Showing posts with label homegrown veggies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label homegrown veggies. Show all posts

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Homegrown Potatoes

I LOVE getting my hands dirty. So digging up our potatoes, was like being a kid again! Earlier this year we (me and my friend Britney) planted our shared veggie garden. It was so much fun and we dreamed of the meals we would make with the crops. A few weeks ago, our garden got ravished by grasshoppers. (oh I really don't like those little things anymore!) We were stuck, we knew we couldn't "exterminate" the garden with chemicals, so we lost almost everything!

One thing that we didn't lose, because they grow underground, were the potatoes. The grasshoppers did manage to eat all of the plant above (basically killing it), so we had to dig up the potatoes so they didn't spoil. Even though it was a huge bummer, we had fun anyways - we dug up the Red Potatoes, the Yukon Gold Potatoes, and some of the Purple Fingerling Potatoes.


I know this looks really gross, but I found it fascinating.




Monday, June 20, 2011

Swiss Chard Recipes

Last week my friend said that our Swiss Chard is ready to pick from the garden we planted! So now I am on a hunt for great recipes using Swiss Chard. But I want to make sure that they are healthy recipes, not ones that are sauted in tons of butter, or fried, etc. I want to find recipes that enhance the fresh flavor of homegrown Swiss Chard. So here are some that I found. Still on the hunt, so if anyone has great, healthy, recipes using this great veggie, please post them for all of us to enjoy! As I try these recipes, I will make sure to post my thoughts and any changes I make to them. :)
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Barley & Lentil Soup with Swiss Chard

Recipe from: Epicurious

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups chopped peeled carrots
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
10 cups (or more) low-salt chicken or vegetable broth
2/3 cup pearl barley
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
2/3 cup dried lentils
4 cups (packed) coarsely chopped Swiss chard (about 1/2 large bunch)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Heat oil in heavy large nonreactive pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and carrots; sauté until onions are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and stir 1 minute. Mix in cumin; stir 30 seconds. Add 10 cups broth and barley; bring to boil. Reduce heat; partially cover and simmer 25 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with juice and lentils; cover and simmer until barley and lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.

Add chard to soup; cover and simmer until chard is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in dill. Season soup with salt and pepper. Thin with more broth, if desired.

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Swiss Chard Slaw

Recipe from: Farmgirl Fare

4 cups thinly sliced Swiss chard leaves
1 cup chopped Swiss chard stems
2 cups shredded green cabbage
1 cup shredded purple cabbage
1 or 2 large handfuls peeled & chopped broccoli stems
7 or 8 large chopped scallions (green onions)
1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
1 16-ounce carton cottage cheese (I use lowfat)
1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon onion powder or granulated onion
1 teaspoon garlic powder or granulated garlic
Salt & pepper to taste

More chopped scallions for garnish

Combine Swiss chard leaves, Swiss chard stems, green and purple cabbage, scallions, and garbanzo beans in a large bowl. Add cottage cheese and mix well.

Add vinegar and stir to combine. Sprinkle with onion and garlic powders and mix well. Salt & pepper to taste, adding a little more vinegar if desired. Garnish with chopped scallions and serve.
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Guadalajaran Swiss Chard Quesadillas

Recipe from: Vegetarian Times 

2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped (3/4 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp.)
1 jalapeño or serrano chile, minced    
1/4 tsp. cumin seeds
1/8 tsp. Mexican oregano
1/4 cup tequila
12 oz. Swiss chard, trimmed 
8 6-inch corn tortillas
1 cup grated reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese

Heat oil in pot over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 5 minutes, or until golden. Stir in garlic, chile, cumin and oregano, and sauté 2 minutes. Add tequila, and simmer 1 minute, or until liquid has evaporated. Stir in chard. Cover, reduce heat to medium low, and steam 5 minutes, or until chard wilts. Uncover, and cook 3 minutes, or until liquid has evaporated.

Place 1 tortilla in skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Top with 1/4 chard mixture and second tortilla. Cook 2 minutes per side, or until browned. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Slice into wedges; serve.
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