To continue with this celebration of one of the last vegetables I have left in my root cellar this time of year (see my earlier posts talking about caramelized onions in soup, and using them to slow cook pork), here’s yet another way to use this glorious ingredient to stretch a pound of grassfed ground lamb a long way.

Ground lamb with caramelized onions and kale.

Serves 4-6

1 tablespoon butter

1 pound onions, sliced into rings

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 pound ground lamb

1 bunch kale, diced, ribs removed

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup green olives stuffed with pimentos, diced

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté slowly, about 30 minutes, until they are rich brown and well caramelized (not burned).  Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute before adding the ground lamb.  Mix the lamb thoroughly with the onions and garlic as it cooks.  Once it has browned and cooked through, add the diced kale and saute 3-5 minutes longer, until the kale is soft.  Stir in the olives, then season with the thyme, salt and pepper.