Quinoa and Black Bean

Did you ever have one of those days when you need dinner on the table fast but have absolutely no inspiration?  Priya offered up quinoa.  I had a can of black beans in my pantry and no idea how to combine these ingredients.  So I did what every tech savvy person does, I googled black beans and quinoa.  Up popped this great recipe.  My goal was not to run to the grocery store.  But I did anyway because the recipe called for corn and cilantro and the flavor of corn got stuck in my head.

The only changes I made was tossing in sliced green onions at the very end.  (I didn’t have an onion.  Grocery day is tomorrow.)  The final dish has a really nice flavor and texture.  It  can be a complete meal, like it was for us this evening.  It would make a wonderful side dish if you are serving a Mexican entree.  And it would be wonderful in a lunch box.  I think it would be quite tasty at room temperature.

Quinoa and Black Beans

(Copied from Allrecipes.com – link added above)

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels (Trader Joe’s has a frozen roasted corn kernels that would be delicious in this dish.)
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained (I only used 1 can)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2. Mix in the quinoa and cover with vegetable broth.  Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.
3. Stir the frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through.  Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

Nigella’s Breakfast Bars

One of my favorite cookbooks is How to Eat by Nigella Lawson.  It’s one of the first cookbooks I read cover to cover.  Looking back on it, I am not sure if I actually made anything from this book.  I must have, but there are no notes on any of the recipes.  I usually date and comment on recipes I try.  I started doing this after reading this wonderful sentence from Maida Heatters Book of Great Cookies,  “A cookbook should be treated like a school textbook.  When reading it, or cooking from it, keep a pencil handy for notations.  Underline things you especially want to remember, make notes-just don’t be afraid to write in it.  Write you experience with the recipes and any changes you make.”   Great advice, and I have been doing it ever since.

The recipe for these bars comes from “Nigella Express.”  I like to think of this as a gourmet version of Semi-Homemade.  When she was doing her book tour, I purchased a copy that she signed.  She doesn’t just doctor up pre-packaged food like Sandra Lee, but she does rely on some convenience products.  I have made several recipes from this book.  I do think it is a good cookbook to have on hand.  Especially when you need to get dinner on the table quickly.

These breakfast bars are one recipe I have made several times.  Nigella writes about these bars:  “I am addicted to these, and so is everyone I give them to.  Although they’re quick to throw together, they do take nearly an hour to bake, so what I suggest is, make a batch on the weekend and then you will have the oaty, chewy bars ready and waiting for those days when you have to snatch breakfast on the run….They also store well; indeed, they seem to get better and better.  So just stash them in a tin and remove when you want.”

The first time I made them, I followed her directions and did not line my baking pan with parchment paper.  The bars come out of the oven quite gooey (you may need to play around with baking time, especially in rainy weather.)  They bars did stick and did not come out as you see in her photo.

Lining the baking pan with parchment and then spraying the pan with a little Pam really helps.  These are really great if it happens to be your turn to be snack mom for one of the kid’s games.  Just cut them a bit smaller than suggested.

Breakfast Bars

(from “Nigella Express” by Nigella Lawson)

• 1 14 fluid ounce can condensed milk
• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats (not instant)
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame)
• 1 cup natural unsalted peanuts

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and oil a 9 X 13 inch baking pan or just use a disposable aluminum foil one.  (I lined my pan with parchment paper then sprayed the paper with non stick spray.  Do not skip this step, the bars are quite sticky after baking.)
2. Warm the condensed milk in a pan.  (I poured mine into a measuring cup and heated it gently in the microwave oven.)
3. Meanwhile, mix all the other ingredients together and add the warmed condensed milk, using a rubber spatula to fold and distribute.
4. Spread the mixture into the oiled or foil pan and press down with a non-stick spatula.
5. Bake for 1 hour, remove, and after about 15 minutes, cut into four across and four down, to make 16 chunky bars.  Let cool completely.

I wrap the bars individually in parchment paper.  It makes grabbing or tossing into lunch boxes for snacks very easy.

