Vegetable Pot-au-Feu

One of my favorite cookbooks is Dorie Greenspan's Baking:  From My Home to Yours.  The recipes are rich, comfort food, gift worthy desserts.  I've worked my way through it, particularly the scones/muffins section and the cookies section.  I've attempted a few of her cakes with good results.  It's a book that has a permanently reserved space on my top-tier cookbook shelf.

A few years ago, Dorie (we're on a first name basis, you know?) came out with a new cookbook, Around my French Table.  I hemmed and hawed over whether or not I should buy it and I eventually decided against.  It just sounded too fancy.  I perused it at the bookstore and most of the recipes were heavy on meat, making it just a company cookbook (not an everyday cookbook, since we eat meatless at least half the week or more most weeks).  I finally realized I could check this book out of the library.

My expectations were more or less correct.  I found a handful of recipes I wanted to try, but not enough to warrant buying the book, at least not now.

This recipe is the exception.  In this vegetable pot-au-feu, vegetables have a starring role and it is a main dish (most of the vegetarian recipes in this cookbook are relegated to side dishes).  We loved it, M and Curtis especially.  I made poached eggs to serve in it, and learned for next time, the kids would rather go eggless.  That makes it even easier!

I made this in a wok, like Dorie suggested, but a dutch oven or soup pot would work just as well (and I'll probably use that next time).  Dorie also said this wasn't good leftovers--don't tell that to M!

This serves 4 - 6.

Vegetable Pot-au-Feu
adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Around my French Table.

2 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small to medium onion, thinly sliced
1 leek, halved lengthwise and well rinsed, sliced
3 medium potatoes (6 small), sliced 1/4" thick
2 - 4 small to medium carrots, cut on the diagonal into 1/4" slices
3 c water (can also use vegetable or chicken stock)
1 2-inch piece lemongrass, split lengthwise
8 - 12 asparagus stalks, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2" pieces
4 - 6 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1/2 lb spinach, chard, or kale, stemmed, washed, and coarsely sliced
4 large eggs, hardboiled or poached
slices of crusty bread, toasted

Heat the olive oil over medium hat.  Add the onion and leek, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until they just begin to soften, about five minutes.  Toss in the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Stir in the potatoes and carrots, followed by the water and lemongrass.  Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered, until the vegetables are almost tender, about 10 minutes.  (While the vegetables are simmering, you can cook the eggs).  Add the asparagus and shiitake mushrooms to the vegetables and cook for an additional 4 minutes, or until tender.  Stir in the spinach (or other greens) and cook until  spinach (or greens) are slightly wilted.  Spinach will take about 2 minutes, chard slightly longer, and kale even longer.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.

To serve, place a slice of toasted crusty bread in a bowl.  Ladle soup over top and slice in the egg.  Serve immediately (I found it easiest to serve at the counter, not on the table).

Smoky Minestrone with Cheesy Tortellini and Parsley Pesto

I am coming to learn that Minestrone is the Italian version of stone soup or the Mexican chicken caldo. It works great as a clean out the vegetable crisper soup, which could be why I have so many different versions of minestrone on my blog. This one is great for using zucchini, potatoes, and leafy greens.

There are several things I love about this soup. Thing 1 is the tortellini. In my humble opinion, one can never go wrong with cheese tortellini. Ever. Thing 2 is the parsley pesto. Although we are starting basil season her in CenTex, I used store bought parsley that was languishing in my crisper drawer. I like the slight bite of parsley better and had no desire to use the basil that was also languishing in my crisper drawer.

We all love this soup. The kids even ate the zucchini in this without a complaint. Being swim season and all these days, M ate three servings. I was pleased to be able to pull a leek from my little raised garden to use in this soup. The vegetable amounts are estimates--since I had small carrots and potatoes, I used 6 small carrots and 4 small potatoes.

This serves at least 6 and possibly 8. It is equally good on a warm, muggy early summer (yes, the end of May is early summer here) afternoon as it is on a cold winter's evening.

