Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Swiss Chard....hmmm

Who would have guessed growing up with a vegetarian as my second Mom, there would be a veggie that I haven't tried. Well, the Good Food Box this week has taken care of that. It's here, in my apartment and I have to find some way to turn it into something one of the pickiest eaters in the world will eat. 


My cook books weren't much help, but my good old Dr. Richter's Fresh Produce Guide didn't let me down on this one! There are cooking instructions here. 


Turns out chard is like two vegetables for the price of one. Good deal! According to Dr. Richter, the stalks can be cooked like asparagus spears and the dark leaves can be steamed or stir-fried. Peak season is June through October. The leaves only last 2 days, and the stalks 4 days in the refrigerator however.   :o(


So what did I end up making with it? I have no idea what it's called, but this is what I did (mostly following Dr. Richter's instructions):


Clean thoroughly. Remove any strings. Cut stalks into think slices. Sauté in olive oil, covered [I forgot to cover it], over low heat for 15 minutes, or until tender. Add strips of chard leaves. Cook over medium heat until wilted. Sprinkle with lemon juice [I used a whole lemon because it didn't say how much and it was smelling pretty good when I added it], golden raisins, and pine nuts [I also threw in a handful of dried blueberries cause I had them]. 


The verdict: Not bad. I enjoyed it and Tim ate it, but he wasn't big on the leaves. It did have a really nice flavour with both the acidic lemon and sweet blueberries mixed together.


We also had potato salad made with Renée's cucumber and dill yogurt vinaigrette and fresh parsley, and a green salad with cucumber, mushroom, and strawberries with Renée's spring herb Italian vinaigrette. I LOVE Renée's dressings. I never find any crap added to them. For the most part it's exactly what I would put in if I was making it from scratch. Poor Tim, another vegetarian dinner.

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