red chard risotto

Leafy greens have become a weekly staple of late in the CSA delivery. I am enjoying the variety, which seems to run the gamut from week to week. Last week, it was beautiful baby dino kale (yes, sounds like an oxymoron, but it's true!). This week, our leafy greens came in the form of the biggest red chard leaves I have ever seen. Ever. "Bigger than my head," according to JR. The pic confirms it.

Sometimes big leaves can be tough or bitter, but I didn't find that to be an issue here. This was definitely a case of making up a dish based on ingredients we had on hand vs. grocery shopping with a specific idea in mind. I was happy with the results. Lemon brightens the flavor of the overall dish and I enjoy the salty bursts of kalamata olives. With a lighter colored stock (the mushroom stock is quite dark), it would be possible to create a beautiful pink risotto as the rice soaks up the color from the chard ribs.

My posts have been a little slow lately and will remain that way for a while. This is turning out to be a busy fall full of travel. Next up: London. While I don't plan to cook from there, I definitely do plan to eat: if you know of any great restaurants there, send me a note!

Red Chard Risotto

Serves 3-4

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 bunch chard, center ribs separated from leaves: center ribs chopped and leaves cut into thin ribbons

zest & juice of 1 lemon

1 c. arborio rice

1/2 c. white wine

4 c. hot mushroom stock (can substitute vegetable or chicken)

a big pinch of white pepper

12 kalamata olives, quartered

1/4 c. parmesan cheese

1/4 c. feta cheese, plus more to garnish

Heat olive oil in a french oven. Add onions, garlic, and chard ribs. Cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add rice. Stir until covered with a nice sheen. Add wine. Simmer 3-4 minutes until mostly absorbed. Add lemon juice. Adjust heat to maintain a gentle simmer.

Add stock 1/2 c. at a time, letting the rice absorb the majority of liquid between each addition and stirring regularly.

Once rice is tender (if you run out of stock before this happens, add hot water 1/2 c. at a time until rice is tender). Add chard leaves, lemon zest (reserve some for garnish if desired), white pepper, olives, and cheeses. Stir and cook until chard is wilted.

Serve garnished with reserved lemon zest and a sprinkle of feta.

meyer lemon risotto

"Do you want to take some? They are Meyer lemons, not everyone likes those."

Or words similar to those left Carrie's mouth on Friday afternoon. We had just returned from a multi-hour car ride and shopping extravaganza on our way back from a work conference. We (Carrie, Stephanie, and myself) were standing in front of Carrie's house - a beautiful victorian (complete with turret!) with a yard packed with blooming flowers and fruit trees. The tree in question was the Meyer lemon tree. And she was offering us fruit.

Perhaps it's still because I'm relatively new to California (what? fruit grows on trees?), but when someone offers me fruit from their tree/yard/garden, I'm going to accept it. Produce simply doesn't get any fresher! So I left with a bag of lemons in tow, thinking about what they could turn into...

Which led me to question - why doesn't everybody like Meyer lemons? I honestly didn't realize that they were that different from other types of lemons. So I set out to learn about them. A quick Wikipedia scan later, and I now know that Meyer lemons are a citrus fruit native to China that is thought to be a cross between a "true" lemon and a mandarin orange. Who knew? While primarily ornamental in China, the fruit became a popular food item during the California cuisine revolution when made mainstream by chefs like Alice Waters.

I actually have a Meyer lemon tree growing in my yard. Or rather, in a pot in my yard. You may recall its purchase last summer. Since then, I've had what might be the slowest growing lemon ever, due (I believe) to the limited sunlight in its former location and the smallish pot in which it currently resides. The largest lemon is golf-ball sized and about the color of a putting green. I've fixed the sunshine issue (full sun from 9am to 3pm in the new yard!), but still need to remedy the latter issue by giving its roots a permanent home in the ground.

