Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Fall/Winter CSA Week 5 and Chard Cheese Pie

It was a chilly harvest today, although not quite as cold as it was yesterday.
My scuba gloves that I use for washing the veggies sprang a leak and I had to pop in the house a few times to get a bit of feeling back into my fingers.
Wuss, eh? The real cold isn't even here yet and I know that.
The older I get the more I have problems with the cold, but on we go. The winter garden is growing and it needs tending too.



Surprisingly some hot peppers have survived the cold nights.  I suspect however that this will be it and I'm sure that some of you will be breathing a sigh of relief.  Yes indeed, the peppers did well this year. Very well.
The baskets today contained a final trace of summer with the peppers and green tomatoes, as well as carrots, beets, radishes in various forms, choi, chard as well as another green like escarole and thyme.
After today more of the crops will be from the hoophouses, so expect lots of greens in your future.


There are all sorts of mustards, chards, kales, arugula, chinese greens and more. It all is looking good and growing in the warmth of the hoophouses. It is surprising how lovely and warm it can be out there even in the chilly overcast weather.
I have a chair set up in my hoophouse so I can go out and relax in the warmth. When the sun shines it is a treat. The rays go right through you and it feels so tremendously good. That's my vacation-a chair in my hoop hose and I am not complaining!
The following recipe is a great way to enjoy your chard.


Recipe: Chard Cheese Pie
Serves 4-6
2 cups cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 cups lightly cooked chopped chard, well drained*
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
paprika
Preheat oven to 350 degrees; generously grease an 8-by-8-inch baking dish. Beat together the cottage cheese, eggs, lemon and salt. Stir 1 cup of this mixture into the chard and press it into a baking dish. Spread remaining cottage cheese mixture over the top and sprinkle with breadcrumbs and paprika. Bake until set, about 1/2 hour. Let stand several minutes before 
cutting into squares.

Recipe is from The New Laurel's Kitchen by Laurel Robertson

*Sauté the stems in a small amount of olive oil for 8-10 minutes and leaves for 4-6 minutes; after it cools, squeeze with your hands or in a colander to release excess water before adding it to the cheese mixture.

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