Any Night Linguine with Clam Sauce

This is a great recipe everyone should keep in their repertoire.  Assuming you like clams and linguine of course.  With just a few pantry staples, you can whip this up in no time.  Perfect for those evenings when you need something yummy to fill your belly.  I served it with garlic bread and white wine for the adults.  (Our house white is Charles Shaw sauvignon blanc.  Also known affectionately as three buck chuck.)  I realize that a salad would have been nicer, but we had just gotten home from a marathon of games held all over town.  This recipe comes from volume 6 of Canal House Cooking.  It’s the one with the grocery cart on the front.

Any Night Linguine with Clam Sauce

(From Canal House Cooking, Volume No. 6)

For the Toasted Bread Crumbs:

• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 2 – 3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt

For the Linguine with Clam Sauce:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 6 anchovy filets
• 2 – 4 cloves garlic, minced
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 32 ounces clam broth
• Two 10-ounce cans baby clams
• 1 pound linguine
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

For the toasted bread crumbs, preheat the oven to 375 degrees (or if you prefer you can saute these in a skillet.)  Toss the bread crumbs with the olive oil and a pinch of salt in a bowl.  Spread the bread crumbs out on a baking sheet and bake until dry and golden, about 10 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

For linguine with clam sauce, heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the anchovies and stir with a wooden spoon until they melt into the oil.  Add the garlic and the red pepper flakes, and stir for a minute.  Increase the heat to high, pour in the wine, clam broth, and the broth from the canned baby clams, cover, and cook until it comes to a boil.  Add  the linguine, and cook for about 10 minutes.  Add the clams and their broth and continue to cook until the pasta has absorbed most of the broth.  Add the parsley and toss everything together.  Season to taste.  Sprinkle each plate of pasta with the toasted bread crumbs.

Brown Butter Crispy Rice Treats

I know what you’re thinking, “rice crispy treats, seriously?”  Hear me out.  Every now and then the simplicity of rice crispies and marshmallows just speaks to you.  Last night was one of those nights.  The kids and I had a craving for rice crispy treats.  Plain rice crispy treats, no peanut butter, no almond butter, just marshmallows and rice crispies and some butter thrown in for good measure.  I remembered seeing a recipe in Joanne Chang’s book Flour and thought why not give it a shot.  Normal rice crispy treats are in no way super healthy, but Joanne Chang’s version is down right decadent.  Browning the butter adds a really nice nutty flavor, and the vanilla bean adds a richness to the flavor of the marshmallows.

These might just be elegant enough to serve at a dinner party!

Brown Butter-Crispy Rice Treats

(from Flour by Joanne Chang)

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• Two 10-ounce bags marshmallows
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 9 cups (240 grams) crispy rice

Butter a 9-by-13- inch baking pan, coat it with nonstick cooking spray, or line it with parchment paper.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.  As the butter melts, use the tip of a knife to scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean directly into the butter.  (Reserve the pod for another use.)

Once the butter has melted, it will start to bubble and crackle.  If you lean in and listen, it will sound like an audience of people politely clapping their hands (in anticipation of these treats!)  Watch the butter carefully and you will see it slowly browning.  As soon as the bubbling subsides, after about 5 minutes, the butter will be fully browned and you will need to add the marshmallows.    (Be attentive, because if you don’t add the marshmallows right away, the butter may burn.)  Add the marshmallows and salt and stir constantly over low heat until the marshmallows are completely melted and vanilla seeds are evenly distributed.

Remove the pan from the heat, add the cereal, and mix well with a wooden spoon to coat evenly.  Turn the mixture into the prepared pan and pat into an even layer.  Let cool for about 1 hour, or to room temperature, then cut into 12 pieces.

I like to wrap the pieces in parchment paper.  I think it keeps them fresher a little longer.

Shrimp Creole

I miss New Orleans.  Or maybe I just miss being on vacation.  Ever since being back, we have all passed around various and sundry viruses to one another.  I am ready for this cycle to end.  I have been spending time looking through an old cookbook I found in a used book store.  Brennan’s New Orleans Cookbook.

We didn’t get a chance to eat at Brennan’s, I opted for brunch at Commander’s Palace just before heading out on our cruise.  (Commander’s Palace has a special place in my heart.  And I love their jazz brunch.)  But after perusing the cookbook, it is definitely on my list of places to visit the next time we are there.  Their approach to Creole cooking is through the eyes of a classically trained French chef.  The dishes are recognizable, but their take on these traditional dishes is much more refined.  The instructions are short and succinct so I wouldn’t call this the definitive creole cookbook.  But it certainly makes a nice addition.

