reserve one half of the squash for another use. With the other half, scoop out the flesh and chop coarsely. Combine kale, buckwheat, and squash. Add lemon juice (start with juice from half a lemon and taste from there) and a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and mix to incorporate.