Week 11 - I do take requests!

Week 11 – I do take requests!

Swiss Chard

Potatoes

1 large Onion

Corn

Apples

Nectarines

1 carrot

2 slicing tomatoes

White Peaches

Cherry tomatoes

Apples

It is hard for me to believe that this week marks the half way point of the CSA season.  The rare combination this week of Potatoes, Peaches and Apples marks what has been an unusual and wonderful growing year.  Getting carrots (or at least 1) this week is another indicator of how special this year has been.  The GCF newsletter talked about the amount of clay in the local soil, and how the carrot root will grow towards the softest soil.  This makes carrots grow in odd formations.  Ours this week looks a little like a small ball with a bunch of fingers growing out of it.  It looked really funny but tasted delicious.  It is further confirmation that just because a fruit or vegetable doesn’t look like what we see in the grocery store doesn’t mean it won’t taste good.  In fact, most times it tastes even better.

Most weeks, my inspiration can come from almost anywhere.  For this week, I decided to work with the Chard that came in the box.  Chard is a really interesting green leafy vegetable.  It’s more similar to a beet green than it is to Kale.  Chard comes several colors.  It’s most commonly found in a reddish tint, and is also found in a yellow hue.  Chard is full of nutrients and vitamins and has an earthy, umami flavor and is easily sautéed or steamed.  It isn’t an accident that I’m also using potatoes and the onion.  We will be getting potatoes for most of the rest of the year.  There will be plenty of time to get a potato recipe or two in before Winter comes. 

Why a Chard recipe?  Because someone asked!  A few weeks ago my wife and kids were at Great Country Farms doing a little peach picking.  As they rode the tractor out to the trees, they started a conversation with another guest.  They got a blog plug in (thank you), and had a discussion about how difficult it is to find ways to use the Chard.  So this week is a request week.  I’m pleased to respond with what I think is a great way to prepare Swiss Chard.

This week’s recipe is an adaptation from a casserole recipe that I found.  I decided to grill the chard, making a recipe for a charred Chard Casserole.  The addition of caramelized onions and Gruyere cheese adds a sweet base and another set of earthy flavors that compliment the Chard is a really nice way.  To get the potatoes evenly sliced, you’ll need a mandolin.  Be careful!  This is a tool that will easily take a piece of a finger…

Charred Chard Casserole

1 bunch of Swiss Chard

Half an onion sliced very thin (use the mandolin for an even shin slice)

3 medium potatoes sliced very thin (see above)

1T good olive oil

1T butter

3 cloves of garlic finely minced

1C grated Gruyere or good Ementhal cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

1.     Place the chard on a very hot grill.  Cook for 3-4 minutes.  The leaves will wilt, and start to char up.  The charring is what you’re trying to do.  Once the Chard has cooled, chop it into small pieces.  Set aside.

2.     In a heavy skillet melt the butter and add the oil.  Using oil raises the burning point and will help to caramelize the onions.  Add the onions to the skillet and cook the onions until they just start to brown.  Add the garlic.  Be careful not to burn the garlic.  Cook this mixture until the onions have a deep brown color.

3.     Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  While the oven heats, grab a 9 x 13 inch, well greased pan. Start with a layer of potatoes (about a third), and then a layer of onions (about a third), then a layer of chard (about a third…see the pattern?) and then cheese.  Repeat so that the last layer is cheese.  The chard should peak out from underneath the cheese.

4.     Bake the casserole for about 45 minutes, or until it is well browned.  Test the doneness by sticking a sharp knife into the center.  It should insert very easily.

Enjoy!