Recipes

I used to buy food items according to the recipes I was using. Now I hunt for recipes based on the food I’m able to grow.

Swiss Chard Salad with Lemon, Parmesan & Breadcrumbs

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch Swiss chard
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1½ cup fresh breadcrumbs*
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • sea salt to taste
  • crushed red pepper flakes, optional
  • 1 lemon
  • ¾ cups grated Parmesan, Grana Padano or Pecorino

Instructions

  1. Wash and dry the chard and remove the stems from the leaves. (Save stems for another use.) Stack a few of the leaves on top of each other, roll them like a cigar and cut the cigar into thin (1/8-inch) ribbons. Repeat until all the leaves are shredded. Put the leaves into a large salad bowl.
  2. Warm ¼ cup olive oil in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until they are crisp and golden brown (about 5 minutes). Be careful not to burn them! Stir in the garlic, a pinch of salt and pepper flakes, and let them toast for another minute, then remove from the heat.
  3. Zest the lemon into the bowl of chard. Juice the lemon into a small mixing bowl. Add a few generous pinches of salt. Slowly whisk in ¼ cup of the olive oil.
  4. Add the Parmesan and about ⅔ of the lemon dressing to the bowl. Toss until nicely coated. Taste and add more dressing if you like. Toss in the toasted breadcrumbs and serve immediately.

adapted (let’s face it, stolen) from https://alexandracooks.com/2014/08/07/swiss-chard-salad-with-lemon-parmesan-breadcrumbs/

Portuguese Kale Soup

This is one I made recently while looking for something to cook with my Portuguese (Tronchuda Beira) Kale. Next time, and there will be a next time, I’ll remember to take pictures.

Ingredients

Original recipe yields 6 servings

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 (16 ounce) package kielbasa or chorizo sausage, diced
  • 3 potatoes, cut into cubes
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
  • oregano, thyme, basil to taste
  • 1 750 ml terrapak chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 373 ml can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 3 carrots, chopped
  • 1 bunch kale, cut into thin ribbons
  • 1 cup macaroni
  • 6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste (optional)

Directions

  1. Heat olive oil in a stock pot over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and garlic in the hot oil until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add sausage; cook and stir until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir potatoes into kielbasa mixture, season with salt and pepper, and continue to cook and until the potatoes begin to brown, about 2 minutes.
  2. Pour broth and water into the stock pot; add kidney beans, carrots, and kale. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook at a simmer for 45 minutes.
  3. Stir macaroni into the soup; continue cooking until the macaroni is tender yet firm to the bite, about 15 minutes. more. Top each bowl with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese to serve.

adapted and inspired by https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/232405/easy-portuguese-kale-soup/