Don't you just hate it when you've gotten things all ready the day before, you've got the camera set up for some kick-ass shots, you've even got the shot ideas in your head and then you get home from work and since it's the middle of November in the Northern Hemisphere it's already too dark to get those kick-ass awesome shots.  Winter's a bitch sometimes.
I'm not gonna go all freaked out and negative about winter and all that crap I'll just leave it at 'I'm not a fan'.   Remember all those awesome shots that I would get in the summer?  Outside... beautiful breeze (you wouldn't have known that)... probably 7:30 or 8 in the night... beautiful light.  Yeah, I'm missing that right now.
I'm fighting it.  I'm still biking.  I hate the TTC in morning and riding my bike means that I avoid the stress of the subway, save money on tokens AND get to work more quickly.  It's win/win... except for the bloody  cold wind this afternoon.  I'm over it though and I'm gonna keep biking.  It's like my way of giving the finger to winter.  I'm gonna start running again too... as soon as my foot is back in action.  As I've mentioned before, it makes me feel badass.
Truth is I've never felt especially happy about winter.  I think that my year and a half in the caribbean killed my 'Oh I'm Canadian therefor I've got to love winter'.  I've tried with the winter sports and everything.  I like to skate and all but the longterm winter'ness' of winter.  That's when I lose it.  I'm doing my best to keep focussed on the fact that in one month we'll be at the halfway mark of darkness.  The light will begin to come back.  The warm will come to us again.


It seems that the onset of winter has re-ignited my root vegetable quest.  As something that we didn't indulge in (nice phrase there huh?) much when I was a kid, I'm completely fascinated with what I can do with winter root vegetables.  Last year was my first foray into roots for real and serious.  Turnip, parsnip, rutabaga, squashes, beets.  I'm determined to continue.  I found this on the website that I use for my food box.  I've tweaked things a little here and there.  Added cheese, changed the greens, changed the crust recipe... you know tweaked it just a little.  The goat cheese makes it a lot more appealing in my opinion but if you want to go without it then by all means jump in with both feet.  All in all, I like that it's a creative way to use squash.  And it somehow feels very winter appropriate.



Collard Greens and Roasted Butternut Squash Galette
adapted from Front Door Organics
serves 4

Pastry Dough:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp unsalted butter COLD and cubed
3 - 3 1/2 tbsp ice cold water
3 tbsp sour cream (or plain yogurt - it's what I had)

Combine the flour and cold butter.  Using a fork or a pastry cutter combine the flour and butter until they form a crumbly texture.
Add the sour cream and then the cold water and mix (using hands is fine) until it forms a ball.  Cover and refrigerate at least an hour.


On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness - it does not have to be symmetrical and pretty.
Place the filling in the middle, leaving about 2 - 2 1/2 inches around the edge.  Fold the edges over top of the filling.
Brush a little melted butter over the edges.
Bake about 30 minutes or until the edges are brown.

Filling:

3 cups butternut squash cubed, oil rubbed and roasted for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees
3 cups collard greens coarsely chopped
1 cup onion sliced thin
dash of Worcestershire sauce
dash of soy sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp basil, oregano
1 1/4 cup goat cheese
1/3 cup parmesan freshly grated

Heat a large pan over med/low heat.  Add a little oil and then add the collard greens and onion.
Let that heat for about 12 minutes stirring as needed.
The onion and greens should be fully wilted.
Add the Worcestershire, soy sauce, salt paprika, basil, oregano and a little sugar if needed.  Stir and check the tastes.  Adjust if necessary.
Add the roasted butternut squash and mix.


Mound the filling in the centre of the galette crust leaving about 2 1/2 inches at the edge.  Dollop the goat cheese in small spoonfuls throughout the filling.  Sprinkle the parmesan on the very top.  Fold the crust edges over the filling.  Finish as above.