As I mentioned previously, I'm making one new healthy dish per week this year to help me conquer my fear/reluctance to try new foods and techniques.
This week I tackled chard, which came in my mid-week CSA box. I should have taken a before photo - it was listed as "assorted chard" but I'm pretty sure I ended up with run-of-the-mill Swiss chard. I'd intended to make Orecchiette with Sausage, Chard, and Parsnips but somehow managed not to buy the sausage or parsnips so I ended up tinkering with this Bon Appetit recipe for Bacon and Swiss Chard Pasta.
I had bacon on hand, as I usually do, and since I only had one bunch of chard, I added a bunch of Lacinato kale, which had also come in my CSA box. I sauteed the bacon until it was starting to get crispy, drained most of the grease, and added the chopped greens and some salt and pepper (not too much because the bacon is a bit salty and I knew I'd be adding Parmesan). Once the greens were soft, I added a splash of heavy cream, tossed the greens, and then added the cooked pasta. Of course, freshly grated Parmesan cheese is a necessity of life.
My kids mostly avoided the greens but ate the pasta itself, which actually counts as a victory around here (the older one ate the bacon too). Leftovers were delicious the next day for lunch, albeit sparse on pasta since the kids had eaten most of it. I'd say I'm as comfortable with chard now as I am with kale, and would gladly cook with it again.
Also in my CSA box were a couple of watermelon radishes, which are as pretty as they sound. They are also totally not bitter! I've been eating them sliced thinly and raw, with a little salty cheese.
On to next week's food adventure!
Image via FreeDigitalPhotos.net by KEKO64.
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