Smoky Minestrone with Cheesy Tortellini

adapted from WinnieAb on Food52

3 T olive oil

2 oz bacon or pancetta, chopped into small pieces (both chop easier if partially frozen)

1 lg onion, peeled and chopped

2 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1 leek, trimmed and thinly sliced

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 ribs of celery, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

1 medium-large potato, peeled and chopped

4 c chicken stock

1 (15-oz) can chickpeas

1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes

salt

1 c kale, chard, or collards, roughly chopped

1 (9-oz) pkg cheese tortellini

Pesto
1 c packed parsley leaves

2 T pine nuts, toasted

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T Parmesan cheese, grated

1 T olive oil

Heat 1 T of olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the bacon or pancetta and cook until they have started to brown. Add 2 more T of oil, if the pot looks dry, along with the onion, leek, and garlic. Continue to cook over medium heat until softened. Add the celery, carrot, zucchini, and potato. Stir for a minute or two. Add the stock, chickpeas, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or so, or until the potatoes are tender (that will depend on how small you cut the potatoes).

If you are making this soup ahead of time, stop here. Finish right before you are ready to eat.

While the soup simmers, make the pesto. I find it easiest to do this by hand, based on the small recipe. Chop the parsley until it is very, very fine. Chop the toasted pine nuts and garlic. Add to the parsley, along with the Parmesan. Stir in the olive oil. Set aside.

Add the kale and tortellini to the soup(if you are using chard, add that a minute or two after the tortellini), and cook 7 minutes, or until cooked through. Taste and add more salt. Serve and garnish individual bowls with a nice spoonful of parsley pesto, as desired.

Polenta with Chard and Mushrooms

On occasion, I have an incredible cooking day. I not only make a supper everyone loves, but I make lunch for myself too. The lunches are generally just for me. My kids are happy with peanut butter and jelly, fresh fruit, and fresh veggies for lunch so I tend to take that route. For me though, sometimes some cooked, veggie-based meal is called for.

Curtis has needed to travel a lot for work in the past 9 months. Granted, I have many friends whose husbands travel a lot more than mine, but for us, it's a lot. (Curtis never used to travel at all, so the approximate once a month trips seem like a lot). Usually, I take it all in stride, but sometimes I find myself exhausted and in need of some grown-up comfort food. When I found this recipe online, I knew I had found my middle of the day comfort (after the kids are in bed comfort food almost always comes in the form of chocolate pudding, mini nutella cupcakes, or cowboy cookie bars).

I loved this recipe. I love polenta. I love, love shitake mushrooms. Yes, this was pure love. I don't have bets on my kids eating this. M loves mushrooms, but she prefers hers uncooks. Plus, the addition of chard makes it a little questionable as well, not to mention the polenta, which doesn't like at all. J and little I would probably be even less impressed than M. But for me, it's the perfect middle of the day, I need some beauty and happiness in my life meal. This is my happy meal. I don't even need a toy.

I was tempted to leave out the lemon juice because I was too impatient to take the time to squeeze/zest one. I am so thankful I didn't. This dish NEEDS the lemon juice, don't make the mistake I almost did. The lemon juice is as crucial as the mushrooms.

This will supposedly serve 2. Hmm....I'm not commenting on how many it actually served. :)

Polenta with Chard and Mushrooms

adapted from Hail's Kitchen

4 - 6 oz chard, stems removed and coarsely chopped

8 oz mushrooms, combination of button, cremini, and/or shitakes

1/4 c onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 oz pancetta or bacon, diced (you could, hypothetically leave this out if you don't do pork)

1/4 c broth, either chicken or veggie

2 T dry white wine (optional)

1/2 T olive oil

1/2 T butter

1 T fresh thyme, chopped

1 lemon, juiced and zested

1/2 t salt or to taste

dash of pepper, or to taste

1/4 c polenta

1 c water

Bring 1 c water to a boil in a small saucepan.

While the water comes to boil, cook the pancetta in a large skillet over medium high heat until it is crispy. Remove and set aside. Saute the onions and garlic in the same skillet for 2 minutes. Add the olive oil, butter, and mushrooms. Stir well to combine and then cook for a couple of minutes without stirring. Then stir the mushrooms well again and allow to cook undisturbed a few more minutes, or until the mushrooms have released all their juices. Add the wine to the pan and cook until all the liquid is evaporated. Remove the mushroom mixture from the pan.

Once the water boils, add the polenta and cook, stirring frequently until the polenta is thickened (how thick you want it is up to you). Meanwhile, add the chard to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the chard is wilted. Once the chard has wilted, return the mushroom mixture to the pan, along with the broth. Allow the broth to reduce and the chard to soften. Taste and adjust salt and pepper seasonings as necessary. Remove from heat, stir in the lemon juice and zest and thyme. Serve immediately over hot polenta.

