crock pot sweet potato & kale curry

a delish "dump it and forget it" situation

As I type this (sitting in my new barn loft / office!), there’s a giant combine harvester roaring across the road, and I’m considering pulling our son Sawyer out of preschool early so we can sit in our front yard and watch the tractors crawl across the fields.

I don’t know if it’s just because he’s a typical farm kid, but dang that boy LOVES tractors / anything farm vehicle related. (Here’s a fun video from last fall, when Sawyer’s dream came true and he got to ride in a combine thanks to Farmer Mike.)

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about how growing up on a farm will shape our kids, their perspective on life, and the humans they will become. 20 years from now, are they going to look back and love that they grew up surrounded by corn fields and cows? Or will they be sad (and need therapy lol) because they missed out on living in a neighborhood surrounded by tons of other kids to play with? Will they be adventurous eaters or will they be repulsed by the sight of broccoli? Are we totally messing them up, or giving them the best childhood ever?

I’m curious, are there any folks reading this who grew up on a farm / homestead? Because I’d love to hear how you turned out! (Kiddingggg, of course you all turned out great). But really, I’d love to hear from folks who had slightly untraditional childhoods (especially if you grew up on a farm), and how you feel like it shaped you as a person? What did your parents do right (or wrong)? Give us the dirt!

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Also! For most folks in the northern hemisphere, it’s time to get your garlic in the ground for next season. Garlic is such a fascinating crop, and it really doesn’t take up much space in your garden – though they do take a long time to grow (garlic planted in October/November will be ready to harvest next summer). If you’d like to grow garlic for the first time, or you just need a refresher, here’s my handy guide:

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Need some culinary inspiration for the weekend? Here’s my weekly round up of seasonal recipes from around Substack (and my ever-growing recipe index) to help you eat like a farmer:

• Hearty quinoa salad with roasted butternut squash, apples, kale & apple cider vinaigrette from yours truly :)

• White chicken chili from

  katie
  /
  the sunday stack

• White bean & kale soup with rosemary croutons from

  Barrett and The Boys

Keep reading for this week’s new recipe – crock pot sweet potato & kale curry – available for paid subscribers.

PS – A quick note that I’ll be “off” next Friday, as my husband Matthew and I are taking our first trip together sans-kids in over a year, so we can celebrate our 10 year (!) wedding anniversary. These country mice are headed to NYC and we can’t wait… but also feeling a bit overwhelmed about where to go / eat / drink?! Share any recs in the comments pretty please!

Today’s recipe is what happens when two of my favorite fall recipes (Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala and Sweet Potato Peanut Curry) have a delicious love child.

It all started when I was craving a creamy, veggie-filled stew situation that would be filled with rich, complex flavors, BUT required only the absolute minimal amount of prep. I wanted to throw *all* the ingredients together in a slow cooker (NO extra steps like sautéing anything on the stove first), crank on the crock pot, and have a fabulous, nourishing dinner on the table a few hours later.

When I’m cooking/recipe testing, I’m always aiming to strip away as many unnecessary steps as possible, all while not losing any complexity and flavor. This recipe is a true “dump it and forget it” kind of crock pot meal (though it tastes like something that takes wayyy more time/effort to make), and I for one am ALL ABOUT THAT LIFE.

I’m calling it a curry, but let’s be honest, this is not a traditional curry by any means… more like a lovely curried stew? Whatever you want to call it, it’s freakin awesome and I can’t wait for y’all to try it.

Two quick recipe notes:

• A key ingredient in this recipe is red curry paste. While recipe testing, I wanted to use a very accessible brand (to make sure y’all can find it at your local grocery store), so I used the Thai Kitchen brand. I find their red curry paste to be very flavorful, but be aware it is *not* spicy (which for me, a total spice wimp, is a plus)! But if you’re looking for a red curry paste with more heat, I recommend using Mae Ploy brand (though you may want to reduce the amount of curry paste used in this recipe by half).

• This recipe is super adaptable, so feel free to swap out any of the veggies or greens with something else. Don’t have sweet potatoes? Carrots or winter squash would work great. Don’t like kale? Use spinach, chard, or collard greens instead. Or if chickpeas aren’t your thing, sub with a head of chopped cauliflower.

Keep reading for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).

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Crock Pot Sweet Potato & Kale Curry

Serves 6