I marked out several recipes in the book to try, for some reason this one had some urgency.  The ingredients made it onto my shopping list.  It is an easy enough dish to prepare for weeknight dinners.  There is an option to add cornstarch at the end of the cooking time to thicken the sauce.  I didn’t.  And since it is not fresh tomato season, I used a can of small diced tomatoes.  One more thing, I am not a big fan of green bell peppers, except when I am cooking creole/cajun dishes.  It does make a difference.

Shrimp Creole

(from Brennan’s New Orleans Cookbook)

Serves 4 to 6 servings

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup coarsely chopped green pepper
• 2 cups coarsely chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 cups whole tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 pounds raw shrimp, peeled and veined
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Heat vegetable oil and saute next 4 ingredients until tender.  Add tomatoes and brown.  Stir in paprika, cayenne, salt and water.  Add bay leaf and simmer 15 minutes.  Add shrimp and continue simmering 10 to 12 minutes more.  If desired, thicken sauce with cornstarch mixed in a little cold water.  Serve with hot fluffy rice.

Addictive Fried Rice

I love one pot meals.  Especially on busy weeknights.  And this one, I have to say, is my favorite go to meal.  I am so addicted to the flavor that I literally crave it right after I am done eating dinner.  I stumbled across this recipe when I was flipping through volume 6 of Canal House Cooking.  My version has a lot more vegetables and smoked tofu (I can’t seem to figure out how to get nice chunks of scrambled egg.)

I am only going to give you the recipe for the sauce, which makes this dish.  The rest is up to you.  In the version I made last night, I used baby bok choy, onion and sweet bell pepper.  I also made rice before leaving for work in the morning.  If you have the time, spread the cooked rice out on a baking sheet to cool and dry out a bit.  I also cut up my vegetables during the weekend, so this literally went together in 30 minutes.

Fried Rice

• 1/2 onion, julienned
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 pound button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 baby bok choy, sliced crosswise
• 1 sweet bell pepper, julienned
• 3 cups cooked long grain rice

For the Sauce (combine in a small bowl and set aside):

• 2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
• 1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (like sambal oelek)

I heat up a large skillet (I don’t own a wok, nor do I have space for on in my kitchen) over medium to medium-high heat.  I add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and half a julienned onion.  When the onion has softened a bit, I sprinkle it with soy sauce.  When the onions are translucent, I add the mushrooms and minced garlic and sprinkle them with a little bit of soy sauce as well.  This gives them a really nice umami flavor.  When the mushrooms have carmelized, add the bok choy.  Toss them with the hot vegetables and then add the sweet bell peppers and the rice.  Sprinkle the rice with the sauce.  Toss to combine.  Add the tofu.

A sprinkling of sliced green onions adds a nice touch.  This is really good the next day, especially in a lunch box.

Back in the Saddle Again

I realize it’s been awhile.  We went away for Christmas break and it’s been really hard getting back into the swing of things.  My family decided to have a get together to celebrate my Dad’s birthday.  We all met up in New Orleans and then headed off on a cruise.  New Orleans was wonderful.  We landed, checked into the hotel and high tailed it over to Cafe du Monde.  As we finished up, University of Louisiana’s marching band came roaring down Bourbon street.  There were people lined up along the street screaming “Geaux Cajuns!”  Oliver joined the second line and followed them back to the hotel.  Quite a New Orleans welcome.  I could have stayed in New Orleans for the full break, but we had a cruise waiting for us.  For a big family get together, I would highly recommend going on a cruise.  It provides you the perfect balance of visiting and not, to make the reunion a joyous occasion.

But it has been really hard getting used to cooking.  On a cruise, there is food at all times of the day.  At home, if I don’t make it, it’s slim pickings.  Soup seemed like a nice, gentle way to get back into the swing of things.  The produce box had a nice head of broccoli.  Priya came up with the idea of broccoli cheddar soup.

