Spring is here, that’s what the calendar says but it certainly doesn’t feel like it. I am looking out at bare trees on a rather gray landscape watching snowflakes dance by the confused robins.
It’s not supposed to accumulate they say and we will see. The beginning of March to me means putting away my heaviest winter sweaters, for Joe, it’s time to plant the peas. I still need the sweaters and the weather has not cooperated for pea planting. With temperatures just yesterday feeling like it was in the teens, the ground has not been ready to work yet. We have seen an occasional crocus and the green of future daffodils but there is a small patch of snow still left over down by the Christmas tree line. We did enjoy spinach just last week from a greenhouse planting of last October. It was large, crinkly and probably the sweetest spinach I have ever tasted. That is why we garden.
Metal cages became a necessity for the pea seeds, makes it harder for the voles to get to them.Not just peas but early spring greens are planted.
Spinach planted in October tastes even better in March after frigid winter temperatures!
When you grow big zucchini, make zucchini lasagna. In this recipe, zucchini or yellow squash “noodles” replace the usual pasta. I cut the zucchini in half lengthwise first so that I would have a flat surface to work with. A mandoline works best here. In case you didn’t know, a mandoline, also spelled mandolin is a hand operated kitchen tool with adjustable blades that produces uniform slices. They can cost anywhere from about two hundred dollars for a professional stainless steel style model all the way down to less than twenty dollars for a plastic model. The more expensive models will slice, julienne and waffle cut, the less expensive ones just slice. Whatever model you choose, use the hand/finger guard when you run the food against the blade, believe me, I speak from personal experience. If you have steady hands and no slicer, use a sharp knife and be sure to use a cutting board to stabilize the squash to ensure even slices. Since zucchini is 95% water it is best to precook it to reduce excess moisture that will end up in your finished dish. Some of the recipes I saw suggested parboiling, sautéing, but I found that grilling worked well for me. My version is totally vegetarian. If you want something more substantial, add ground beef, turkey or sausage to your sauce. Just like regular lasagna, it tastes even better the next day, if it lasts that long!
Zucchini Lasagna
Serves four to six
Ingredients
3-4 long zucchini/yellow squash
4 c thick tomato sauce
1 15 oz container of regular or low-fat ricotta cheese
3 lightly beaten eggs
2 T fresh chopped basil
2 T fresh chopped flat leaf parsley
1 t dried oregano
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 ½ c grated Parmesan cheese or other similar grated cheese
1 lb grated mozzarella cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F. Place baking rack in the lower position.
Cut squash into ¼ inch thick slices, to fit the pan lengthwise, if your squash is shorter, just orient the slices in the opposite direction, just be sure they cover the pan. You should have enough slices to make three layers.
Heat a grill pan or an outdoor grill to medium high heat. Brush both sides of the slices lightly with olive oil.
Grill squash slices on both sides so that they have grill marks, 3-5 minutes each side. Squash should be cooked but not falling apart.
In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs, parsley, basil, oregano and a cup of the Parmesan cheese. Reserve the rest for the top layer.
In a 9×13 glass or ceramic dish, spoon a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan.
Place the first layer of squash over the sauce. Spoon a third of the ricotta mixture over the squash. Sprinkle with a third of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers two more times, sauce, “noodles” ricotta, ending with the mozzarella cheese and reserved Parmesan from step four.
Bake for one hour, rotating pan half way through cooking time. Let lasagna rest for at least a half hour before serving.
I used my Matfer mandolin slicer, a gift many years ago to get neat uniform slices.Slices should be 1/4″ thickUse the grill or a grill pan to slightly cook the zucchini.Fresh zucchini with tomato sauce, delicious!