Eventually I'll have my own Meyer lemons to experiment with. For now, here's a recount of how I used some of the ones from Carrie's yard. This was inspired by a version I found on 101 cookbooks, which I played with a bit. It was a good reminder of how tasty risotto can be. It's a little time/labor intensive with all of the stirring, but not difficult (I actually did a decent job of multitasking and made a batch of cookies in between the stirring!). I found the flavor and texture profiles to be both interesting and delicious. We enjoyed our risotto along with roasted salmon. Here's what I did:

Meyer Lemon Risotto

Serves 2-3

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1 shallot, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 c. aborio rice

1/2 c. dry white whine

4 c. mushroom stock

1/2 tsp. fresh thyme, minced

grated zest of 2 Meyer lemons (about 4 Tbsp.)

1/2 c. parmesan plus additional to serve

1 small bunch red chard, center rims removed and leaves thinly sliced

handful of toasted pine nuts, to garnish

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan. Add onions, shallots, and garlic. Cook until they begin to soften. Add rice. Stir until covered with a nice sheen. Add wine. Simmer 3-4 minutes, until wine is mostly absorbed. Adjust heat to maintain a gentle simmer.

Add stock 1/2 c. at a time, letting rice absorb the majority of the liquid between each addition and stirring regularly.

Once rice is tender (if you run out of stock before this happens, begin adding water 1/2 c. at a time until rice is tender), remove pot from heat. Stir in lemon zest, thyme, parmesan, and chard. Garnish with toasted pine nuts and additional parmesan.

Meyer Lemon Risotto

chard & cheese muffins

It's a rainy Sunday as I write this. I have work and laundry to do, and yet the only thing I want to do is bake something warm in the oven. A little time aside to turn that thought reality should be ok, right?

I've been thinking about savory muffins since reading a recipe for spinach muffins in The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook last week. It's funny, because my typical reaction to the word 'savory' is not a good one, I think in part driven by the Daring Bakers each month who do a savory twist on the dessert challenge to be innovative (savory gingerbread houses, really?). But I guess I'll have to withhold that opinion from now on, since today I took a would-be sweet breakfast muffin and turned it into green and cheesy goodness. Here's what I did:

Cheesy Chard Muffins

Makes 18

2 Tbsp. butter

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 bunch red chard, leaves and center ribs separated and chopped

2 1/4 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 c. cornmeal

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 /2tsp. cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp. white pepper

1 1/4 c. whole milk

1 egg

2 c. cheese, grated (I used 1 c. sharp cheddar and 1 c. pepper jack because that's what I had on hand)

Line muffin pan with paper liners. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion and chard stems until onion is transluscent.

Combine flour, baking powder, cayenne, and pepper in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the milk and egg together. Slowly pour into the flour mixture while stirring with a wooden spoon. Stir in the onion mixture, chard leaves, and cheese, mixing well until everything is evenly dispersed.

Spoon batter into the paper cases in mounded scoops. The whole wheat doesn't rise as much in the oven as its all-purpose flour counterpart. Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, until deep golden. Let cool slightly in pan then turn out on a wire rack to continue to cool.

These muffins would be great served with eggs at brunch or with a hot bowl of chili later in the day.

One year ago: basic balsamic vinaigrette

tuna italiano with swiss chard

During a sunbreak on Sunday while JR was on one of his many-hour-long bike rides (he's in the middle of ironman training), I decided I'd get out of the house for a bit for some exercise as well. It's finally starting to feel like spring outside: the air is a touch warmer and the ornamental cherry and pear trees are in full bloom. After returning from a jog, I decided that we needed something more substantial than the typical Sunday afternoon fare of random leftovers. My concoction turned out to be an easy, filling, and tasty dish - just what JR and I needed after our active morning! Here is what I did:

Tuna Italiano with Swiss Chard

Serves 2-3

8 oz. pasta

olive oil

1 small red onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

dried oregano

1 bunch swiss chard

1 can tuna, drained

2 c. tomato sauce

10ish kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

grated parmesan, to serve

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Destem chard, reserving stems. Chop stems and leaves (separately) and set aside.

Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and chard stems. Cook until soft and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add oregano, tuna, and tomato sauce, stirring to combine.

