Swiss Chard Soup

My sister has a killer recipe for Swiss Chard Soup. Sadly, I've never made it because every time she sends me the recipe I lose it. Somewhere around here there's a goldmine of heirloom recipes tucked into one book jacket or another. But after searching in vain for the elusive recipe stockpile and faced with an overflowing vegetable drawer from the latest CSA delivery from Angelic Organics, I finally made up my own.

The bounty of vegetables presented the perfect opportunity to test out our new crock pot.  Ever since a batch of pulled pork cracked the insert of our old KitchenAid slow cooker for the third time, I've been on the lookout for a new, heartier model. After extensive research that mostly entailed reading amazon.com reviews, I decided it was time to downgrade. Yes, downgrade. Our new Crock Pot was cheaper and a little smaller that its predecessor (6 quarts vs. 7), but the reviews on this baby look great and after one round of chard soup, I am pleased. Fingers crossed that this crock doesn't shatter on me too. I'll keep you posted on that one but so far so good.

Swiss Chard Soup

2 tbsp olive oil
2 leeks, thinly sliced, and washed well
1 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large bunch of chard, washed, and roughly chopped
4 large carrots, chopped
3 cups waxy potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 Parmesan rind (I happened to have one in the freezer, but you could leave it out and add extra Parmesan on top when serving)
1 large bunch summer savory (or substitute fresh oregano), tied with twine for easy removal
Parmesan cheese for garnish

1. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan. Add onion, garlic, and leeks and saute until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add chard to the pan and continue to cook until the chard wilts.
2. Transfer chard mixture to a 6-quart (or slightly larger) slow cooker crock. Add next 8 ingredients (through Parmesan rind, if using) and stir gently. Nestle the bunch of summer savory right on top and cover. Cook on low setting for 8-10 hours. Garnish with plenty of freshly shaved Parmesan cheese and a serve with a hunk of crusty bread.

My champion chard spinner

Summer Vacation Salad

Just as we're about to leave town for anything longer than a weekend the panic sets in. What to do with all that produce that won't make it until we're back? This time our Angelic Organics CSA box arrived Wednesday and we were leaving for Traverse City, Michigan, (more on that in a later post) on Saturday, so it was quite a bounty!

First, I whipped up some pico de gallo but in the flurry of packing, cooking, searching for bathing suits, and back to school preparations, I never got around to taking photos. Rest assured it was suitably fresh and piquant with lots of jalepenos, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime, and even a few chopped tomatillos thrown in for good measure. We brought it along in the cooler and ate it all vacation long with chicken, over pulled pork, on eggs, and mixed with pasta.

For my next endeavor, Vacation Salad. What's Vacation Salad you ask? Why, it's anything you need it to be. That is the beauty of Vacation Salad.

To make Vacation Salad simply dump the perishable contents of your refrigerator as well as the wire basket or whatever contraption you use to store non-refrigerated vegetables onto the counter. For us that meant I was staring down exactly 4 ears or sweet corn, 8 tomatoes (that was after the pico de gallo), 2 green peppers, one red bell pepper, one banana pepper, one zucchini, one yellow squash, a white onion and two lemons. Get chopping.

Then make a splash of dressing and drizzle over the top. Mix it all up and pack it in the cooler.

The longer it sits, the better it gets. For maximum flavor, enjoy on a balcony overlooking a beautiful mist-hooded lake.

Now obviously, the allure of this salad is that you can make it out of whatever you happen to have on hand. Here's how ours went down.

Our Summer Vacation Salad

Corn kernels cut from 4 ears of sweet corn
8 tomatoes (any variety)
2 green peppers
1 red bell pepper
1 small yellow squash
1 zucchini
1 banana pepper
1 medium onion

For the dressing

1 clove garlic
1 cup basil leaves, loosely packed
zest of one lemon
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup good quality olive oil
Kosher salt
Black pepper

1. Place corn kernels in a large bowl. Chop all the other vegetables into 1/4-inch dice and add to the corn.
2. To make the dressing, puree the garlic and basil in a blender. Add the lemon zest and juice and pulse to combine. Slowly drizzle in olive oil through the top opening in the blender lid while continuing to pulse. Season with salt and pepper and pour over vegetables. Mix the whole concoction together and serve, or pack it up in tupperware for your own vacation, or at the very least, a leisurely picnic lunch. 

Salt and Vinegar Roasted Potatoes

Looly will have you know she does not like potatoes. I believe it's a texture thing but she argues that potatoes are just disgusting. Despite a few Ruffles here and there, the ubiquitous tubers are off limits to her. No baked potatoes, hash browns, french fries (I don't know what's the matter with her. Maybe I should have her tested), tater tots, and don't even think about mashing or smashing them. Gag city.

