rainbow chard

What I Made – Week 12

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I tried a new recipe for these blueberry lemon scones, substituting regular milk for the plant-based and was sure I was going to regret it. The dough was so soft I dumped it in a puddle on my baking sheet for the chilling step! But somehow it baked up perfectly, and the crunchy sugar topping was a definite must. Consider adding more sugar to the dough if you don’t have any for sprinkling.
Salmon with wilted chard and a tarragon vinaigrette is a true 30 minute meal with flavor that tastes like it’s much more complex. Four salmon filets will leave leftovers for the next day, but we always eat one bunch of chard in a single meal.
These pitas are stuffed with more veggies than you might realize – oven roasted sun gold tomatoes, cucumbers in the tzatziki yogurt sauce, and zucchini in the turkey meatballs! Don’t skimp on the herbs in the meatballs, they give great flavor.
This colorful salad is just beets, avocado, and a puréed onion dressing, but is a nice light way to enjoy beets in the summer.
This dish looks veggie-free, but it hides 3 sliced and then caramelized onions! This is Adas Polo or lentil rice with chicken from the Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat cookbook. I didn’t have raisins or dates, so I used craisins. Samin would also be disappointed that my dish turned out unseasoned. She says to salt the rice cooking liquid until it’s “uncomfortable” and I thought I was probably just short of that but that it would be close enough. I was wrong and should know better than to not trust her instructions…
The recipe for these wok cooked Romano beans seems too easy to be true: char beans and dried chiles, add 1/4 c water to steam until crisp tender, then toss with garlic and ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil, and top with scallions. I’m here to say it was delicious and much more flavorful than you might expect!
This zucchini chocolate orange cake is pretty much perfection (and a great way to use up zucchini). I swap chocolate chips for the pecans and concentrate the glaze and only use about a half cup of powdered sugar since the cake is plenty sweet without it.

We also ate (more!) sunchoke gnocchi with sautéed spinach and polished off the peaches and cantaloupe as delicious lunch time snacks. We still have more onions and cucumbers to use up.

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What I’ve Planned – Week 12

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Even as hot as the days are, we’re still getting leafy greens along with our beans and squash, so I’m not in full casserole mode yet! Here’s what we are planning to make this week

Well probably eat the peaches and definitely the cantaloupe for breakfast and snack on the cucumbers throughout the week. I’m still hoping to make a chocolate zucchini cake, if I can stand to run the oven that long this week!

What I’ve Planned – Week 8

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This is the perfect early summer basket this week! The boxes are getting heavier and the veggies are filling up both sides of our crisper, which is a sure sign we’re headed for peak season. I’m trying to take a break from pasta with my menu this week, although there’s no break from salads in sight!

What I’ve Planned – Week 21

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I had thought I would be traveling this week, but instead I have more time to cook through this week’s veggies. Here’s what I have on the menu:

I’m also planning to make pimento cheese and pear scones. Together with a bunch more tomatoes from our garden, the roma tomatoes will become tomato sauce that I will can for later.

What I’ve Planned – Week 6

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If I could rename this blog, I would call it “Salad Season” because each May we laugh about how much lettuce we seem to get, saying it’s to prepare our bodies for lounging beside swimming pools and on beaches. Somehow, the sudden bounty of leafy greens doesn’t have much effect on my physique, but it’s still nice to be eating lighter as the weather gets warmer, at least, most days.

Here are some of the things I’m planning to make this week.

  • Tandoori chicken bake (I shred an entire zucchini or squash to make this casserole that is loaded with hidden vegetables!)
  • Salad with goat cheese, quinoa, and roasted beets
  • Pasta with Sausage and Dandelion Greens (adapted from this recipe, substituting hot Italian sausage for sweet, and dandelion greens for the chard)

I’m trying to put that lettuce to use in lots of salad recipes this week. We typically take leftovers as lunch, so it really works out to salad every day. I won’t wish this time of year away, though, because after Salad Season comes Summer Squash Overload, and it will be here before we know it.

What I Made: Chard Greens with Dill, Parsley, and Green Onions

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When I have received chard in the past, I’ve tended to rely on my old standby recipe of chard baked with feta and egg. I’m a real dairy lover, but I’ve become conscious through writing these posts just how much cheese I use in these recipes.  The chard recipe I’m sharing today is lighter, but no less flavorful thanks to the fragrant punch from the herbs.

It’s an especially fast side dish, as well. Chop up the chard, cutting out any ribs larger than the width about your pinkie fingernail. Next, wilt the chard.  Leave it wet after washing and toss it for a few minutes in a hot pan. Cook some green onions, dill, and parsley in oil over medium heat in a skillet until wilted. Then, add chard and toss until warm.  Season with salt and pepper. Easy, right?

ChardHerbsOnions

As always, full recipe with detailed steps is below. Continue reading →