Pasta with Chard and Dried Fruit

I had planned on making a heavier dish with my chard this week. However, when Sunday evening rolled around, I was wanting something lighter after a weekend of eating cheese and dairy filled meals. I still wanted to use the chard and I thought pasta would be good, too. So, I searched. I thankfully didn't have to search long before I found this recipe.

The kids didn't love this. I think if M would have been hungrier, she would have eaten more. J ate it pretty well, but little I didn't eat much. We are still working on eating green leafy things consistently. Curtis and I really enjoyed it.

I didn't end up having enough chard, so I used a combination of spinach and chard. That worked just fine--I couldn't really tell the difference between the two in the dish.

This serves 4 - 6.

Pasta with Chard and Dried Fruit

adapted from Food and Wine

3 T pine nuts, toasted

5 T olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

2 bunches chard, large stems removed and leaves chopped into 2" pieces (or spinach or a combo)

1 1/2 t salt

3/4 t black pepper

1/4 c sliced dried apricots

1/4 c raisins

1/4 c red wine (optional, you can also use water)

small pinch of cinnamon

3/4 lb long pasta, such as fettuccine or linguine

1/4 c grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until done. While the water heats for the pasta, put the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant and golden. Add the chard and a 1/2 t of salt and pepper. Cook until the chard is wilted. Add the dried fruit, wine, and cinnamon. Simmer until the mixture is almost dry. Remove from heat.

Drain the pasta when it is al dente. Toss it with the chard. If the pasta looks a little dry, drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over top. Sprinkle with pine nuts and parmesan and season with remaining salt and pepper.

Polenta with Fried Eggs and Garlicky Swiss Chard

Having been a CSA member for almost 4 years now has definitely expanded my eating, and not only with vegetables. In the past, I wouldn't touch grits--a good Southern food my family didn't eat much of, being more of German/Pennsylvania Dutch persuasion than Southern. I tried them, I just wasn't sold. Then I started with the CSA and found recipes for my veggies over polenta, tried them, and liked them. Maybe it was the fancy Italian name of Polenta, maybe it was just that I was more adventurous eater than during my Virginia days. Whatever, the reason, I am a polenta convert.

Although Curtis and I liked this recipe, it was a fail in the eyes of my kids (who ended up eating a fried egg and leftovers from other meals). M especially isn't a polenta fan. I'll probably make it again, because thinking of this recipe makes me happy and hungry.

This serves 4. This is supposedly a breakfast for supper recipe. I am sure it would be delightful any time of the day, but it's perfect for a Sunday evening supper on a cold day.

Polenta with Fried Eggs and Garlicky Swiss Chard
adapted from In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite by Melissa Clark

4 1/2 c water or chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/2 c polenta (or grits), the slow-cooking, not quick cooking kind
3/4 t salt
1/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated
2 bunches chard, stems removed, sliced into 1/4" strips
2 - 3 T extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
red pepper flakes, to taste
4 eggs

The easiest way to cut chard or other leafy greens (including herbs) is to make a stack of all the leaves.


Then, slice it into thin ribbons.


Bring the water or broth to a simmer in a large pot. Stir in the polenta and 3/4 t salt. Simmer the polenta, stirring frequently until it is thick (your discretion on how thick you would like it), somewhere between 5 - 20 minutes, depending on your polenta. Once the polenta is thickened to your taste, stir in butter, cheese, and a dash of black pepper, remove from heat, and cover to keep warm.

While the polenta is bubbly and thickening, heat 1 T oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and saute until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the chard and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt. Set aside until ready to eat.

Meanwhile (since we have three hands, right?), heat 1 T of olive oil in a large skillet or comal over medium heat. Fry the eggs until the edges are crispy and the yolks are still runny (you can break the yokes if you prefer them that way, like my family does).

To serve. Scoop some polenta onto plates. Top with chard, and then the fried egg.

Chard with Olives and Pine Nuts

I got a new cookbook the other week. It's been quite a while since I've done that and when I saw table of cookbooks at Costco, I couldn't resist. I passed by Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table (new French cookbook) and another one (I can't remember) that was also on my possible cookbook list for Mark Bittman's Food Matters Cookbook.

