Swiss Chard and Potatoes

Do you want to know what I think is a beautiful thing?  Heading out to my own backyard grocery store to choose what to have for dinner.

And do you know what I think is even prettier?

The price.

Not much is ready yet other than the leafy goods, but I am so happy about it all (except for the critters munching my goods; I just replanted both the corn and the peas...Grrr.).  It's really not just the price that I think is pretty, even though that is a very, very nice thing.  It's a little bit of pride, a little bit of independence, a little bit of personal choice about what we eat and the quality of the food.  And I dig it.

Last night was one of those nights where there was little in the pantry and freezer because I did not have time to shop today, yet somehow dinner for six needed to appear.  Between the potatoes, garlic, and spices in the pantry and what was in the garden, this Swiss Chard and Potato dish made a perfect side to accompany some steamed garden peas and our main dish.

And it made me very happy to go out and harvest it.

Now, I just need to get rid of those not-so-cute-anymore bunnies that like my garden as much as I do. They ate my corn, peas, lettuce, bean leaves...and I didn't get any.  They don't seem to mess with the onions and garlic, so next year, instead of marigolds (which they don't even notice - or maybe they do and they are just laughing at those silly humans as they munch right past them), I am going to plant a garlic and onion barrier around everything.  A thick one.

Soon, dear bunnies.  Soon, I will take all measures necessary to ensure you eat from the neighbor's garden rather than mine. Between the fence and the pepper spray I mixed up just last night, with the dogs in the middle, you'd better run, and run quickly.
 

A quick note about "stickage" in this dish - the moisture in the potatoes and chard mixture may cause a little sticking.  You can either gently press the moisture out of the mixture as it is draining in the colander, or use an acid (I suggest beer or white wine vinegar in the recipe) to deglaze the pan with the potatoes still in it, or you can serve the dish and deglaze the pan later with plain white vinegar gently warmed when it's time to wash the dishes (anything stuck on in any pan usually cleans up very easily with this method!). Regardless of how you make clean up easier, you're going to love this Swiss chard and Potatoes recipe!

Swiss Chard and Potatoes
serves 6

• 1 lb Swiss chard, washed
• 2 lbs potatoes (red, white, or otherwise), peeled and cut into a 1 inch dice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 Tbs butter or olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 spring onions, sliced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2-3 Tbs beer, white wine vinegar - if necessary, to deglaze the pan, optional

Trim the Swiss chard: run a sharp knife along the both sides of the stem to remove the leaves. (Suggestion: stack 3-4 like-sized stems together and run the knife through all at once to speed things along)

Chop the stems into 1/2 inch pieces.  Stack and slice the leaves into 1/4 -1/2 inch ribbons.

Place potatoes in a large pot.  Cover by two inches with water.  Add 1/2 tsp salt.  Bring to a boil.  Partially cover and reduce heat to medum. Simmer for 3 minutes.  Add chard leaves and stems.

Bring back to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and partially cover again for about 10 min, or until potatoes are tender.

Drain potatoes and chard.

Melt butter or heat olive oil in 12 inch skillet over medium heat.  Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes.  Cook 1-2 minutes, or garlic is fragrant.

Toss in the potatoes and chard (be careful for any sizzle due to the moisture in the potato mixture).  Stir in the green onions.  Season with salt and pepper.

Cook untouched 4-5 minutes.  Stir, scraping any bits off the bottom of the pan.

Cook another 4-5 minutes, or until everything is well cooked.

If some of your potatoes have cooked to the bottom of the pan (heat varies between electric and gas, and when you add the moisture of the potatoes and chard, sometimes things get...sticky.  That's all fine in this dish, though - that's extra added flavor), add the optional beer or white wine vinegar now.  Stir to scrape any yummy flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan.  If your potatoes release well, you can skip this part if you'd like. Taste, and season again with salt and pepper, if necessary.

White Bean Salad

Originally this post was going to be about making various vinaigrettes. I had made three different vinaigrettes and had big plans to photograph them and offer several recipes along with a tutorial about how to make and customize them.

