Week of Valentine's Day...

So our Chocolate Covered Strawberry Sales seemed to be a hit with all of you, and our staff has been hand-dipping each individual order each day so that are super perfect for you and your loved ones! (The kids and I can't wait to get a taste of ours!)

So I don't know about you, but Valentine's Day will be just like any other day around our house, and I will be cooking so why not come up with something new and exciting, right?

Spaghetti Squash "Carbonara"

2 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper
1 large spaghetti squash (about 2 pounds), halved and seeded
1/2 pound bacon or pancetta, cut into small strips crosswise
1 tablespoon minced shallot
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup white wine
2 egg yolks plus 1 whole egg
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Sprinkle the bottom of a large, shallow baking dish with 1 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoons pepper. Place the squash flesh side down in the pan and add enough water to come up about 1/4-inch. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and cook in the oven until the squash is just fork tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Once slightly cool, shred the squash with a fork and transfer to a large heat proof bowl.

In a large saute pan, over medium heat, cook the bacon until it becomes a light brown but is not yet crispy. Pour off most of the fat and then add the shallots and garlic. Saute for 1 minute until the garlic and shallots are fragrant and begin to caramelize. Add the white wine and cook until the liquid has completely evaporated.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs together with the cheese and the parsley. Season with the remaining salt and pepper. Combine the eggs with the bacon mixture, warming the eggs in the pan. (Do not let the eggs cook through.) Add the spaghetti squash and toss to thoroughly combine and until squash is heated through. Adjust seasoning, if necessary and serve immediately.

Or how about this yummy recipe:

Kale and Potato Gratin

1 1/2 pounds thin-skinned boiling potatoes such as red potatoes
1 bunch kale
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoon Coarse salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup Bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Get a pot of water boiling large enough to accommodate the potatoes. Also prepare an ice bath.

Meanwhile, slice the potatoes 1/4"-thick. Set aside. Remove and discard the spines from the kale then chop the remaining leaves in 1/2"-thick ribbons by stacking the leaves and slicing in the direction of the veins. This doesn’t need to be exact, as long as you end up with a pile of roughly 1/2"-thick shreds of kale.

When the water is boiling, add a dash of salt and gently drop in the potatoes, cooking for about 2-3 minutes, until tender, but not cooked through. Drain and plunge into the ice bath. Drain again and dump onto a dish towel and blot.

In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the kale and rub the olive oil mixture aggressively into the leaves. Layer the kale and potatoes alternately with a sprinkling of bread crumbs and Parmesan in a 9″×12″ rectangular casserole or glass or ceramic baking dish.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes, until top is crispy.