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Colorful chard and bean salad

chard, beans, sun dried tomato salad

If you shopped at a farmers’ market lately you had to have seen the chard bundles piled high. Chard is delicious sauted with some tomato, garlic, and onion and then served either alongside a tender chop, steak or fish or on top of a bed of fettuccine. But I also love chard served fresh and raw…no cooking required when the leaves are this tender and sweet. Last summer I served up as a simple salad green. This week I was thinking about a salad I could take to work for my lunch but since I’ve been eating lettuce salads for over a month I was a bit bored with the salad idea. After rummaging through the refrigerator and the cabinets I came up with the idea of a bean salad with the addition of chard, sun dried tomatoes, and pine nuts. It’s not surprising that it’s pretty…all those jewel toned colors of red, yellow, and green but the flavors and textures work so well together that it is surprisingly addictive…the crunch and flavor of the chopped chard stalks and leaves, the butteriness of the beans, and the unique flavors of the sun dried tomatoes and pine nuts all held together with a good olive oil and my favorite apple vinegar from Vom Fass. I highly recommend this salad, not only for its flavor and visual appeal but also it packs a ton of antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins. This recipe makes a large batch and although the salad is not as visually impressive after the first day the flavors do improve…it makes a great lunch.

Chopped chard and bean salad
1 medium onion, diced
1 shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can red beans, rinsed & drained
1 can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
1 bunch of chard, rinsed and dried, stalks chopped, leaves cut into strips
Handful of sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
1/3 extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup star apple vinegar (Vom Fass) or perhaps a balsamic

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust of necessary. Serve cold or at room temperature.

July 11, 2009 | Filed Under Westside Community Market, Wisconsin, beans, farmers market, food, geek fast food, quick and easy, recipe, sides, soup, salad, sandwich | 4 Comments 

Butter the radish, pour the wine

Farmers' Market purchases

Madison’s Westside Community Market opened yesterday and it was an absolute success. I got there at 9:00 and Diana from DreamFarms was already out of eggs but she did have a tasty wedge of feta. At the information booth Vivien was dispensing hellos and news about the apple trees along with the delicious complimentary coffee that the market offers. Everywhere I looked farmers and shoppers were chatting and renewing friendships.

lunch

JenEhr Farm offered a bountiful spread of greens including a blend of mustard greens, bundles of a type of mustard green I’d not seen before, bunches of sorrel, and a lovely, light green leaf with a mild bok choy flavor. I bought some of each, including several bunches of French breakfast radishes.

french breakfast radish with butter and salt

A crusty, deeply flavorful whole wheat batard from Madison Sourdough Company brought it all together on a plate for a seasonal and local lunch. The sausage from Sunnyhill Acres, the feta from Dreamfarm, the radishes and greens from JenEhr a dab of butter here and there, some sea salt, and a glass of crisp white from France…well it was almost local but it was simple, full of flavor and probably one of the most satisfying meals ever. Like a big sigh…spring is here…it seems as though it’s safe to come out of my hole.

perfection

April 19, 2009 | Filed Under Local, Westside Community Market, bread, farmers market, food, quick and easy, soup, salad, sandwich | 9 Comments 

Rhubarb pie and the farmers’ market

rhubarb

It’s been a brisk week in Wisconsin. I’ve gone through these days trying to decide if a sweater was necessary or if it really was as warm as I hoped. Usually a sweater improved the situation. Because of the briskness I took the opportunity to fix a few of my cold weather favorites that I was craving. Most notable was my black bean soup. There isn’t any photos because, well, we ate it… and nope, we didn’t stop to take pictures. It was good though and it always reminds me of the first time I made it in San Francisco. My version is a riff on Deborah Madison’s recipe from her Green’s cookbook. I’ve made it so many times over the past 20 years and it always satisfies with its spicy beaniness.

I’ve made a few rhubarb pies while it’s still in season. Fortunately I saved some of the frozen strawberries from last year’s bounty so we could have our favorite strawberry rhubarb pie. I think I’ll pick up some more rhubarb at the farmers’ market tomorrow…we never tire of pie and this might be the last weekend for rhubarb.

I’ve been thinking about our farmer friends a lot this week. Gas went up another 10 cents and I’m noticing some price increases at the grocery store…although I must admit that the items I buy at the store are few, they are things like flour, olive oil, butter (if I don’t make my own), chocolate, coffee, and wine. The farmers who faithfully show up to the market each week so we can have eggs, yogurt, milk, cheese, veg, fruit, mushrooms, and meat have to be feeling the pinch. I know from experience that the profit margin for most farmers is pretty thin and I’ve never known a rich farmer…at least if you judge riches by money. I do know a lot of happy farmers.

All of this is just to say that if you’re going out tomorrow, stop by a farmers’ market. If you happen to live in Madison you really should consider going to the best farmers’ market, the Westside Community Market. Nope, they don’t pay me to say that…I just say it because it’s true. I even have a list of 10 reasons why the Westside Side Community Market rocks:

  1. You can walk in any direction you want. That’s right folks, no counter-clockwise march here…just flit about and enjoy.
  2. Nick Kirch and the crew from Blue Marble Dairy will be there and their dairy products are awesome. So fresh and delicious. I love their milk and cream.
  3. Eric Johnson from Jordandal Farm will have chickens this week…apparently many chickens…I’m seriously excited because that means it’s BBQ Bird time…woot.
  4. Madison Sourdough’s perfect pain au chocolat. Their sourdough loaf is my favorite for sandwiches. The baguettes…arguably the best outside of Paris.
  5. The mushroom man had such huge morels last week…will he have them again this week?
  6. Bruce Workman from Edelweiss Cremery will be there with his Emmenthaler cheese. I also have a soft spot for his Muenster cheese.
  7. Peter Potter and his crackers…add any of his flavorful flatties to that Muenster and you’ve got the perfect afternoon snack.
  8. Dreamfarm’s eggs. I don’t know about you but I love Diana’s eggs. Lately we’ve been getting lots of double yolks…always a sign of a lucky day.
  9. Dreamfarm’s goat cheeses. I think that that Diana’s rosebud cheese is my favorite.
  10. Maple Syrup guy will be there only 2 more weeks…time to stock up.

Oh, don’t forget the rhubarb! Here’s my recipe.
rhubarb pie

May 23, 2008 | Filed Under Local, Westside Community Market, baking, ethical eating, farmers market, favorite products, food, food porn, fruit and nuts, pie, quick and easy, recipe, sweets | 5 Comments 

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