As far as I know no one else in the family is quite so averse to potatoes, but we still don't eat many. No one's big on the mashed variety, myself included. I like to chew my food. Unless it's ice cream. And most of the time potatoes are a waste of carbs for Mufasa who has a family history rife with diabetes. He'd rather save up his carbohydrate allowance for a generously buttered buttermilk biscuit.

When we do eat potatoes they tend to be cubed, roasted, and lightly salted. In other words, b-o-r-i-n-g. Roo and Bean like them that way, but trust me, that recipe is not winning any contests for creativity. I've tried jazzing them up in the past and you should hear the hysteria that ensues.

Kid: "Why are there red things in here?"
Mom: "They're poisonous sea urchins (roasted red peppers) because I'm trying to kill you. Obviously."

Kid: "Somebody put dirt on my potatoes! I'm not eating dirt." (That's black pepper, by the way, for those of you unfamiliar with the I'm not eating this dirt defense)

Kid: "What are those onions for? Because I don't want them in any of my stuff."

Ahh, yes, the majesty of parenthood.

But with a little help from the Olympics, I've found a winner. Tangy, salty, malt vinegar sauce seems decidedly British, so I primed the kids with an enthusiastic description of Olympic synchronized diving and water polo followed by a quick lesson on British pub fare. Basically I convinced them they'd be supporting the Olympic athletes by partaking in a potato and vinegar dip feast. What? It's not like it's not helping the Olympians if they eat a few potatoes. Bear with me here.

Salt and Vinegar Roasted Potatoes
adapted from Vegetarian Times

1-1/2 pounds potatoes, scrubbed clean and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 head of garlic, peeled and sectioned into cloves
2 tbsp. canola oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup malt vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar

1. Soak the cubed potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss the dry potatoes and garlic cloves in the oil and spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast 30-40 minutes, turning occasionally to promote even browning. Season with salt and pepper (use white pepper instead of black if your kids don't like "dirt" on their food)
3. Meanwhile, combine vinegar and sugar in a pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by half. Serve sauce as a dip alongside the potatoes and garlic or drizzle it right over the top. The drizzle is great for adults but I don't recommend it for kids. They like to control their own destiny. Give them the dip on the side and see what happens.

Good stuff! Even if you don't like potatoes like Looly, make this just so you can dip the roasted garlic cloves. Crazy delicious. For the record Looly did try a potato, sans dip. She didn't like it. But she tried it. Roo was a fan and Bean's favorite "potato" was actually a roasted garlic clove. That girl has a refined palate.

Mediterranean Farro Salad

Thanks to a traipsing bunch of monkeys swinging from my cart, my grocery store focus was somewhat disjointed the other day and I did the unthinkable. I bought fat-free feta cheese.

It wasn't until halfway though chopping spinach, artichoke hearts and Kalamata olives that I realized my error. In a bit of a tizzy I tossed the hunk of glubber (I really don't know how else to describe it) onto the counter. And it bounced. There is no excuse for fat-free cheese. Moderation is fine. I can get behind reduced fat dairy products of all kinds but fat-less cheese? Why not chew on a Kong instead. At least it will clean your teeth.

Three mandatory bathroom visits, two ponytail adjustments, one argument over who gets to ride which bike to the store, and thirty five minutes later we were back in business with a block of real honest to goodness Greek feta cheese sloshing in cloudy brine. It was worth it.

The beauty of this salad is multifarious. It's nutritious, full of flavor, quick and painless to make, easy to scale to a crowd, can be deconstructed for picky kids, and super versatile. I've made it with orzo, brown rice, quinoa, and farro but I imagine it would be just as tasty with whole wheat rotini, penne, basmati rice, bulgur, kamut or just about any other grain you can think of, but please, no fat-free feta!

Mediterranean Farro Salad
adapted from Cooking Light May 2010

1 cup farro, uncooked
2 cups baby spinach, washed, dried and chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 small red onion, diced
3 tbsp. Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1 (6-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, reserve the marinade
3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1. Rinse and cook farro according to package directions. Drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Combine cooked farro, spinach, tomatoes, onion, and olives. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Drain artichokes by pouring the marinade into the bowl over the top of the farro mixture (this is the dressing). Chop artichokes and add to bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the feta cheese and toss everything together gently. Top with remaining 1/4 cup feta cheese.

Makes about 4 servings of 1-1/4 cup each.