I have a love/hate relationship with Mark Bittman. I love everything he's passionate about--good foods that are good for you. He's big into vegetables (he's the "vegan-before-6" guy). He uses meat as seasonings often. I like that. I like his writing for the New York Time's and his food blog. However, I am convinced by his cookbooks, and in retrospect, I am a little surprised I bought this one. I have his How to Cook Everything and have had mixed results with his recipes. I often feel crucial information is missing from his recipes (like the size of pan to use, when size does matter).

This is the second recipe from his Food Matters Cookbook that I made. The first recipe was a bit of a major fail. I contemplated returning the cookbook after that (I don't often have major fails that are due to a faulty recipe. Usually I take full responsibility because generally, I have lost the ability to read and comprehend. In this case, it was the recipe at fault and not me). However, I decided to give another recipe a try because I like Bittman and his food philosophy.

Success!! Both Curtis and I enjoyed this dish. I am pleased to have found a way to cook chard in a side dish that is easy and quick. The kids didn't like it, but I didn't expect them too, so nothing was lost.

This serves 2 - 4 as a side dish.

Chard with Olives and Pine Nuts
adapted slightly from the Food Matters Cookbook

3/4 lb chard
2 T pine nuts
1 T olive oil
6 garlic cloves, sliced
3 T black olives (preferably, oil cured and wrinkly--like bulk olives at Whole Foods or Central Market, etc)
1/4 c water
salt and black pepper, to taste
feta cheese, crumbled, to taste

Cut leaves from stems of chard. Cut the leaves into wide ribbons and slice the stems about 1/4 - 1/2" thick. Keep the leaves and stems separate.

Put the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Heat for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook, stirring until soft, golden, and fragrant, 5 - 10 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium and add the chard stems and black olives. Cook until the stems begin to soften, just a minute or 2. Add the chard leaves, water, and a little salt and pepper. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring until chard leaves are wilted and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. While the chard cooks, toast the pine nuts in small pan over medium-low heat, until they are fragrant and golden. Stir the pine nuts into the cooked chard. Adjust seasonings as necessary. Sprinkle with a little feta and serve, hot or at room temperature

Dal with Chard (or Spinach)

I finally broke done and did it. After being without a slow cooker for the last 7 or so years, I caved last week and bought a crock-pot. This past month has been nuts cooking supper. M has swim practice every weekday afternoon smack dab in the middle of prime supper cooking time. Once we get home, I basically have 30 minutes to get supper on the table without my kids mutinying. I decided to attempt owning a slow cooker once again (I don't like how much space they take up to store) with visions of meals made in the morning or afternoon and ready for supper and the ability to have a roast in the middle of a Texas August without having to heat up the whole house.

After owning the thing a week, I finally took the final plunge and busted the thing out of it's box yesterday. On the menu? Dal with Chard. Now these aren't the lentils your frugal mom my have attempted making back in the late 70's/early 80's (which your dad probably complained about not liking---oh wait, I think I am projecting again). These are no honey baked/sweet and sour/loaded with bacon lentils. No, we're talking about good, flavorful somewhat Indian lentils.

Curtis, Little I and I loved the lentils. M and J decided not to touch then and instead survived on white rice and Naan. (There is a wonderful Indian restaurant right by our house. We've found picking up some Naan and aloo paratha--vegetable stuffed flat bread--on compliments my homemade psuedo-Indian meals perfectly.) Have I told you why I love my husband lately? He walked in the house yesterday, looked in the afore mentioned crock pot and said, "Mmm. Lentils." He was thrilled!

This was a simple recipe and tasted wonderful. It would easily serve 6 adults. I'm including both slow cooker and stove top instructions. Again optional ingredients are ones I omitted because I didn't have them.