When the new issue of Fine Cooking came last week I was ready to put it aside for a few weeks. The holiday desserts and side dishes looked very tempting, but the beginning of fall was just last Saturday and I am still enjoying cooking as much as I can with the harvest from our garden. As I quickly thumbed through the issue I happened to notice an article that interested me, “What We Are Cooking Now.” Specifically, what really caught my eye were Swiss chard chips. I had heard of kale chips, both the pricey little bags sold in health food stores and the homemade varieties that a friend introduced me to. So why not chard chips? We have three sections of chard of the Bright Lights and Rhubarb variety still producing, so I thought it would be fun to try my hand at this. Since I am a proponent of using both the chard leaves and the stems, I wanted to use the colorful stems in another healthy nibble so a refrigerator pickle seemed to be the best choice here.
My on-line research revealed many different approaches to making chard chips and after reading them all, came up with my own method. There are certain important things to remember if you are going to make chard chips. Wash the leaves thoroughly, chard leaves are usually very crinkly, and those crevices can be dirty. After washing the leaves, remove the stems, reserve if using. Spin the leaves dry in a salad spinner and use paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Any moisture left on the leaves will cause them to steam, not bake and crisp up. A “bunch” is a non-specific term, to be exact as possible, I used 25 chard leaves that were about 12-14 inches long after stemming. When in doubt, keep the leaf pieces larger, 2 inch squares approximately. The leaves will break easily when they are dry and too many small pieces will give you chard crumbles or dust. Place the dry leaf pieces in a large bowl and toss lightly with olive oil and your seasonings of choice. Start with a modest amount, about a tablespoon of oil, you can always add more, it’s not as easy to take it away. I used a little Espelette pepper olive oil, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, a little garlic powder and a little plain olive oil to taste. I did not grease my baking sheet or use cooling racks to elevate the leaves. I did not crowd or overlap the leaves. I used four large baking sheets in two ovens, racks in the top and the bottom set to 275F on the convection bake setting. The caveat here is, know your own oven, my chips seemed to be ready quicker than most of the recipes I looked at, keep a watchful eye to ensure a crispy, not a burnt chip! Chard Chips
1 large bunch of chard, 25 leaves, 12-14 inches long
Olive oil
Seasoning of your choice, I used kosher salt, garlic powder and freshly ground pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 275F (convection bake). Put racks in the top and bottom of oven.
Wash chard leaves thoroughly in several changes of water. Remove the stems from the leaves, reserve for chard stem pickles.
Dry chard leaves, first in a salad spinner, then remove excess moisture with paper towels. Cut leaves into 2″x2″ pieces, or a size as close as possible, when in doubt, larger is better.
Spread leaves on a large ungreased baking sheet, do not overlap or crowd. My leaves took up four sheets that I baked in two ovens.
Bake chard for six to seven minutes, check to see how the leaves are drying, at this point I loosened the leaves with a spatula and my fingers and rotated the baking sheets, top to bottom and front to back.
Bake for another six to seven minutes, chard should be crisp, not burnt.
Trimmed chard leaves ready to be tossed with olive oil and seasonings
Give the chard leaves enough room to ensure even baking.Not the prettiest snack, but certainly tastes good!
Pickled Chard Stems
Colorful Bright Lights and Rhubarb chard stems are too pretty to waste.
Pickling shows off the brightly colored stems in another healthy nibble. Refresh the stems in some ice water to crisp them up and cut to even lengths to fit your canning jar. I chose pint jars but one cup sized jars would work as well. I used a basic refrigerator pickle recipe and added my own spice blend combination. Allow them to cure in the refrigerator for a few days, after three days they were ready. If your stems are wide, cut them in half lengthwise, there will be less chance for the stems to be stringy.
Quick Chard Pickle
Makes 2 pints
2 pint canning jars and lids
Enough chard stems to pack tightly into the jars
2c water
1c rice wine vinegar
1/4c granulated sugar
1/2t cumin seed
1/2t coriander seed
1/2t fennel seed
1 small piece of cinnamon stick about 2″
1/2t pink peppercorns
1/2t white peppercorns
Directions
Sterlize two pint canning jars by washing them in hot soapy water, rinsing and drying them thoroughly. Crush spices in a mortar and pestle or small food processor. Distribute spices evenly between the two jars.
In a medium saucepan bring two cups of water to a boil. Add vinegar, sugar and salt and bring the mixture back to a boil.