Aside from Bean (who prefers no feta), my kids won't eat this salad all mixed together. Looly loves grape tomatoes, pasta, and feta cheese. She'll tolerate the spinach and artichoke hearts on a good day as long as everything is kept separate. Roo digs pasta, feta, and olives. The other textures are still a challenge for him though so I typically chop avocado for him to eat on the side. Sometimes I feel like I need a spreadsheet to keep it all straight. But in the end, they eat theirs their way, I eat mine my way and we're all happy.

Nut-Free (and easily dairy-free) Granola

It's funny, though not in the ha ha sense, what a wreck I was back in 2009 when Roo received his first peanut and tree nut allergy diagnosis. No more hazelnut latte? No peanut butter cookies? No mid-afternoon hand full of chocolate covered almonds? What about Pad Thai? How about my favorite breakfast, granola?!

Today our nut avoidance is par for the course, and at this point it's so ingrained in our daily routine that I don't devote much energy to it. And you know what? With recipes like this, what's to miss?

Nut-Free Granola

Cooking spray or flavorless oil of your choice
1/2 cup honey
1 tbsp. butter (or dairy free margarine, such as Fleischmann's Unsalted Margarine)
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 and 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
2 cups puffed corn cereal (or puffed rice, if you prefer)
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup dried mango, chopped
1/4 cup dried pineapple, chopped
2 tbsp. pepitas
2 tbsp. sunflower seeds
1 hand full of fresh berries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray or grease with your oil of choice.

2. Place honey, butter, and brown sugar in a medium, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 25 seconds and stir until butter is melted, sugar is dissolved, and honey is runny.

3. Toss rolled oats and puffed corn with honey-butter mixture. Spread on greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees 10-12 minutes, stirring often to promote even browning. Remove oat mixture from oven and cool completely.

4. Gently stir together oat mixture, dried cherries, dried mango, dried pineapple, pepitas, and sunflower seeds. Serve over yogurt, milk, or munch on its own as trail mix. For a dairy-free version, serve over soy milk or yogurt, rice milk, coconut milk yogurt, hemp milk, or anything else you like. Top with a few fresh berries or other seasonal fresh fruit.

Nopales Salad (AKA Cactus Leaf Salad)

 

The fascination with cacti began with our trip to Albuquerque in March. Looly, Bean, and Roo had never seen a cactus in person and found it highly unlikely that such menacing plant life actually existed outside of cartoons. This is somewhat ironic since from my vast research (Wikipedia) I know that prickly pear cacti are a prominent feature at Illinois Beach State Park just north of Chicago. Apparently we don't get out much.

They were already impressed. Then I told them we could eat the beasts.

The first challenge was buying prickly pear leaves, or nopales. Note I didn't say we had trouble finding cactus. Buying the dang things, however, proved a bit of an issue, being that no one, including the manager of our local Dominick's grocery store seemed to have the faintest idea how cactus pads might have made it inside their store, let alone what to call them, or how one might go about ringing them up at a cash register. Many tense moments passed before I agreed to a haggled price of 88 cents per pound. Is this a fair price for nopales? I've no idea.

Slicing off thorny spines with the Santoku occupied the next half hour. I didn't even impale myself. Much. Then I gave each child a small sample of raw cactus to try which they promptly spewed back at me with tortured grimaces and vile curses. Turns out chopped raw cactus is a little slimy. Just saying.

That was the moment I realized I didn't know what I was going to with all this cactus. Back to the Internet. Someone mentioned that boiled nopales taste a little like green beans so I decided to trust them and put together a salad.

Note: I started with 8 cactus leaves. You probably don't need that many. As it was my first time I'm pretty sure I shaved off way more leaf than I needed to in order to avoid eating spines later. There are a few YouTube videos of people cleaning cactus leaves much more efficiently that I did. So as I was saying...

Nopales (AKA Cactus Leaf) Salad

5-8 prickly pear cactus leaves (nopales), spines and edges removed, sliced into small strips or pieces
1 medium onion (half to boil in water with nopales, other half chopped for the salad)
1 Tbsp. salt
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
1 red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 medium ripe avocado
3 Tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped
1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 cup queso fresco, crumbled
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add half an onion, 1 Tbsp. salt, and the nopales. Boil about 12 minutes. Be careful it doesn't boil over.
2. Remove nopales from stove, drain, rinse in cold water. Discard onion.
3. Combine cold nopales, chopped onion, tomato, bell pepper, avocado, cilantro, oregano, serrano pepper, garlic, lemon zest, and queso fresco in large bowl and toss together.
4. In separate bowl, whisk lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour over salad and toss to coat.

Gotta admit, even I'm a little impressed with me. Isn't it lovely? And it tasted awesome. Next time, tortilla chips on the side.