Add chard leaves to pan (don't stir). Cover. Allow to steam until chard is bright green and tender, about 5 minutes. Add drained pasta to pan. Stir well. Serve topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

wilted chard with garlic, lemon, and parmesan

We are starting to get ready to move (more on this soon). Today, this meant that I spent my morning going through cooking magazines (which seem to have started to spontaneously generate - I have no idea how I've collected so many!) to decide which ones would join us in the move and which would be headed towards a recycling bin fate.

One of my habits when I get a new cooking magazine is to stick a post-it note on the front and list the recipes that catch my eye as I'm perusing the mag. It was impossible not to read these lists as I sorted through the piles, so as a sorted, I reminded myself of a whole host of recipes I'd been planning to make but still haven't gotten around to.

This is one of those recipes. I happened to have all of the ingredients on hand, which was a bonus. The recipe is adapted from the January 2009 edition of Gourmet (which, sadly, has gone out of print). My primary modifications were the addition of preserved lemon (not required, but I have one on hand that I'm trying to use up), olives, and red pepper flakes. A vegetarian version that omits the anchovies (but includes the salty olives) would also be tasty. Here's what I did:

Wilted Chard with Garlic, Lemon, and Parmesan

Serves 2

olive oil

2 large cloves of garlic, sliced

1 bunch chard

2 anchovy fillets (optional)

6 oil cured olives, pitted and finely chopped

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. preserved lemon rind, minced

1/4 c. grated parmesan

red pepper flakes

Cut chard leaves from stems and center ribs. Cut leaves and stems into 2-inch pieces, reserving separately.

Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Saute garlic until golden, about 45 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add anchovies to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until they start to break down, about 30 seconds. Add chard stems and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften, 4 to 6 minutes. Add chard leaves by handfuls, turning with tongs and covering pot briefly until greens are wilted. Cook until the leaves and stems are tender, 5 to 8 minutes.

Stir garlic into chard along with lemon juice, preserved lemon, olives and cheese. Serve topped with additional parmesan and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

One year ago: roasted romanesco

slow cooked veggie packed tomato sauce

When I told my mom I was making vegetable pasta, she pictured pasta with vegetables. But instead, I decided to incorporate the veggies into the sauce. I had a free afternoon on my hands, so I filled it with chopping and cooking (some of my favorite pastimes). What resulted was a delicious and nutrient-packed sauce. Before we get to the recipe, let's take a look at the nutritional benefits of the main components:*

*Sources: A Complete Guide to Nutritional Health & whfood.org

Onion: Onions are a rich source of flavonoids, substances known to provide protection against cardiovascular disease. They help the body's metabolism by lowering blood cholesterol, blood fat, and blood sugar. They are a natural antibiotic and contain vitamins A, B, C, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur compounds, bioflavonoids, and essential oils. The high concentration of sulfides in onions provide protection against tumor growth, especially that associated with stomach cancer.

Red Bell Pepper: Red bell peppers contain high amounts of vitamins A and C and, like most other vibrantly colored fruits and vegetables, are packed with antioxidants. Antioxidants work together to neutralize free radicals, which can travel through the body and cause damage to cells (they contribute to: cholesterol build up in arteries that lead to heard disease, the nerve damage in diabetes, the cloudy lenses of cataracts, the joint damage in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, and the tightening airways of asthma). The antioxidant free radical destroyers found in bell peppers may help prevent or reduce the symptoms of these conditions by shutting down the source of the problem.

Mushroom: Mushrooms are a good vegetarian source of protein and contain copper, iodine, manganese, potassium, selenium, and zinc. They have stimulant properties and can help strengthen the immune system. For the past 20 years, the phytonutrients found in mushrooms have been the object of anti-cancer research. They have been shown to help regulate the amount of estrogen circulating in the body, and thus protect against breast cancer.

Canned Crushed Tomato: Tomatoes are packed with a number of great things, but I'll concentrate on one here - lycopene. Lycopene helps protect cells and other structures in the body from oxygen damage and has been linked to the protection of DNA inside white blood cells - amazing stuff. Canned tomatoes have an even greater concentration of lycopene than their fresh counterparts due to the processing method. Carotenoids like lycopene are fat-soluble, so pair tomatoes with olive oil, avocado, or nuts to aid in absorption in the body. Commercial tomatoes are sometimes grown to quickly or genetically modified, so it's definitely worth seeking out organically produced tomatoes for their greater nutritional benefits - this holds true for items made from tomatoes as well: organic ketchup has been shown to contain 3x the lycopene content of that made from commercially grown tomatoes!