Pack the chard stems in the jars as tightly as possible. Using a wide mouth canning funnel, pour the brine over the stems to cover completely. Place lids and bands on the jars and let cool. Refrigerate, chard pickles will be ready in a few hours but at their best in about two days.
My spice blend ready to crush in the mortar and pestle.
Pickled chard stems ready for the refrigerator. Notice the classic Bicentennial Liberty Bell jar on the right.
Gardeners, we’ve all done it. You are diligent at first picking zucchini from your garden. For days you happily pluck small to medium zucchini off the vines, sometimes with the blossoms still attached. Then it happens, you get busy doing other things, it rains for several days or you just simply forget. Those compact little fruits are now the size of a major league baseball bat. Well, before you make one more loaf of zucchini bread or sneak it down to the compost pile, I have another idea.
I make something I refer to as “zucchini pasta”. Kuhn-Rikon, a Swiss cookware company has a tool that makes short work of over-sized zucchini. The stainless steel julienne peeler moves effortlessly down the length of the squash. Steady the zucchini with one hand, start at the top, press the teeth of the peeler into the flesh and pull down. You will have the finest Julienne imaginable in no time. Just stop soon enough to avoid the seedy interior. Although all varieties of zucchini work well with this preparation, I especially like the Italian variety Striato d’Italia which translates Italian stripe. When this variety gets bigger, it doesn’t get as fat as other zucchini, it gets longer, making for longer capellini pasta-like shreds. Put your strands into a bowl and separate any that stick together with your fingers. I like to slightly wilt the strands in a saute pan with some olive oil but they could be used raw. I like to toss the “pasta” with some pesto and sometimes I will add halved cherry tomatoes, either raw or cooked slightly. You could also pair it with a cooked tomato sauce or just about anything you like on regular pasta. Don’t just use the julienne peeler for zucchini. Shred carrots and jicama for a slaw or beets for a salad. The possibilities are limitless.
The longest zucchini in this picture is 22 inches!
The julienne peeler makes short work of this zucchini.
Use your fingers to separate any strands that stick together.
Let’s begin with two misconceptions regarding chard. Swiss chard is not from Switzerland, but the botanist who named it in the nineteenth century was, and named it for his homeland. Second, it is pronounced chard, not shard. I can understand why the mistake can occur. Chardonnay, a wine grape varietal, is referred to in a shorthand kind of way by many people (moi included) as “shard”. The “ch” is pronounced “sh” in French, like chalet. Also a shard is a sharp piece of glass, not something one would consume.
Chard is from the Latin and the French for the word “thistle”. However, chard is not a member of the thistle family but belongs to the beet family. Chard is cultivated for the leaves and stems of the plants, not the roots. It is the cooked green of choice in the summer months in our house. We grow many varieties that are as pretty to look at as they are nutritious for you. Varieties like Rhubarb with its bright red stems and Bright Lights with its neon pink, orange and yellow stems give beautiful accents of color in the garden. Chard is a nutritional powerhouse with vitamins K, A and C, and is a good source of potassium, iron and fiber.
European cooks are partial to chard stems discarding the leafy part and in America most cooks use the leaf and discard the stem. I take advantage of both the stems and the leaves . The tiniest leaves are an interesting addition to salad mixes. When using larger leaves, the stems need to be separated from the leaves to cook both parts correctly. This is a recipe with the gardener in mind. If you don’t grow your own, your local farmer’s market is a good source for chard. Supermarket chard looks sad for the most part and wouldn’t make a chard lover out of anyone.
Swiss Chard with Garlic
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 large bunch of chard
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
Low sodium chicken broth
Extra virgin olive oil
Several cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
Directions
Trim the bottoms of the stems and wash chard in several changes of water
Cut the stems from the leaves. Chop stems into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces. Cut leaves into 1 to 2 inch ribbons. Stacking leaves on top of leaves and stems in an even row makes the task go quicker.
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add chard stems and blanch for 4-5 minutes. The timing will depend on how thick you cut the stems and how soft you want them to be. Remove stems from water with a slotted spoon or spider. Add a little more water to the pot if necessary and keep at a boil.