Dal with Chard
adapted from Sundays at Moosewood
1 1/2 c red or brown lentils
4 c water
2 dried chiles, whole (optional)
1/4 t turmeric (optional)
1/2 t salt
2 T olive oil or ghee (ghee is preferable, but do you want to make any bets about me having it?)
1/2 t cumin seeds or 1/4 t ground cumin
1 c onion, chopped
1 t fresh ginger, peeled and grated
approx 4 c (one small bunch) chard or spinach, stems removed and coarsely chopped
1 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 t garam masala
salt to taste

Slow cooker version (I used a 6 qt): Dump lentils, water, chiles, turmeric, and 1/2 t salt in slow cooker. Turn to high and cook 3 - 5 hours (mine took just 3 hours) or until lentils are soft.
Stovetop version: Put lentils in a medium pot and cover with water. Add the chiles, turmeric, and 1/2 t salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often, until very tender, about 30 minutes. Add more water if necessary to prevent sticking.

Then (both versions): About 15 minutes before serving, heat the oil or ghee in a skillet. Add the cumin seeds (if using) and cook 10 - 15 seconds. Stir in the onions and ginger (and dried cumin, if using), and cook until the onions 5 minutes. Add chard or spinach and cook 5 more minutes, until chard has wilted and onions are softened. Remove the chiles from the lentils and stir in the onion mixture, lemon juice, garam masala, and salt to taste. Serve over rice, ideally with a side of Naan or aloo paratha and a nice cold mango lassi.

Timballo

Yes, I've been cooking the past week and a half. It's been a little crazy at our house though, as usual. Between being out of town, having an out of town guest stay with us, two kids with strep throat, preschool graduation, Mother's Day, and a birthday, I've gotten behind on posting. Really, I am going to try to do better, especially since the season is changing and I have new recipes to post!

Swiss chard is finally coming on strong. I've made some favorite recipes like Swiss Chard Tart and Lasagna Style Baked Ziti. I've also found some new recipes, one of my favorite being this one.

This is a slightly fussy recipe. The recipe calls for the dish to be made in souffle dish and then inverted onto a platter to be served, making it resemble the leaning town of pasta. I did that this time. It was interesting and looked kinda rustic Italian. I won't do it next time though. I will cook it in a round, tall casserole dish, but I'll skip inverting it, serving it out of the dish instead. It is an all afternoon type of dish, but it's worth it. Most of the stuff you could do ahead of time or start and walk away from for a while. This makes 6 - 8 servings easily.

We all liked this and I think it's a rather great way to use chard.

Timballo
adapted slightly from Gourmet

Meat Sauce
1 1/2 T olive oil
1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage (casings removed if in links)
1 med onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1/4 t salt
1 T tomato paste
1/2 c dry red wine
1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes
pinch of sugar

For chard in bechamel sauce
1 lb Swiss chard, ribs removed, and leaves coarsely chopped (4 c)
1 1/2 T unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T all-purpose flour
1 c milk (whole works best)
1/4 t salt
pinch of pepper
1/8 t freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 c Parmesan, finely grated

3/4 lb ziti
4 oz mozzarella, grated


To make the meat sauce: Heat oil in 12" skillet over medium high heat until hot. Saute sausage, breaking up lumps, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add onion and bay leaf. Saute, stirring frequently, until onion begins to brown, 5 - 7 minutes. Add carrot, celery and salt. Saute, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, one minute. Add wine and deglaze by boiling, scraping browned bits off bottom of the pan, until most of the liquid is evaporated, 1 -2 minutes. Add tomato puree and sugar and boil, stirring frequently until thickened, 8 - 10 minutes. Cool sauce and discard bay leaf.

While sauce cooks, cook pasta in a pot of boiling, salted water until al dente (according to package directions). Transfer with skimmer to a colander to drain (don't rinse), reserving cooking water in pot to cook chard. Spread pasta on a cookie sheet and cool until warm.

To make the chard in bechamel sauce: Add chard to the pot of reserved pasta water an simmer, uncovered, until tender, 3- 5 minutes. Transfer with skimmer to a bowl of ice water. Drain chard and squeeze handfuls. Finely chop. Heat butter in a 1 1/2- 2 qt heavy saucepan over moderate heat until foam subsides. Add garlic and cook, whisking, one minute, being careful not to burn garlic. Add flour and cook, whisking, one minute. Add milk in a slow stream, whisking. Bring to a boil, whisking. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, until sauce has slightly thickened. Stir in chard, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and 2 T Parmesan. Remove from heat.