Then, I ate them in various dishes and forgot to take the pictures.

I'm sorry.

But the salads were good.

I will do it soon, though, because the basic formula for The Vinaigrette is indispensable for the summer salads, regardless of whether the salads are full of greens, beans, potatoes, vegetables, pastas, or a combination. 

For most of the people for whom I cooked Saturday evening, the main course was a white kidney bean salad marinated in a lovely red wine vinaigrette (with a side of tomato basil focaccia).  For the two of my family who don't like beans so much, a salad topped with sauteed chicken marinated in the same vinaigrette was the main show.  Both were easy, fresh, and summery, and both were delicious.

In this salad, I suggest de-seeded cucumbers.  To do this, peel your cucumber (if needed), and slice it in half lengthwise.  With a spoon, scrape out the seeds.

Slice it and dice it accordingly.

The longer this salad marinates, the better it tastes.  At least 30 minutes is necessary, and leftovers only get better.  If you do have leftovers, store the bean mixture by itself (not with the greens) in the fridge.


White Bean Salad
serves 4-5 as a main course

• 2 c cooked cannellini beans
• 1 c chopped red onion (about 1 small onion)
• 1/2 cucumber, de-seeded and chopped
• 1 medium tomato, chopped (or a handful of grape tomatoes, halved or quartered)
• 5-6 cups fresh greens (to include plenty of arugula)
• 2 Tbs red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• feta cheese, crumbled (optional)
• garlic croutons, preferably homemade (optional)

In a medium bowl, combine the beans, onion, cucumber, and tomatoes.

In a 1/2 pint jar or other small container with a tight fitting lid, combine the vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper.

Tighten the lid and shake like crazy.

Pour over the bean mixture and mix well.

Allow to marinate at room temperature at least 30-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Give it a taste and adjust the salt and pepper, if necessary.

Arrange the greens among the plates.  Top evenly with the bean mixture, spooning extra marinade from the bottom of the bean bowl over the beans and greens.  Top each plate with crumbled feta cheese and garlic croutons, if using.

Crispy Baked Fish

In the Upper Midwest, the good old Friday Fish Fry has been a tradition for generations.  Every food serving joint from upscale restaurants to bowling alleys to Grandma's house has a Friday Fish Fry special on the menu (around here, lake perch is the most popular choice).  Growing up, especially during Lent, we ate fried fish practically every single Friday either ordered from somewhere or made right in our own kitchen.  And it was good.  Darn good.

Since I'm not a fan of frying fish inside my house on any given day, we still get to enjoy the occasional Friday Fish at home, just not fried.  In this recipe, I use milk to prepare the fish for breading.  My grandmothers did this without explanation (but they fried their fish); I assume that it helps to reduce any potential "fishiness", although I'm not completely certain about that theory.  I do know that I like it just as much as I like the more traditional beer or egg batters.

After the fish is dipped in the milk, it is dredged in flour, then back into the milk again before being coated in a breadcrumb and cornmeal mixture.  This "double dipping" helps create a crunchy, crispy crust, and adding a drizzle of butter before baking in a hot oven helps it become that much crisper.

This crispy fish makes a fantastic sandwich, too.  As I mentioned in my Tartar Sauce post, try it topped with slices of onion and tomato, some shredded lettuce, and stuffed between two thick slices of rye bread slathered with plenty of tartar sauce.  Served with coleslaw and roasted potatoes, it becomes a healthier and more economical version of our traditional Friday Fish Fry plate, and tastes oh so good!

Crispy Baked Fish
serves 6

• 1 1/2 lbs meaty white fish fillets (such as cod or haddock), cut into 6 equal size portions
• 3/4 c milk
• 3/4 c flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 c dried breadcrumbs
• 1/4 c cornmeal (preferably a non-gmo, organic brand such as the one from Arrowhead Mills)
• 2 Tbs lemon zest
• 2 tsp dried dill
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• few grinds fresh black pepper
• 3 Tbs melted butter

Preheat oven to 500F.  Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet.

