Greens!

Last weekend I bought beautiful rainbow swiss chard and kale at the farmer's market. I've never cooked swiss chard before, but I have cooked beet greens (and stems) back at the beginning of the CSA season when I was inundated with beets. The verdict on swiss chard...tastes like beet greens, i.e. like dirt, in a good way.

Swiss Chard with Almonds and Raisins
Adapted from Epicurious

medium onion, sliced into long strips
extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
1 large bunch of Swiss chard, center ribs discarded and leaves coarsely chopped
1/2 cup? golden raisins
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup? sliced almonds

1. Cook onion with 1/4 teaspoon salt in 2 tablespoons oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring, until softened.
2. Sprinkle with paprika and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
3. Add chard in batches, stirring frequently, until wilted, then add raisins and water.
4. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until chard is tender, about 7 minutes.
5. Season with salt.
6. Cook almonds in remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil in a small heavy skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
* I didn't do this step, out of pure laziness, the recipe also called for coarsely chopped almonds with skins, I used sliced almonds.*
7. Sprinkle almonds over chard.

I originally made the chard to eat with these tasty pork chops that Wednesday Chef talks about. A very paprika-heavy meal. But then I ate the leftovers hot and cold, as a side, a snack, and the main event; I'll eat just about anything with golden raisins.



Tonight I finally got around to the kale. Luckily, this was a bit of a fridge clean-out meal, too. (We'll get to that fridge later...)

Penne with Kale, Tomatoes and Feta1. Cook 1 lb. penne.
2. Toast pine nuts. Don't burn them like I did.
2. Remove center ribs, coarse chop kale.
3. Put kale in pot with hot olive oil and two chopped cloves of garlic. Cook until kale is wilted.
4. Add crushed tomatoes (about 3/4 of the large can size...this dish isn't one for specifics) and cook for a few more minutes (Stir!)
5. Pour kale and tomato mixture on cooked and drained penne. Toss crumbled feta cheese on top.
6. Top with pine nuts.


Here's that fridge....as you can see the freezer's not any better.

And I'll be needing a place to put a 25-lb. turkey in a few days, hmm...

Sunday afternoon with the oven

I feel like I've been reunited with an old friend!

I finally got around to some baking this weekend. After scouring my new favorite blogs--why did it take me so long to start reading The Wednesday Chef and Orangette?--I found this perfectly appealing recipe for Apple Walnut Bundt Cake. It was exactly what I was looking for: autumnal, simple, unique yet classic (a bundt!), versatile (dessert or breakfast!), and delicious-looking. It whipped up pretty easily. I probably spent more time greasing and flouring all the nooks of the bundt pan than I did mixing up the batter. It came together nicely with some basic ingredients, two small local apples, one bowl and a spoon, no electric mixer. SIMPLE.

I pulled it out of the oven moments before I had to be on the bus to my book club/potluck. I didn't have time enough for it to cool in the pan before turning it out so I packed the pan and the cooling rack and brought it on the bus. It warmed my lap and gave off its tantalizing aroma; I think I made a few friends on the bus! When I arrived at book club, it turned out of the pan with ease . My book club friends seemed to enjoy it, but it was definitely better (more moist) the next day after spending the night wrapped in plastic. Next time I may go all out with cream cheese frosting as Orangette suggests.

This is a very mediocre photo of the last (and haphazardly cut) piece of cake. I was enjoying eating it so much, I almost didn't get around to photographing it. As you can see lots of nice apple chunks and walnut bits inside...

How about that bolognese...?

I wasn't supposed to be involved in the creation of this, but I was too hungry to sit back and let someone else toil over it all alone. I must be clear though that this was not my vision, a beautiful, well-executed vision, but not really something for which I can take credit.

Onion, garlic, ground beef (the 80/20 at my suggestion), hot Italian turkey sausage (to balance the fattier beef), then crushed and diced tomatoes, tomato paste, red and green pepper and mushrooms, Italian seasoning and fresh basil. It thickened up nicely as lunch leftovers 2 days later.

Monday night quickie

Whipped up this attractive plate on Monday night. Roasted the (purple!) broccoli with garlic, olive oil and salt. Boiled the potatoes and browned them in the pan with the portobello mushroom chicken sausage. Mixed grains from Trader Joe's on the side (cooked in broth instead of water). So what if I ate potatoes and grains, there was a green vegetable!