This version does not use any cream and has higher ratio of broccoli to cheddar.  We are blessed here in the Pacific Northwest with some mighty fine cheddar.  I decided to go with Tillamook Extra Sharp Cheddar.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

• 4 ounces unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced (approximately 1 cup)
• 1 pound fresh broccoli, heads cut into small florets, stems peeled and diced
• 32 ounces hearty vegetable broth
• 9 ounces extra sharp cheddar, shredded
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Grating of fresh nutmeg

Heat a large soup pot over medium heat.  Melt the butter and allow it to foam.  Add the flour all at once.  Cook the flour and butter for about 5 minutes.  Do not allow the flour to brown.  Add the onions and carrots.  When the onions turn translucent, slowly add the stock while stirring constantly.  Add the broccoli.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer.  Let the soup simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are extremely tender.

You can either ladle the soup into a blender or use and immersion stick to puree the soup.  It will thicken considerably.  You can either thin the soup with water or some more vegetable broth.  Turn the heat to low and slowly add the shredded cheese by the handful.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.  Add a grating of nutmeg just before serving.

Pom Cinnamon Rolls

When I was pregnant with my first child I happened to live across the street from my parents.  For Indian parents, especially those with three boys, this was a major coup.  To have their daughter married, with child and living within viewing distance?  What more could they ask for?  When Priya was born, my husband held her first.  My dad waited patiently in the background for his turn.  He held onto his turn for quite a long time.  My dad was born to be a grandfather.

My parents had a very strict routine.  They ate breakfast and then promptly headed to the gym for either a grueling workout or a “competitive” game of tennis.  My mother did every thing competitively but that’s another blog post.  They would return at exactly 11:30.  My dad would sort through his gym bag and then would head over to grab little Miss P.  The one thing he had in great abundance was time.  I walked into their bedroom one day and noticed that my dad had draped ties on the ceiling fan.  When he changed little Miss P’s diaper, he would lay her on their bed, turn the fan on for a few seconds to send the ties whirling.  Miss P would gaze at them in amazement.  Who would have  thought to put ties on a ceiling fan to amuse a baby?  My dad.

My kitchen window faced their driveway.  On sunny days I could see my dad sitting in the drive way reading the paper with Priya fast asleep in her stroller.  When she started walking, they would spend the afternoon watering the garden.  My dad watered the plants, Miss P watered herself.  Nothing she did could ever annoy him.  He was completely content.

After my mom passed away my dad moved closer to us.  The kids really helped him adjust to his new place.  The three of them fell into a really nice routine.  He loved getting the kids off the school bus.  He would buy them a special after school snack and read the paper while they did their homework.  On the weekends he would take them out for breakfast. They took turns picking out breakfast spots.  For the longest time, Priya always wanted to go to Pomegranate Bistro.  I am not sure what fascinated her about this place but she just loved it.

While flipping through the Pomegranate cookbook, Priya stopped at this recipe.  She had tried the cinnamon rolls at the bistro and said they were “Soooo good.”  We had to make them.  It was a nice quiet weekend so I thought why not.

The dough is simple to make in a stand mixer.  It rises in the mixing bowl.  It handles beautifully when you have to roll it out.  These rolls are incredibly decadent.  There’s honey butter that’s spread on the dough before you sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar.  And of course, there’s a delicious cream cheese frosting.  This is a must make for Christmas morning.  I think you can get away with making half the amount of honey butter.  We had a lot left over and I was quite generous when it came to slathering this concoction on the dough.

Pom’s Cinnamon Rolls

(from “Fried Chicken and Champagne” by Lisa Dupar)

Makes 20 small rolls or 9 giant rolls

Dough:

• 1 ¼ cups warm milk (about 105 degrees)
• 2 teaspoons yeast
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 5 ½ cups bread flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 eggs

Honey Butter:

• 1 cup honey
• 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

Cinnamon Sugar:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Icing:

• 5 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Prepare a sheet pan or baking dish by lining with parchment paper and spraying with nonstick cooking spray.

