Michael and I went to visit an old farm colleague of Michael's from State College, PA last weekend. It turns out we crashed her CSA potluck dinner but were also able to score a short tour of her fall fields. During our party-crash (not exactly CNN-worthy), we chatted about how to possibly cook all of the leafy greens that are abundant in CSA shares. I was so glad to hear that this farmer's advice fell in step with our go-to instructions for cooking these leafy greens: olive oil, garlic, saute and...voila!
After reading this week's Washington Post's Food section (aptly titled: "Vegetables with issues"), I discovered that there really are people out there who love (yes, love!) Swiss Chard. Who are these mad people and what the heck do they do to their Swiss Chard that invites such a love affair? I can tell you one thing, they most certainly do not solely rely upon the "olive oil, garlic, saute, voila" approach to cooking chard. In fact, the author of the Swiss Chard article (sorry, Eggplant, you apparently have "issues" as well) noted that the strong leaves are perfect for rolling and stuffing. So, if you are looking for a new way to cook your Chard (or Collards) from this week's share, think about using their leaves instead of cabbage (even though you got cabbage this week, too...but I like to mix that with my lettuce for a heartier, and crunchier, salad) for stuffed Chard leaves with ground turkey and rice. You can also use chard in frittata or quiche recipes (but the Post author recommends using the olive oil, garlic and saute maneuver before whisking into scrambled eggs -- I am glad to know that my go-to way to cook any leafy green actually made it into the Food Section...I have arrived!).
Try this delicious soup that I made a few weeks ago and use any leafy green from your share in place of the Kale. I cannot take credit for the recipe, but I certainly take credit for it when I put it on my table because this soup is delicious and easy to make!
Two Bean Soup with Kale (Recipe from myrecipes.com)
Prep Time 30 minutes
Yield 6 servings (1 1/4 cups per serving)
Ingredients:
3 T olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 t salt, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
7 cups stemmed, chopped Kale (about 1 bunch) [Blogger's note: I also use the stems but chop them]
2 (15 oz) cans no-salt-added Cannellini beans, rinsed, drained and divided
1 (15 oz) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 t ground black pepper
1 T red wine vinegar
1 T chopped fresh rosemary
Instructions:
1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add onion, carrot and celery and saute for 6 minutes or until tender. Stir in 1/4 t salt and garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in 3 cups vegetable broth and kale. Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat, simmering for 3 minutes or until Kale is crisp-tender.
2. Place 1 can of cannellini beans (rinsed and drained) in blender or food processor with 1 cup vegetable broth until smooth. Add pureed bean mixture to Dutch oven, remaining can of cannellini beans and black beans and pepper.
3. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/4 t salt, vinegar and rosemary.
To read the Post's Food Section Article about Swiss Chard, click here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/12/AR2010101202256.html
Chard is also good for you. It is rich in Vitamins A and C and antioxidants. Some might consider chard a Superfood. Seriously? Seriously. So, get inspired and come up with new ways to cook your chard or incorporate it in main dishes or other foods you love. CALLING ALL COOKS: did you come up with something great and have the urge to share? Feel free to post your recipe or cooking suggestions in the Comments Section.