To assemble and bake: Oil a 2 qt or so casserole dish with tall sides and line bottom with a round of parchment paper, then oil parchment. (Skip the parchment paper step if you don't plan to invert it). Cover bottom of dish with a single layer of pasta. Sprinkle 1/2 c mozzarella and 3 T Parmesan over pasta. Spoon half of meat sauce in an even layer over cheese. Arrange 1/3 of remaining pasta over meat sauce in dish, top with all of the chard/bechamel sauce, then another layer of pasta (about 1/2 of the remainder). Sprinkle with remainder of cheese, then spoon remaining meat sauce over cheese. Top with remaining pasta. Cover dish with a lightly oiled piece of foil.

Fill a large pan (I used a roasting pan) about an inch or so up with water. Place timballo into pan. Bake timballo in water bath in a preheated 375 degrees oven for about 1 hour. Remove from water bath and let stand, covered for 15 minutes. Remove foil. If inverting, run a knife around the edge to loosen timballo. Invert onto a platter. Remove souffle dish and parchment.

Mac and Cheese with Chard

I needed new ways of using chard and few this recipe. I think it passes as a recipe that can stand up to the rigors of chard. It's nice for the kids (who won't eat the chard, because it is green and leafy), because the chard is in a layer in the middle, making it easy to eat around it.

Mac and Cheese with Chard
adapted from Bon Appetit

3 T butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c flour
3 c milk
2 c Gouda cheese, coarsely grated
2 c Edam cheese, coarsely grated (or you can use 4 c total of whatever cheeses you want)
a pinch of chili powder
a pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
1 1/2 lb chard, stems and center ribs removed
12 oz macaroni

Melt 3 T butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in garlic, then flour, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk. Cook, whisking occasionally, until mixture begins to boil, about 5 minutes (longer if you use skim milk). Add 1 1/2 c grated Gouda and 1 c grated Edam. Stir until cheeses melt. Stir in chili powder and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook chard in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 1 minute. Transfer the chard to a plate with a slotted spoon to cool. Reserve water in the pot. Squeeze water from the chard and coarsely chop. Return the water in the pot to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until al dente. Stir drained macaroni into warm cheese sauce. Place half of macaroni in a 9 x 13" baking dish, smooth top. Top with 1 c Edam cheese and then chard. Top with remaining macaroni mixture, spread evenly. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 c Gouda over top.

Bake in a preheated 350 degrees oven and bake for 40 minutes, until macaroni is golden and edges are bubbling. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Lasagna-Style Baked Ziti

Two years ago, I could not get enough of swiss chard. I was thrilled with every bunch we received and would trade it for it in the trade box. Last year, I was sad because insect pests made the swiss chard crop smaller. I thought I would be totally thrilled with getting swiss chard this year, in November, no less.

I wasn't. I haven't figure out why. I was thrilled to have this recipe though, that didn't accentuate the taste of the chard, at least until I can get used to it again. Everyone liked this recipe, even I had some ground up tastes. I served leftovers to our neighbor kids (who were 3 and 1 1/2) and they also both liked it. This was an easy recipe to make, the most time consuming parts were sauteing the meat (which you could leave out, if you desire) and grating the cheese.

Lasagna-Style Baked Ziti
adapted from The Kitchn at Apartment Therapy

12 oz penne
1 T olive oil
1 lg onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb lean ground beef or Italian bulk sausage
4 c marinara/pasta sauce (1 26-oz jar)
4 c spinach or swiss chard, thick stems removed and coarsely chopped
1/2 c ricotta
1/2 c Parmesan, grated
1 c mozzarella, grated

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and put into a 9 x 13" pan. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, about 4 - 5 minutes. Add the meat and cook until it's no longer pink, 5 - 6 minutes, breaking up large chunks. If using swiss chard, put with the meat and cook until the chard wilts. Toss the pasta with meat and chard, marinara sauce, spinach (if not using chard), ricotta, and 1/4 c Parmesan in the baking dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella and remaining Parmesan. Bake in a preheated 400 degrees oven until the cheese melts, 12 - 15 minutes.

Chicken and Chard Enchiladas

I made this dish a lot last year and wasn't terribly eager to make it this spring. My taste for chard has been a little off this year and I was worried it would be too strong tasting. I made a few changes to the recipe, and ended up liking it just fine. I made my own tomato sauce to put on top. The past couple times I'd made enchiladas, I'd bought sauce, but it was too hot for the kids. This way, I could control the amount of heat that went into the sauce (as in, none). I used some of the leftover chicken I had cooked off the bone when I made the fennel and garlic roasted chicken last week. M and J ate this just fine and we have just enough left for an easy Saturday lunch today.

