Swiss Chard pie

I have a bumper crop of chard this year, lucky me! instead of spinach, you can use it in Spanakopita - here is the recipe I used: http://goop.com/recipes/swiss-chard-spanakopita-pie/
I will be cooking and freezing big bags of chard to use during the Winter months  and plan to make many pies when it's frosty outside!

                                         filling made with chard, eggs, feta, crumbs, nutmeg

         BEFORE....

                                                      









AFTER!

Not your mother's Pad Thai

 Chard!

What to do with all that chard that overwintered? put in a Pad Thai of course!
( and a leek thrown in for good measure)
Recipe is here: http://theblissfulchef.com/2013/03/vegan-eats-world-pad-thai-with-spicy-greens-recipe


and the baked tofu recipe I used is here: http://www.housing.umich.edu/system/files/Savory%20Baked%20Tofu.pdf

*Sprinkle some red pepper flakes on top, you'll be glad you did!

Green Tabouli

from the garden : broccoli, mint, tomatoes, chard, and a few precious goji berries mixed in with quinoa, pumpkin seeds and garnished with feta & olives - just needed a little lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper.

Andrew Weil's curried greens

Thanks Andrew Weil for the curried greens recipe - a great way to use up all the chard! I made the recipe without potatoes and added quinoa and chickpeas. Yum! http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/RCP00215/curried-greens.html

Picked the last of the overwintered swiss chard - a big pile of which made it into a stir fry with asparagus, recipe from one of my favourite blogs, 101 Cookbooks: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/asparagus-stirfry-recipe.html toasted sesame oil 8 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into slices thick as a pencil 4 green onions, thinly sliced scant 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (peeled) 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 a bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces a couple big pinches of fine-grain sea salt 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 big handful of toasted cashews, chopped up a bit a few handfuls of spinach, or chopped kale, or chopped chard zest and juice of one lime 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce 1 small handful fresh mint, slivered 1 small handful fresh basil, slivered Have all your ingredients prepped and within arms reach of the stove. Heat a splash of sesame oil in a large pan, or well-seasoned wok over medium high heat. Alternately, you can do this in a dry non-stick pan - one of the few occasions I still use non-stick. When it is hot, add the tofu, and cook until golden - a few minutes. Remove the tofu from the pan and set aside. Add another (generous) splash of oil to the pan and, as soon as it is hot, add the onions, ginger, red pepper flakes, asparagus, and salt. Stir fry for about a minute, then add the garlic, cashews, and spinach and stir-fry for another minute, or until the spinach wilts. Return the tofu to the pan. Stir in the lime zest and juice and the hoisin sauce. Cook for another 10-20 seconds, stirring all the while. Remove from heat and stir in the mint and basil. Taste and add a bit more salt if needed. I did not have mint or basil, so used some cilantro instead, which was very nice. Make your own Hoisin Sauce: 4 Tablespoons Soy sauce - dark/light/usual 2 tablespoons Peanut butter - or black bean paste 1 tablespoon Honey - or molasses 2 teaspoons white vinegar 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 2 teaspoons sesame seed oil 20 drops Chinese-style hot sauce 1/8 teaspoon black pepper The rest of the chard will be sauted with garlic, an old standby for greens.

I dig potatoes

I dig potatoes! I love to dig 'em and eat 'em - I know they get a bad rap these days for making everyone fat, but those are fries or mash with tons of butter - it doesn't include freshly dug and roasted spuds with a bit of rosemary, garlic and olive oil. And I love squash and I love chard - so what better way to make a hearty Fall meal than to roast squash, new potatoes,with tofu ( which also gets a bad rap - more on that, later), dressed up with some Thai red curry miso sauce, poured over finely cut chard, sprinkled with lemon, toasted seeds and cilantro. From the garden I had cilantro, chard and of course the spuds. I can't remember where the recipe is from, but here it is: Miso Curry Squash peel and chop one winter squash 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup miso 1 Tb red Thai curry paste 8 oz. firm tofu (press for 1/2 hr first)cut into small cubes 4 (freshly dug!) new pototaes, cut into quarters 2 Tb lemon juice 1/3 cup toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds 2/3 cup cilantro put the oven at 400 degrees. Mix oil, miso, & curry paste, combine tofu, spuds & squash with 1/3 cup of sauce & toss well. Spread in one layer on baking sheet. Roast 25-30 minutes stirring a few times. Whisk lemon juice with remaining sauce and pour over chard. Add hot, roasted veggies to the chard, top with seeds and cilantro. Now, about the tofu: I appreciate what Dr. Andrew Weil has to say: "I'm aware of Internet paranoia on the subject of soy and the contention that only fermented soy is safe to consume. That is simply not true. Some of the best forms of soy - edamame, tofu and soy nuts - are unfermented and are much more likely to help you than hurt you.Claims that unfermented soy foods (such as tofu and soy milk) contain toxins that block the action of enzymes needed to digest protein, and that these toxins cause pancreatic enlargement, cancer and stunted growth in animals are misleading. While soy does contain substances (trypsin inhibitors) that may adversely affect the pancreas in animals, there's no solid evidence that they cause similar problems in humans. Furthermore, trypsin inhibitors are found in all of the vegetables of the cabbage family as well as in beans other than soy." Read more: http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400308/is-soy-milk-safe.html While I'm more apt these days to not consume as much soy, I will eat it in moderation - but none of that fake meat stuff, and only organic. and just for fun, here's an image of the garden/jungle late September: Enjoy your spuds!!!

ruby chard bouquet

The smell of freshly chopped chard reminds me of sweet summer Earth - I just pop out to the garden while the pasta is cooking, shake off the dirt, check the curled backs of the leaves for spiders and other bugs and it's ready to saute. I love to throw chopped chard last minute into soups.Sauteed in olive oil with garlic and red pepper flakes is wonderful. It grows well into early Winter here on the coast, and tolerates summer heat without bolting. I am letting a couple of the larger chards go to seed, as an experiment in seed saving. I would grow the plants even if they weren't so good to eat, as they're so gorgeous~ especially the ruby chard with its luminous, magenta stems. Here's a recipe for barley and lentil soup I am making for a cooler weather meal: * 1 tablespoon olive oil * 1 1/2 cups chopped onions * 1 1/2 cups chopped peeled carrots * 3 large garlic cloves, minced * 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin * 10 cups vegetable broth * 2/3 cup pearl barley * 1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice * 2/3 cup dried lentils * 4 cups (packed) coarsely chopped Swiss chard (about 1/2 large bunch) * 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill Heat oil in heavy large nonreactive pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and carrots; sauté until onions are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and stir 1 minute. Mix in cumin; stir 30 seconds. Add 10 cups broth and barley; bring to boil. Reduce heat; partially cover and simmer 25 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with juice and lentils; cover and simmer until barley and lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Add chard to soup; cover and simmer until chard is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in dill. Season soup with salt and pepper. Thin with more broth, if desired.