Rainbow Chard: whfoods.org calls chard the "vegetable valedictorian" due to its impressive list of health promoting nutrients. Chard is high in vitamins A, C, and K, magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, and a host of other vitamins and minerals. The combination of traditional nutrients, phytonutrients, and dietary fiber have been shown to aid in the prevention of digestive tract cancers, such as colon cancer. Bonus - you get all of these health benefits in relatively few calories (35 calories per cup).

Kalamata Olive: The Complete Guide to Nutritional Health touts the olive as a superfood. They are packed with vitamins A and E, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, manganese, antioxidants, oleic and linoleic acid. Olives and olive oil are a staple of the Mediterranean diet; those who follow it have a low incidence of cardiovascular disease compared to those who eat a high proportion of animal fat in their diet. Why? Studies have shown that the high oleic acid content in olives and their oil helps regulate the balance between high-density lipoprotein ("good" cholesterol) and low-density lipoprotein ("bad" cholesterol) in the blood, which prevents fatty deposits in the arteries and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.

On to the recipe! Here's what I did:

Slow Cooked Veggie Packed Tomato Sauce

Makes about 4 cups

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 red pepper, finely chopped

1 handful of mushrooms, chopped

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried basil

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1 28-oz. can crushed organic tomatoes

1/2 tsp. honey or agave nectar

1 bunch chard, destemmed and chopped into thin strips

1 handful kalamata olives, pitted and sliced in half

Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook until fragrant and soft, 3-4 minutes. Add red pepper and cook an additional 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and spices. Stir and cook 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, honey, and 1/2 c. water.

Reduce heat to medium low. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally (adjust the heat lower if it begins to bubble too rapidly, and add more water if the sauce begins to look too dry).

Add chard to top of sauce (don't mix in) and cover pan. Allow chard to steam for 10 minutes, until bright green. Uncover and mix chard into sauce. Increase heat to medium. Add kalamata olives. Cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve with your favorite pasta.

One year ago: butternut squash mac & cheese

veggie bean soup

It's been awhile, but as of today, I'm officially back in my kitch. I have spent the past few weeks in the Pacific Northwest with my family.* I did do some cooking while there, but rather than exploring new recipes I stuck primarily to familiar dishes (a sampling: butternut squash mac & cheese, miso soup, roasted garlic mashed potatoes).

*My mother was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer in early November. The initial surgery went very well. Next comes chemotherapy. The future is uncertain, but we're taking things one day at a time. Thank you to everyone who has been keeping us in your thoughts.

Today, as I was scanning the pantry in preparation for a trip to the grocery store, I spotted a bag of mixed beans that I bought at a market in Sonoma several months ago. I decided it was time to put those beans to use in a hearty fall soup. Here's what I did:

Veggie Bean Soup

Serves 6ish

olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 stalks celery, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

28 oz. can diced tomatoes

2 c. dried beans**

4 c. water or veggie stock

1 bunch chard or kale, destemmed and chopped

**Any dried beans will do; I used a mix that contained kidney, navy, pinto, white beans, lentils, and some others that I'm not sure I can correctly identify! Check out the bulk foods section of your local grocery store for inspiration.

Dried beans quick soak:*** Add 2 cups dried beans to 6 cups water in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Cover and remove from heat. Allow beans to soak for 1 hour. Drain and rinse.

***For those like me, who tend not to think in advance far enough to allow time for beans to soak overnight.

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions begin to soften (about 3 minutes). Add celery and carrot. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add spices and mix to combine.

Add tomatoes (with juice), beans, and water or stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until beans and veggies are tender (1 1/2 to 2 hours), stirring occasionally. Add more water as needed to reach desired consistency.