Chicken and Chard Enchiladas
1 lb chard, rinsed well and drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T olive oil
2 c cooked chicken
1 t cumin
1/4 c cilantro, chopped
2 c cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
8 flour or whole wheat tortillas

Mexican-style Tomato Sauce
4 1/2 c canned tomatoes, drained (1 35-oz can)
1 onion, chopped coarse
2 cloves garlic
2 fresh jalapenos, seeded and minced (optional)
3 T olive oil

Prepare the tomato sauce: In a food processor (or blender) chop the onions, garlic, and jalapenos. Puree the tomatoes with the onions, etc. In large skillet, heat the oil over moderately high heat until it is hot, but not smoking. Add the tomato puree and cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper

Cut the stems from the chard leaves. Chop the stems separately from the leaves (enough stems for 1/2 c or so, discard the rest of the stems to avoid an overly strong chard taste). In a large skillet, saute the garlic in the oil over medium heat, stirring, until it is fragrant. Add the chard stems and 1/4 c of water cook, covered, for 5 minutes. Add the chopped leaves and cook, covered, for an additional 3 - 5 minutes, or until leaves are tender. Combine the chard with the chicken, cheese, cumin, and cilantro. Put 1/4 - 1/3 c mixture inside each tortilla and roll up (to soften tortillas microwave for a few seconds). Top with red sauce and 1/2 c additional cheese. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes in preheated 350 degrees oven.

Chard Cheese Bake

This became a combination of chard/spinach cheese bake. I am scraping the bottom of my CSA box and used the chard/spinach from the CSA plus half of the spinach I got at the Farmer's Market to make this. We all enjoyed it, Curtis and I with a little bit of Chipotle Tabasco sauce on top. It was an easy Sunday evening meal without a lot of clean up. I served this with some cooked beets.

Chard (Spinach) Cheese Bake
1 pound chard or spinach (or a combination)
4 eggs, beaten
1 c milk
1 c cheese, shredded
1 c bread, cubed
1/2 c green onions, sliced (optional)
1/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated

Cook and thoroughly drain chard/spinach. Combine with remaining ingredients. Pour into greased 1 1/2 - 2 quart baking dish. Cover and bake in preheated 375 degrees oven until set, 30 - 35 minutes (it may take as long as 1 hour depending on your oven and the type of dish you use).

Swiss Chard Tart

Sometimes, I cook a meal and realize how much my cooking has changed in the past 2 years. Once upon a time (in fact the first several times I made this recipe), I thought about it as time intensive and hard. When I made it Sunday night for supper, I was amazed at how little prep time the whole thing took and how relatively easy it was. The one suggestion I would give is to remember to take out the puff pastry dough before you start making the tart. It takes 40 minutes to thaw and preparing the filling will not take 40 minutes. Overall the family loved it. J ate the filling without a fuss, even seemed to enjoy it (green leafy things still scare my kids...). M needed some coercion, but ate the filling so she could have more of the puff pastry. Curtis and I loved it and we're looking forward to having this more often this spring!

I take the lazy way and don't follow all the trimming instructions for the pastry. I just fold the two pastry's over onto the top.

Swiss Chard Tart
1 lb Chard, stems and ribs removed
1 1/2 T olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (15-oz) container Ricotta cheese
1/2 c Parmesan cheese, grated
2 large eggs
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 t fresh thyme, minced
1/4 t fresh oregano, minced
1/8 t nutmeg

1 (17.3-oz) package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed

Thaw pastry sheets--will take at least 40 minutes.

Cook chard in a large pot of boiling salted water until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Drain, squeeze out liquid, and chop chard. Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, saute 1 minute. Add chard and saute until excess liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile combine ricotta, Parmesan, eggs, salt, black pepper, thyme, oregano, and nutmeg. Mix the chard mixture into the ricotta mixture. Roll out 1 pastry sheet on lightly floured surface to 14 inch square. Transfer to 9" diameter tart pan (with removable bottom, however, I don't have that so I use a 9" pie pan). Trim edges, leaving 1 inch overhang. Fill pastry with chard mixture. Roll out second sheet to 13" square. Trim pastry square to 10 inch round. Drape over filling. Seal edges and fold in. Bake in preheated 375 oven on rack positioned in bottom 1/3 of the oven until pastry is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Spinach (Chard) Cheese Burritos

Like I said yesterday, I use spinach and (Swiss) chard interchangeably. Sometimes this works better than others. They do have two distinct tastes. I think spinach has a less distinct, milder taste, but that could be because I am more used to the spinach than chard.

