Chard: The Leafiest Green

This is our last week of our Rainbow Chard for the summer! To properly bid it farewell we have a delicious, quick prep recipe that can be preserved for those days that you’re missing your dear old friend.

INDIAN LENTIL AND CHARD SOUP

INGREDIENTS

1 pound dry red lentils

1 bunch chard, chopped into 1/2 inch horizontal strips (with veins)

4 small tomatoes, diced

1 yellow onion, diced

1 tablespoon masala dry spice mix (substitute with turmeric and cumin or desired Indian spices)

1 quart vegetable broth

1 quart water

olive oil

Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

cilantro to garnish

PREP:

1. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the bottom of a large pot.  Once oil is heated add diced onions and chard.  Sauté with a bit of salt and black pepper for 3 minutes.
2. Add lentils to the pot with a dash more olive oil. Stir lentils until most are lightly browned.
3. Add broth, water and tomatoes and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook at a low simmer until the lentils are tender, approximately 35 to 40 minutes.
5. Once lentils are tender add masala spice, salt and pepper to taste. Stir thoroughly and serve!
6. This soup can be frozen and reheated for up to a month and still taste as great as the day you cooked it!

FOOD FACT: Chard is considered a super food, meaning it’s chalked full of vitamins, including C, E, and K, and minerals, including potassium, magnesium, iron, and manganese. A stalk of chard a day’ll keep the doctor away!

“Hits the Spot” Springtime Soup

This soup will turn your Fairview Gardens Farm Share into a delicious meal. You can also add ingredients from last week, such as green garlic or cabbage.  Throw in some beans or diced up chicken, and dinner is done!

1. Wash and chop all the vegetables.
2. Warm a big soup pot on your stove. Add some type of fat (butter or olive oil). Fry the leeks, green garlic, onions, or anything else from the Allium family.
3. Add the hearty  vegetables and gently cook, until softened (such as carrots and fennel).
4. Add fresh herbs (such as basil,  parsley, savory, bay leaf).
5. Add liquid (such as broth, some white wine, and water).
6. Add starch (such as cooked pasta, potatoes, cooked beans*, rice).
7. Add delicate vegetables (zucchini, cabbage, tomatoes).
8. Add quick cooking vegetables (chard, green beans, collards, arugula).
9. Add flavorful garnish (basil leaf, spoon of garlic mayo, grated Parmesan, butter, pesto, or great quality olive oil). Croutons and fresh herbs are also nice.

My favorite beans to add to this soup are cannellini, Great Northern, navy beans, and if I’m feeling crazy, garbanzo beans.

Root Pie with Rosemary Biscuits

Do you still have turnips left over from last week? If so, combine them with kohlrabi, baby leeks, beets, and carrots to make this savory pie.

Root Pie with Rosemary Biscuits

• 2  – 4 carrots, peeled, quartered lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 kohlrabi bulbs, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 bunch of baby leeks, cut lengthwise and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 bunch of beets, cut lengthwise and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 turnip, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• Other optional vegetables to add: collard greens, celery, chard, or kale.
• 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, broken into 1/2 inch pieces, or fresh mushrooms, diced. 3 tablespoons butter
• 3  onions
• 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 3 cups stock
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons imported dry Sherry

Biscuits:

• 2 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced
• 1 1/3 cups chilled cream

For filling:

1. Turn on oven to 400 degrees.
2. Toss vegetables in a large baking dish with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Put in oven and bake for 30 minutes.
3. Make sauce. Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium sauce pan. Sauté onions until golden. Mix in garlic and rosemary and cook for 2 minutes. Add flour and stir. Add broth, cream, Sherry, salt and pepper and stir. Cook until sauce is thick (about 8 minutes). Add mushrooms. Pull the baking vegetables from the oven and pour over the baking vegetables. Bake for 10 more minutes.

For biscuits:

1. Mix first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture is the size of small peas. Add cream and mix with large spoon. Knead in bowl about 10 times to give the dough more shape.
2. Drop biscuit dough on top of roasting vegetables. Bake until the biscuits are golden on top, about 35-40 minutes.

Rainbow Chard Spanakopita

Rainbow Chard Spanakopita. Photo: M. Gomez

I wasn’t sure if chard would be a good substitute for spinach, but it worked perfectly.

3 bunches of rainbow chard, washed, de-stemmed, and chopped

1 large onion, peeled and diced

2 green onions, washed and chopped

2 Tablespoons olive oil or butter

4 large eggs

8 oz feta

1/4 cup of Parmesan

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup butter

1 box phyllo dough, thawed (Phyllo comes in 1 lb boxes, and you’ll only need 1/2 the box)

Prepare filling. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt the stick of butter in the oven for 5 minutes in an ovenproof container. Warm the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and add the onion and green garlic. Saute for about 7 minutes, until soft. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Saute 1/2 the chard in the same skillet until soft, and add to onion mixture. Repeat with the other 1/2 of the chard. Add the feta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper to the mixture. Add the eggs into the bowl, and break up the yolks before mixing the eggs into the mixture.

Prepare pan. Butter the inside of a 13 X 9 inch pan. Lay down a sheet of phyllo, and brush with melted butter. Repeat 7 times. Add the onion and chard mixture. and spread evenly. Lay down 8 more sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each sheet with butter.  Make sure to apply butter generously to every sheet! Bake for 45 minutes, until golden. Serve with plain yogurt.

Swiss Chard and Feta Tart

Swiss Chard Tart with Feta. Photo: M. Gomez

Recipe from JamieOliver.com

Ingredients
Makes 8 servings

Note from Melissa: I was low on chard, so I added some broccoli, caramelized onions, and fava leaves. It was delicious.

Crust:
¾ cup whole-wheat pastry flour
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1½ tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or oregano
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 tablespoons cold water

Filling:
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 cups chopped chard (about 1 bunch), leaves and stems separated
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons water
2 large eggs
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese)
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

1. To prepare crust: Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, thyme (or oregano), salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Make a well in the center and add 1/3 cup oil and 5 tablespoons water. Gradually stir the wet ingredients into the dry to form a soft dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface until the dough comes together. Wrap in plastic and chill for 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom with cooking spray.
3. Roll the dough into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to the prepared pan and press into the bottom and up the sides. Trim any overhanging dough and use it to patch any spots that don�t come all the way up the sides. Prick the bottom and sides with a fork in a few places. Bake the crust until firm and lightly brown, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.
4. To prepare filling: Meanwhile, heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chard stems and cook, stirring, until just tender, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add chard leaves and 2 tablespoons water and cook, stirring, until the leaves are just tender and the water has evaporated, 2 to 5 minutes. Transfer the greens to a sieve over a bowl and let drain and cool for 5 minutes. Whisk eggs, ricotta, lemon zest and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Fold in the greens, olives and feta. Pour the filling into the crust. Bake the tart until the top is lightly browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.