Add chard and cover to allow to steam for a few minutes. Remove cover and mix kale into soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

We ate our soup together with freshly baked corn bread. It's good to be back in the kitch!

easy weeknight pasta

As I was driving home from work on Thursday evening, I was mentally going through the items in my fridge and pantry to figure out what we could eat for dinner. Normally, I outline the week's meals over the prior weekend (which I generally find necessary to ensure we eat all of the produce from 2 weekly CSA deliveries without letting any of the food spoil or go to waste). But last weekend my mother was in town (fun, but busy) and this week has been crazy with work, so I'm figuring out weeknight meals as I go.

Criteria for this particular night: 1) something fast (it was already 8pm as I was commuting the 20-some miles from work to home) and 2) something healthy. Here's what I did:

Easy Weeknight Pasta

Serves 2

6 oz. angel hair pasta

olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

leaves from 3 sprigs fresh oregano, chopped

a handful of mushrooms, sliced

about 15 kalamata olives, pits removed and sliced

1 bunch greens, roughly chopped*

1 15 oz. can chopped tomatoes

balsamic vinegar

crumbled feta

*I used swiss chard, stems removed. Collard greens or spinach would also be good.

Heat a pot of water for the pasta. While water is warming, heat 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add oregano and mushrooms and continue to cook until mushrooms are soft, stirring occasionally. Add olives and chopped greens. Cook, stirring occasionally, until greens start to become tender and bright green. Add tomatoes (juice and all) and 1-2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar. By this time, your pasta water should be boiling - add the pasta. Continue to cook the veggies, stirring occasionally, until pasta is done.

Drain pasta and divide between bowls. Top with veggie mixture and sprinkle with crumbled feta. 

This might be a record in our house for a speedy, healthy dinner - JR helped with the chopping, which meant that from the time I pulled the onion out of the pantry to the time we sat down with hot bowls of food was only about 15 minutes. 

Depending on your desired veggie/pasta ratio, you may end up with leftover veggies (we did). I used the remaining veggies for brunch this morning by mixing them into scrambled eggs. Yum!

3pm saturday frittata

It's a drizzly grey Saturday. Mine got off to a nice lazy start... I slept in, went for a walk, and didn't really think about food until the afternoon. Can a meal after noon still be called brunch? I guess I'll call it my 3pm Saturday frittata. Greens? Check (golden chard from the CSA box). Cheese? Check. Eggs? Hm. Only 3. But JR is willing to make a quick run to the store for more. Check!

One of the things I love about the basic greens/cheese/eggs combo is that it can be changed up in a number of ways. What I throw in tends to be driven by what I have on hand. Today, I'm going with a Greek flair with red onions, kalamata olives, and feta cheese. You could exchange those for yellow onion, black beans, and salsa, go more traditional with mushrooms and potatoes, or throw in other veggies like red peppers or broccoli florets - the possibilities are endless. Here's the recipe for today's version:

Greek & Greens Frittata

Serves 4 (or 2 with leftovers)

1 small red onion, chopped

1 bunch kale, chard, or collards, center stems removed and chopped

6 eggs, whisked

1/4 c. feta cheese, crumbled

6-10 kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

1/2 c. sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Cook the chopped onion in olive oil over medium heat. Add the greens and cook, stirring occasionally until they are dark green. Whisk the eggs in a bowl. Add the onion and greens combo, half of the feta, the olives, and a few fresh grinds of black pepper. Stir, allowing the heat from the greens to start to cook the eggs.

Turn on the broiler so it can heat up. On the stovetop, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the egg mixture. Allow to cook for about a minute, then begin working your way in a circle around the skillet, lifting up the eggs from the outside with a spatula and allowing uncooked egg to run in (tilting the pan helps with this). Continue cooking in this manner until the top no longer looks runny. Sprinkle with remaining feta and cheddar cheese.

Move the skillet to the oven (broiler should be hot by now). Allow it to remain there for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese begins to brown. Remove from oven. Let sit for 5 minutes, then slice and serve. 

For brunch, I usually serve with a side of fruit. This is also makes a great dinner meal if you add a salad. The leftovers are yummy warmed up in the oven the next day. Which means my 3pm Saturday frittata will carry us through the weekend for a Sunday brunch as well!