I used chard in this recipe, just because that was what I had on hand. I prefer this recipe with spinach, but the chard worked fine. We ate this with the Brussels Sprouts Gratin (which I now realize was a lot of cheese for supper!). I liked it ok, but Curtis thought it was really good (he is so easy to cook for--thank goodness! I think I prefer to be the picky eater). M ate just the tortilla, but she was in a picky eater mood. J ate several bites really well and then was done. Salsa goes well on top.

Spinach (Chard) Cheese Burritos
1 bunch scallions, chopped (or 1/2 a sweet onion, chopped)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T vegetable oil
10 oz spinach, chopped (if using chard, remove long stems at bottom)
1 t ground coriander
generous pinch of nutmeg (optional)
3 c cheddar cheese, grated
3 oz (1/3 c) cream cheese
4 burrito sized flour tortillas or 6 - 8 taco sized tortillas
salsa

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the scallions and garlic in oil for 2 - 3 minutes or until scallions are tender. Add the spinach and cook until the leaves are wilted and the water has been evaporated. Stir in the coriander, nutmeg, cheese, and cream cheese. Soften tortillas so they won't crack by microwaving 2 - 4 at a time for 10 - 15 seconds. Place 1/4 of the filling in each burrito sized tortilla (or 1/2 c filling on taco sized tortilla). Fold the bottom up and the side in to encase the filling. Roll up and place seam-side down in prepared 9 x 9" baking pan. Repeat for remaining tortillas. Cover with a damp dish cloth and then with foil. Bake until hot in preheated 375 oven for 20 - 25 minutes. Serve topped with salsa.

Swiss Chard and Chicken Enchiladas

Before I dive into the recipe, a little about Swiss Chard. It is pretty similar to spinach when cooked. When you are looking for recipes, any recipe that calls for spinach (cooked or wilted) you can substitute chard for the spinach. Depending on your source, it may be called Swiss Chard or just plain chard. I am not exactly sure what the difference is. I have heard some people say it has to do with the color of the stem (white vs. red), but I also have heard the multi-colored Bright Lights or Rainbow Chard referred to Swiss chard as well. When planning menus and searching recipes, just keep in mind there is a lot of flexibility.

As far as enchiladas go, this is a very easy recipe, especially if your chicken (or turkey) is already cooked and if you use store brought enchilada sauce (which I did this time, I know, total slacker!). I used leftover Thanksgiving turkey instead of chicken and couldn't tell any difference. This is also a recipe that is geared to chard (instead of some of my spinach turned chard recipes) and it uses both the stems and the leaves. It was just the kids and I tonight for supper so Curtis missed out. M loved it. I was worried she would find the sauce to spicy, but she didn't. I also made some cranberry salsa for on top and some rice on the side. J didn't eat much, but I am not sure if it was the meal or just him. Enough said, here is the recipe.

1 lb chard, rinsed and well drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T olive oil
2 c cooked chicken or turkey
1 t cumin
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
2 c grated cheddar cheese

8 flour tortillas
15-oz can enchilada sauce or 2 c of your own homemade enchilada sauce
1/2 grated cheddar cheese

Cut the stems from the chard leaves and chop. Keep them separate from the leaves (which you should also chop). In a large skillet, saute the garlic in oil over medium heat stirring until it is fragrant. Add the chard steams and 1/4 c water and cook, covered for 5 minutes. Add the leaves and cook, covered for an additional 3 -5 minutes or until the leaves are tender. Drain the chard. Return to medium-low heat and add the chicken (turkey) and cumin and heat until warm. Stir in 2 c cheddar cheese and cilantro. Put 1/4 - 1/3 c chicken/chard mixture inside each tortilla and roll up (to soften tortillas, microwave for a few seconds). Top with enchilada sauce and the 1/2 c additional grated cheddar cheese. Bake in preheated 350 for 15- 20 minutes or until heated through.