Friday, October 19, 2012

A plethora of Swiss Chard

Yesterday was a lovely day - in the 60's and sunny.  What an unusual occurence!  Tuesday I heard that out of the last 12 days, 11 were rainy.  I was up early to plant some daffodils and rake up pine needles to mulch the blueberries.  Then I went down to the community gardens and picked two huge bags of Swiss Chard.  I pulled everything out, spaded the bed, and raked it smooth.  Then I called Pat to see if she wanted some chard and delivered that later in the day.  I was still left with a bag and a half.  It's rainy again today, just right for a nice, thick soup made in our stove to table earthenware pot.  And here's the recipe:

Rainy Day Chard Soup  (serves 3)
    Chop one onion and saute in about 1 T. olive oil
    Peel and dice two medium-sized potatoes and add to the pot with 2 cups of broth.  I used vegetable, but chicken would be fine.  Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are soft.
    Add as much chopped Swiss Chard as the pot will hold, cover and cook until wilted.  Add more broth if needed (I used about 3 c. all together).  Season with some chopped parsley, pepper, and marjoram (maybe 1 t.).  Cook 15-20 minutes to blend flavors.
    Use an immersion blender to make it smooth, and add about 1/2 c. grated sharp Cheddar cheese.  Stir until cheese melts, and serve.

Now I still have another bag of chard - quiche tomorrow or Sunday?

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