Add chard leaves in batches and blanch until wilted, 2-3 minutes. Drain in a large colander. Squeeze out excess liquid when cool enough to handle.
Heat a tablespoon or so of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat for about a minute. Add stems and toss gently to coat. Add wilted chard leaves and stir often, until tender, adding a little chicken broth if the mixture seems too dry. Push chard to one side of pan, add a little more olive oil, add garlic to pan and saute garlic until golden, another minute or two.
Serve warm. Cooked chard could be added to a frittata or omelet as well.
Crinkly rhubarb chard leaf with bright red stem.
Soak chard leaves in several changes of water. Dirt will sink to the bottom when you lift the leaves out. Drain chard in a colander.
Trim the bottom of the chard leaves. Cut the leaf away from the stalks, I prefer using scissors or a small serrated knife. Chop leaves in 1-2 inch ribbons. Stacking the leaves speeds the process along.
Chop stalks into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces.
Always cook more chard than you think you will need. This large bowl cooked down to this.
As you can see from the measuring cup, some of the color leaches out during the blanching process but they remain predominately red.
Saute the stems and leaves together and finish with a little chopped garlic. A flavorful extra virgin olive oil will really enhance the flavors in this dish.
Chives are the first herb to appear in the garden.
A spring that started several weeks before the end of winter has brought some welcome surprises to the garden. Prolific chives are the first herb to appear. Short and spindly now, their lavender blossoms will appear in May. A surprising amount of lacy chervil has come up. This delicate herb will be gone with the summer’s heat so I plan on infusing it in vinegar and oil. It is also part of the herbal quartet known as fines herbes; parsley, tarragon, chives and chervil. Fines herbes is delicate in flavor, best complimenting foods such as fish, roast chicken or even an omelet. Maybe this spring I will be fortunate enough to have all the herbs coming up in the garden at the same time. Cilantro that has come up in the circle garden makes me want to pull out some Thai or Mexican recipes. There are some vegetables appearing as well. Leeks that wintered over are a welcome addition to soups and braises. They will need to be used before the summer heat forces them to go to seed. A few carrots, dug up while weeding, were added to a roasted vegetable dish The kale plants that survived the winter have “greened up” and are producing more leaves. I will use them in a mussel, sausage and kale stew and possibly some kale chips. Here and there a little “pioneer” lettuce plant is poking up in the stone walkways of the garden. Of course, Joe has started the spring planting. Peas, both snow and sugar snaps are poking out of the ground already. Some of the pea plants are used exclusively for cutting the tendrils for stir fries and salads. Cold frames shelter the radishes, lettuces, spinach and cooking greens that were planted, though not much shelter has been needed this past week. After an amazing 80 degree Friday in March we have been jolted back to reality with a drizzly damp Sunday, a very windy Monday and the possibility of a freeze this evening.
The first sprigs of tarragon were revealed after weeding the herb garden.The delicate herb chervil is a member of the carrot family.
Longer days with sunsets past 5:30, pitchers and catchers report for training camp. Spring is in the air and it can only mean one thing, time for our yearly pilgrimage to Primex Garden Center. Primex is located in Glenside, Pa. about 20 miles from our home. In February they have a 25% off sale on seeds, so this is the time we stock up for spring planting. Last night we discussed the successes and failures of last years garden. We sorted through previous seasons seeds that we keep in a refrigerator. From this we decide what we need to purchase.
Today reminds me of an early spring day in what has been a very mild winter. The temperatures are in the 50s with blue skies and sunshine and we are driving with the skylight open. Our shopping list included vegetables, herbs and annual flower seeds, soil mix, gloves for me and a new grow light. Tomorrow Joe will start planting the flats of seeds that will be the beginning of our 2012 garden.
Joe making his selections
We have become partial to many of the Italian seeds in the past few years
Primex has a large assortment of garden accessories. Love these planters!
Sorting last years “leftovers”.
The first phase of planting. Garden 2012 is underway.
Joe making his selections
