Have You Tried Swiss Chard?

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Last week, I added rainbow swiss chard to my growing container garden. It won't be ready for at least another 2 months, I think. So in the meantime, I will have to rely on Ontario farmers for my swiss chard fix.

I know that you've seen this beauty in the supermarket. It's one of those greens that sit by the cabbages, collards and kale aka the healthy and under appreciated vegetable aisle at the supermarket. You walk past it week after week without a second glance. But maybe this week it will be different?

Swiss chard is always a deep rich green leaf though its stem may come in an assortment of colours from creamy whites to golden saffron to ruby reds. The flavour is intensely earthy kind of like beet greens or spinach. It's fantastic alongside grilled meat. (I like it with hot Italian turkey sausage.)

When purchasing swiss chard choose a bunch that has ruffled leaves that holdes its shape and slender but firm stems.

Oh, and did I mention it's delicious? Next time, you're at the supermarket or at the farmer's market... check it out by trying this recipe from Marcus Sammuelson's cookbook, The Soul of A New Cuisine. (I am working my way through his cookbook, and it's superb!)

This recipe is a great way to acquaint yourself with this fine, invigorating vegetable.


Creamed Swiss Chard
Adapted from Soul of a New Cuisine by Marcus Sammuelson

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion - roughly chopped
1 tbsp minced ginger
2 c shredded cabbage
1 pinch turmeric
1 c cream
1/2 c water
1 bunch swiss chard
1/2 c buttermilk
dusting of nutmeg
2 tsp salt (or to taste)

1. Heat oil in a large deep fry pan
2. Add onion & ginger until onion softens and ginger is fragrant
3. Add cabbage and turmeric. Stir and cook until cabbage softens.
4. Add cream and water and cook on medium heat for about ten minutes.
5. Meanwhile, trim and roughly chop swiss chard into bite sized pieces.
6. Toss swiss chard into pan and cook until chard is reduced. (Like spinach, it cooks down substantially)
7. Turn off heat and stir in buttermilk, dusting of nutmeg and salt. Adjust seasonings as required.
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Great Way to Start the Day

With the US Thanksgiving holiday this upcoming weekend, I thought this might be a great recipe for a breakfast treat for those of you who are hosting overnight guests this holiday.

One of the things I really like to do when I host is to bake for my guests. It makes for a memorable experience to rouse your guests from their slumber with the smell of freshly baked muffins wafting throughout the house. These blueberry muffins are perfect for that surprise - they are delicious and rather simple to throw to together.

While these muffins are not super sugary with a large muffin top, they are rich with blueberry flavour, moist on the inside, with a nice crumb and a crisp muffin top. Served fresh from the oven with a pat of butter melting blissfully on top, it is perfect for breakfast.

For this recipe, I used wild blueberries which I think are superior to the regular kind. They are small but packed with great flavour. The fresh blueberries we find in the market these days are impressive indigo-hued marbles but really impart no fruit flavour to the muffin. The season for wild blueberries is rather short (August for us) but the wide availability of frozen wild blueberries make these little jewels available all year long.


Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins

2 c all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 c white sugar
1 large egg
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (slightly cooled)
1 c buttermilk
2 c frozen wild blueberries (keep in freezer pre-measured until ready to use)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Insert muffin liners into a 12 c muffin tin.
2. Mix flour, baking powder and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
3. In another bowl, whisk egg and sugar together until pale yellow. Slowly whisk in melted butter, then whisk in buttermilk until incorporated.
4. Remove blueberries from the freezer and toss with the dry ingredients.
5. Add wet ingredients to dry and with a spatula, gently fold mixture together. Do not overmix otherwise the muffins will be tough. You will have some dry spots in your batter, this is okay.
6. Scoop batter with a large spoon into the prepared muffin tins.
7. Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends!
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What To Do With…. Buttermilk

Buttermilk is a rich tasting, delicious and low fat dairy product that adds tang to foods. It is a highly versatile ingredient that is used in many applications including baking (cakes, scones, pancakes, and waffles), as a dressing, and as a tenderizer for meats.

I bought the smallest carton of buttermilk to bake a cake, but at one litre, it’s far more buttermilk than I really need…

So, here are ten ways I use buttermilk in my everyday recipes:

1. Mashed potatoes: Instead of using cream or milk, substitute buttermilk
2. Steamed potatoes: When I was in France, a friend served me this really simple dish. Season about half a cup to a cup of buttermilk with salt & pepper and snippets of chives, pour over hot steamy potatoes (quantity depends on the amount of potatoes and how much you want to use)
3. Fruit Smoothie: Blend 1½c of buttermilk with 1 cup of frozen fruit, add honey to sweeten
4. Cold avocado soup: Puree a ripe avocado with buttermilk, season with salt pepper and cumin, thin with additional buttermilk (if necessary) and garnish with cilantro
5. Marinade for breaded chicken: In a glass baking tray, marinate chicken in buttermilk overnight. Pat dry before breading and proceed as usual.
6. Ranch dressing: Mix 1 c of buttermilk, 1/2c mayonnaise, snipped chives and dill, ½ clove of minced garlic, salt and pepper
7. Buttermilk ice cream: Great with intensely sweet desserts like dark chocolate cake

For baking you can substitute buttermilk for recipes including:
8. Blueberry muffins
9. Scones
10. Pancakes