To make the dough:

In the bowl of a standing mixer, stir together the warm milk, yeast, and sugar by hand.  Let stand for 5 minutes.  Add the flour, salt, butter, and eggs.  Using the dough hook, mix to completely develop the dough, about 8 to 10 minutes (the dough should “clean” the side of the bowl, with no extra flour at the bottom; you might need to add more flour).  The finished dough will be tacky but not sticky.  Remove the dough hook and cover the bowl with plastic.  Place the bowl in a warm area and allow the  dough to double in size.

To make the cinnamon sugar:

In a small mixing bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon until completely mixed.

To make the cinnamon rolls:

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface.  Roll out into a rectangle that is roughly 18 inches by 24 inches and about ½ inch thick.  Liberally brush the dough with half of the room-temperature honey butter.  Sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Beginning with the 24-inch side of the dough, start rolling from the bottom up to the top of the rectangle.  Gently pull the dough to make an even, semi-tight spiral.  Divide the “log” by cutting it in half, and then in half again, with a serrated knife.  Divide each quarter into 5 pieces.  Lay each piece on its side.  Take the “tail” of the first piece and gently pull and wrap it around, tucking it under the roll.   Press down slightly on the roll and place it on the sheet pan.  Continue with the rest of the rolls.  Cover and place the rolls in a warm area and let them rise again (about 1 hour).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bake the cinnamon rolls for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are a deep golden brown, rotating the pan hallway through.  Remove from oven and lightly brush with reserved honey butter.

To make the icing:

Place cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a standing kitchen mixer  with the whip attachment, and mix until smooth at low speed.  Add the powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla, and whip until smooth.

When the rolls are completely cool, ice them.  Serve them cool or warmed in the oven at 325 degrees for 2 to 3 minutes.

Pom Tomato Soup and Plum Tart

I am a big believer in dinner time.  It’s the one time during the kids very busy day that we can all come together and decompress.  With the start of basketball season, dinner has been pushed to after practices which is a very late 9:00.  We don’t get much time to chit chat as I am too worried about getting them to bed on time.  My son already complains about waking up at 6:45 am, going to bed late doesn’t help the matter.

Saturday seems to be our one night that we can all linger at the table.  It is my one full day at home so the meals can be a little more complicated.  Not necessarily in the making, but a meal that requires more than a few minutes to eat.

The rains are a coming to the Northwest.  Saturday morning was not only wet, but it was also quite windy.  As the kids slept in and the hubby banged away on his computer, I made myself some tea and sat down to look at a cookbook I had checked out from the library.  I couldn’t pass up the title, “Fried Chicken and Champagne.”  It is authored by Lisa Dupar, owner of Lisa Dupar catering and Pomegranate Bistro.  We have eaten at Pomegranate Bistro several times.  The food is quite good.  I was glancing through the soup section when I felt someone peering over my shoulder.  My son loves to sneak up on me.  The cookbook happened to be open to Pom’s Tomato Soup.  Oliver had ordered this very dish the last time we were there.  I heard a quiet “yum” in my ear.  I thought it would be the perfect Saturday night meal, especially on this rather blustery day.  There were also some pluots from the produce delivery and some frozen puff pastry in the refrigerator that would make a nice simple tart to finish of the meal.

This makes quite a lot of soup.  I had enough soup for a quick meal during the week and a big jar that I froze for later.  If I was to make this again, I would cut the recipe in half.

Pom Tomato Soup

(from “Fried Chicken and Champagne,” by Lisa Dupar)

Bouquet Garni:

• 6 thyme sprigs
• 1 rosemary sprig

• 4 ounces butter
• 3 medium-size fennel bulbs, chopped
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 2 Tablespoons chopped garlic
• 3 1/2 pounds canned Italian plum tomatoes, with juice, chopped
• 1 1/2 quarts chicken stock (I used vegetable stock)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• salt and pepper
• fennel greens, for garnish

To make the bouquet garni:  Tie the thyme and rosemary sprigs together with a piece of kitchen string.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the fennel, onion, shallots, and garlic.  Saute until tender.  Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.  add the bouquet garni and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.  Add the cream and bring to a simmer, then remove from heat and let cool.  Discard the bouquet garni.  Blend the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth, then pass blended soup through a fine strainer.  (This is optional.)  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Garnish the soup with the sprigs of fennel greens and serve.

