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Swiss Chard
A Non-Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner
I was given the honor of cooking Thanksgiving dinner for my family this year. It was only three of us so it wasn't a huge challenge, but still a fun project!
This meal is pretty similar to my Halloween Dinner, but the food was such a success I had to make it again.
Gemelli With Sausage, Swiss Chard, and Pine Nuts
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1 pound Swiss chard, tough stems removed, leaves cut into thin strips
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
1 pound gemelli or other short pasta
3/4 cup raisins, plumped in boiling water and drained
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1. In a large skillet, toast pine nuts over medium-high heat, shaking the pan to toast evenly, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from skillet.
This Year's Thanksgiving Dinner
I hope everyone had a nice holiday. I had the honor of cooking dinner for a small group of four people. The meal was vegetarian (actually vegan, except for one dessert), mostly organic, with no added sugar and nothing refined.
Apple Cider Braised Greens
Apple Cider Braised Greens
From Good Housekeeping Magazine November 2006
1 1/2 pounds mustard greens
1 1/2 pounds collard greens
1 1/2 pounds Swiss chard
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 1/4 cups apple cider
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Salt
2 red cooking apples such as Gala or Rome Beauty, unpeeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
Directions
1. Remove stems from mustard greens; discard stems. Trim stem ends from collard greens and Swiss chard; remove stems from leaves.
Vegemite UPDATE and a recipe!
Usually I don't like to get too personal in my groups, but sometimes I think maybe I should--so this isn't such a sterile and dry recipe submission group.
For those of you who don't know, I'm in the process of becoming vegetarian. It's not because of ethical reasons, more on the health aspect, as well as the weight loss benefits (or that is what I've been told).
Pink goes organic!
Pink has gone green after falling in love with cooking and gardening in Tuscany, Italy. The Trouble singer took a cooking course in Italy in 2006, but it was a trip through her chef teacher’s garden that really turned her on to living off the land. She says, “I’ve put in several raised beds of vegetables: swiss chard, kale, onions, tomatoes, grapes, broccoli, carrots.Eating Better Than Organic
Not long ago I had an apple problem. Wavering in the produce section of a Manhattan grocery store, I was unable to decide between an organic apple and a nonorganic apple (which was labeled conventional, since that sounds better than "sprayed with pesticides that might kill you"). It shouldn't have been a tough choice--who wants to eat pesticide residue?--but the organic apples had been grown in California.
Local Food in Season: Are you a Locavore?
Are you interested in enjoying fresh fruit and vegetables in season? There are still many farmer's markets open for another month or so. Here are just some of the fruits and veggies that are in season:
…In October
Apples, Beans, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chives, Cilantro, Corn, Cranberries, Garlic, Kale, Lettuce, Leeks, Onions, Pears, Peppers, Potatoes, Pumpkins, Radishes, Rosemary, Sage, Salad Greens, Swiss Chard, Tomatoes, Thyme, Turnips, Winter Squash
…In November
Apples, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Garlic, Leeks, Onions, Pears, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, Turnips, Winter Squash
…In December
Apples, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Garlic, Pears, Rosemary, Sage, Turnips, Winter Squash
(Source: Greenopolis.ca)
Trap and Barrier Pest Control Methods
Traps and Barriers
Yellow Flypaper: Old-fashioned fly-paper is very effective in the garden for aphids and whiteflies. In fact, any board or heavy paper painted yellow and coated with a sticky substance such as tanglefoot (available at garden centers) will do the job.
Pheremones: These biological mating scents attract insects to a trap which is coated with a sticky substance.
Farmer's Market Feast
We went to the Ferry Building Farmer's Market on Saturday and picked up some great Summer produce, including figs, sweet bell peppers, and sweet corn. It all made for a delicious Sunday dinner that was really a testament to good ingredients.
My boyfriend made salmon fillets, topped with a corn, pepper, and mushroom relish in a honey-dill-lemon dressing, served over swiss chard.
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