Place the milk in a shallow bowl.  In another shallow bowl, mix the flour and salt.  In a third shallow bowl, combine the next 8 ingredients (through the ground black pepper).

One at a time, dip the fish fillets in the milk, dredge in the flour.

Step 1

Step 2

Dip the fish back in the milk, then dredge in the crumbs.

Step 3

Step 4

Arrange the fillets at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking pan.  Drizzle the fillets with butter.

Step 5

Bake in preheated oven 7-12 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fish; 3/4"-1" thick fillets take about 10 minutes), or until golden brown and fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serve with tartar sauce, if desired.

Tartar Sauce

 Because sometimes, we cannot deny Tartar Sauce it's rightful place in the world.

Give me a breaded, fried perch sandwich, served on rye bread with a slice of onion, slathered with tartar sauce...and I won't speak to anyone until it's gone.

I'm not kidding.

Sigh.

Mayonnaise and pickles...

I am so not a Food Elitist.

And tartar sauce is a very good thing. 


Tartar Sauce
makes about 1 cup

• 1 c mayonnaise (the real stuff...or better yet, make your own.  Recipe coming soon.)
• 2 Tbs finely chopped dill pickle
• 1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp shredded onion
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Mix well.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Serve with fish or french fries, or whatever you deem fit.

Macaroni and Cheese with Fresh Herbs

The weather in Wisconsin is so unreliable.  After several days of temperatures in the 80s and 90s, the temperature dropped about 30 degrees to cool, windy, rainy weather.  And with that weather, came an immediate appetite shift from salads and fresh vegetables and fruits to warm, creamy comfort foods.  It's amazing how our bodies work with the weather, isn't it?

Not willing to completely succumb to the craving because I really wanted to use all the fresh herbs proliferating in my garden, I decided to make a baked macaroni and cheese that still remained decidedly spring-like by using more delicately flavored cheeses than the traditional sharp cheddar and several of those fresh, flavorful herbs.  The result was a lovely, elegant, creamy macaroni and cheese that practically burst with the bright flavors of the herbs.

The method for a baked macaroni and cheese is the same as a stove-top macaroni and cheese.  In fact, it is all made on the stove-top, then assembled, topped with a buttered crumb mixture, and baked until golden and bubbly.  To make everything go smoothly, it is best to get your ingredients together in individual bowls before you start; combine the cheeses and herbs, garlic and mustard in one bowl for quick and easy dumping into the pot of warm milk, and the topping in another.

Macaroni and Cheese with Fresh Herbs
serves 4-6

• 8 oz medium size shell shaped pasta
• 1/4 c butter
• 1/4 c flour
• 2 c milk (preferably whole milk)
• 1 1/2 c (6 oz) Fontina cheese, shredded
• 1/2 c (2 oz) Parmesan cheese, shredded (not grated)
• 1 large clove garlic, pressed
• 1 Tbs fresh oregano, chopped
• 2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh marjoram, chopped
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 3/4 tsp salt
• few grinds freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 c dried bread crumbs
• 1/4 c Asiago cheese, grated (you can use Parmesan if  you'd like)
• 2 Tbs butter, melted
• 1 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 375F.  Butter a 2qt baking pan.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Boil pasta according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.

In medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.  Whisk in the flour and cook for several seconds until the mixture is bubbly.  Slowly, whisking constantly, pour in the milk.  Continue to whisk until the milk mixture has thickened and just begins to form the first thick bubble or two, about 3-4 minutes.  Stir in the Fontina, Parmesan, garlic, oregano, rosemary, marjoram, dijon, salt, and pepper.  Remove from heat and continue to stir until the cheese melts.

Toss the pasta with the cheese sauce and pour into the buttered pan.

In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Asiago, melted butter, and parsley.

Sprinkle over the macaroni and cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the crumbs are browned and the cheese is bubbly.