I used an immersion blender and the soup was a bit to chunky.  when I serve it again I will blend it in my Vita-mix blender with makes everything really smooth.  I served the soup with grilled cheese sandwiches made with really good bread that was smeared with butter and Flagship cheddar cheese.  This was not a low calorie meal, but it was really good and worth the splurge.

The plum tart was really simple.  I used frozen puff pastry that was allowed to thaw on the counter.  I placed it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  I preheated the oven to 375 degrees.  I pitted the plouts and sliced them.  Placed them diagonally on the puff pastry.  I sprinkled the plums with some sliced almonds.  I mixed together 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon with 1 tablespoon of sugar and sprinkled this all over.  Pop it in the oven for approximately 25 to 30 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden brown.  You can brush this with some apricot jam while it is still warm.  Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

A mighty fine Saturday night dinner.

Swiss Chard Tacos

Last year, my husband sent me an article about CSA programs in our area.  The one being profiled was Full Circle Farms.  This wasn’t your typical CSA program.  Although much of the produce came from their farm, they did partner with other farms in the region and abroad.  So you might get bananas and strawberries in the dead of winter.  I would still be signed up if it wasn’t for the delivery date.  Their deliveries were done Monday night/Tuesday morning.  What with working, getting lunches done and the kids of to school and let’s not forget the dog, this made for one very hectic morning.  Additional stress was not why I signed up.

When the remnants of our non-summer were long gone, I started looking at alternative CSA programs.  I was really hoping for a program that delivered closer to the weekend, my ideal being Friday.  There were quite a few true CSA programs, but you had to pick up from certain locations, none really that convenient.  In one of my searches I came across New Roots Organics started by a women who sources local produce from all over the Pacific Northwest.  The program delivered to my area, with the delivery date being Friday!  I signed up right away.  My first delivery was this past Friday.

There was a nice selection of vegetables and fruit.  The only substitution I made was Swiss chard for the kale.  (One of the items I was able to grow really well this year was kale.  Lots and lots of kale.)   I have never had great success storing Swiss chard so I cook it up right away.  This evening, I had on hand a red onion and some Beecher’s Flagship cheese (in my opinion the best cheddar cheese).  The sharpness of this cheddar cheese perfectly complements the sweetness of the chard.  One of my go to recipes for chard is Swiss chard tacos.  A recipe I came across in “Mexican Everyday” by Rick Bayless.  I don’t know if I ever made the recipe as written.  There were some golden beets in the bin.  I cut of the beet greens and saved the beets for later.

I chop my chard into bite size pieces then wash it.  My sink isn’t large enough to handle the big leaves.  While the leaves drain, I heat up a large skillet and julienne a red onion.  (Use whatever color onion you happen to have on hand.)

When the skillet is hot add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Let the butter foam slightly then sprinkle in 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds.  Let the cumin seeds brown slightly (about 1 minute) before adding the onions.

Stir the onions every now and then but let them caramelize.  For the most part you can leave them alone and grate the cheddar cheese.  When the onions have softened and taken on some color add the chard in large handfuls.  Using tongs, toss the hot onions over the leaves to help them start wilting.  Continue in this way until all the greens have been added.

I don’t find any need to add additional liquids.  The wet leaves provide sufficient moisture.  Season the greens with salt and cover for about 5 to 7 minutes.  Remove the lid from the pan and sprinkle the greens with vinegar (your choice, I used raspberry vinegar).  Push the greens to the sides of the pan and let the liquids from the chard and vinegar reduce to a syrupy consistency.

I normally would use corn tortillas.  At our local big box store I found some multigrain wraps with flax seed.  I decided to give those a try.  I like to warm the tortillas on a griddle.  I melt some of the shredded cheese onto the tortillas while they are warming.  I don’t think you can have to much Flagship cheddar.

Top the warmed tortillas with the Swiss chard mixture and sprinkle on more shredded cheese.

Rick Bayless suggests crumbled Mexican queso fresco or other fresh cheese such as feta or goat cheese.  We have tried these with goat cheese and it is quite good.  You can also top the tacos with pickled onions.

To make this a heartier meal, you can add some grilled chicken or steak.  Either way they are delicious.  The multigrain wrap was good, but I would stick to the traditional corn tortilla.