Lately, I’ve been posting recipes highlighting green beans, peppers, eggplant, and lettuce from our garden.  But what I was craving was some greens, like swiss chard – specifically, red chard, because of its beautiful color – very visually appealing with its shiny green ribbed leaves in colorful contrast to the brilliant red stems, I remembered my mother including it in Japanese sukiyaki.

We grew swiss chard in our garden when I was growing up and it’s readily available in most markets here in California – some areas, not so much.  Swiss chard is similar to spinach and beet greens with a flavor that is bitter, pungent and slightly salty.  Swiss chard, along with kale, mustard greens and collard greens, is one of several leafy green vegetables often referred to as “greens”. It is a tall leafy green vegetable with a thick, crunchy stalk that comes in white, red or yellow with wide fan-like green leaves. WHFoods pronounces it a vegetable valedictorian and one of the world’s most nutritional foods because it contains loads of Vitamin K, A, and C and other nutrients – plus, one cooked cup of chard has only 35 calories!

Here I’ve included it in a quick easy pasta dish that’s perfect for Meatless Monday or any day where you desire a light, healthy meal packed with fresh flavor. The chickpeas add a little crunch along with a dash of tart lemon and tangy feta cheese.

Pasta with Red Chard and Chickpeas

1 bunch of organic red chard

1 can organic garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

zest of one lemon

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use

red pepper flakes

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 med. onion, chopped

3 green onions, sliced

6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

8 oz. Barilla Plus thin spaghetti *

salt and freshly ground pepper

Serves 4

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add a generous amount of salt.

Wash the greens under running water. Stack them on a large cutting board as they are washed. Hold the stack of chard leaves, cut off the stems. Chop the stems into 1/2 inch lengths. Chop the leaves into 1 inch strips.

Drain the garbanzo beans, rinse, place in a bowl with the lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and thyme so flavors can meld.

Insert a strainer into the boiling water. Add the stems and blanch for 1-2 minutes. Remove and set aside in a bowl.  Replace the strainer in the boiling water and add the leaves. Blanch for 1-2 minutes, pull the strainer up, use a large spoon to press down on the leaves and squeeze out excess liquid, set aside. Use this water for the pasta.

Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta in a colander. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and toss.

Return the pot to the burner. Heat on medium to burn off liquid, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, stir and cook for another minute. Add the garbanzo bean mixture, stir to combine, then add the chard stems and leaves. Continue stirring, add the pasta and the feta cheese, stir to combine ingredients. Serve immediately.

Enjoy

* Barilla Plus is a multigrain pasta that has 4 grams of fiber per 56g gram serving and is a good source of protein and Omega -3 from ground flaxseed. It’s appearance is similar to regular pasta, so may be more readily accepted by kids (and others) who may not find whole wheat or heartier brown pastas to their liking.

Today, we have a Guest Blogger – actually bloggers – from southwest Florida – that got my attention because they are a Mother/Daughter team and their  beautiful farm-to-table tart, recently featured in the  Foodbuzz Top 9,  caught my eye. I’m a huge fan of rustic tarts that highlight seasonal veggies (Zucchini and Sundried Tomato Tart and Mushroom and Spinach Tart ) and recently judged the special Culinary Arts competition, The Art of the Tart,  at the Orange County Fair – so I’ve had tarts on the brain.  Gorgeous in its simplicity; direct from CC Recipes:

Rustic Cherry Tomato Ricotta Tart

This is one eye-catching tomato tart, that is truly super simple and looks like you spent hours making it. Made with a super easy tart dough, cherry tomatoes, ricotta and cream cheese, and a sprinkling of fresh basil leaves.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
pinch of salt

7 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut in cubes

1/2 cup heavy cream

For the Tart:

1 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced
2 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cups fresh cherry tomatoes, washed and drained

1-2 Tbsp basil leaves

1 egg, beaten

Directions:

1. Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Place the butter cubes around the flour and pulse until a crumbly mixture is formed.

2. Slowly add the cream while still pulsing the flour mixture, Keep adding the cream until the dough comes together into a bit of a ball.

3. Remove the dough from the food processor and move to a lightly floured surface. Gently knead the dough a few times until it is smooth.

4. Wrap up the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (can stay in the refrigerator overnight).

5. Preheat the oven to 375F.

6. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil and the garlic together; set aside. In a separate bowl, add the cream cheese, ricotta cheese, 1 teaspoon of the garlic olive oil (that you previously whisked together), salt and pepper, mix well. Toss the tomatoes with the remaining garlic olive oil.

7. Remove dough from the refrigerator and on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch round.
Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet (if you line the baking sheet with parchment paper, it will be easier to transfer to a plate later).

8. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the bottom of the dough, leaving a 1 inch border. Top the ricotta mixture with the cherry tomatoes and basil leaves (I keep the basil leaves whole, but you could cut them if desired), spreading the tomatoes and basil out evenly still leaving a 1 inch border. Fold the edges/border over the filling, pleating the edges to make it fit, The center will be open. Brush the top of the pastry crust with the egg.

9. Bake for about an 30 – 45 minutes or until the shell is evenly browned. Let cool for 5 minutes, then slide the tart onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy

Thank you CC Recipes! From their About page: This is a blog created by mother Christine and daughter Camala (C and C) to share our favorite recipes, talk about food and baking, share pictures of the food we make and dish about anything we feel like.

Along with the bumper crop of slender green beans – the particular variety, I’m not quite certain of; our garden has blessed us with a bounty of  beautiful purple and green peppers as well as Japanese eggplant and Chinese peas. It’s a veritable United Nations of vegetables growing in our backyard – just one of the pluses of growing your own vegetables – whether in pots on your patio or in a sliver of side yard, if you’re fortunate to have one in your slice of urban oasis.

So, I had a LOT of green peppers – and a colorful crunchy, summertime salad, like the one I posted last week,  would only require one pepper – I needed a dish that would use at least 6 peppers. I decided on stuffed peppers – don’t groan, this is NOT your mother’s stuffed peppers, or my mother’s – which I remember being somewhat thick-skinned and bitter tasting and smothered with stewed tomatoes, and would eat grudgingly.  Now, I know that charring and removing the skin of  peppers imparts a smoky flavor, removes any bitterness, and renders the peppers a soft, yet unctuous meatiness.

Grilled Peppers Stuffed with Herbed Basmati Rice

6 medium-sized green peppers

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup cooked basmati rice

8 oz. chopped pancetta (optional)*

1 garlic clove, minced

1 medium tomato, finely chopped

1/4 cup onions, finely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried

8 oz. of prepared Arrabbiata sauce*

1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese, shredded

Serves 4

Heat gas grill to med-high or, if using a charcoal grill, prepare it for direct heat over hot coals.

Brush green peppers with olive oil, Grill whole, turning every 5 minutes until charred all over and very soft, about 10 minutesk. Remove from grill, put into a paper bag, folding down the top. This allows the green peppers to steam a bit and makes it easier to peel off the skin. When cool enough to handle, peel and discard the charred skin from the peppers and slit lengthwise to remove the seeds and core from the top. Lay the peppers on a paper towel to absorb any cooking liquid.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet. Cook the pancetta for 2 minutes, add the onion, garlic, tomato and cook over med-high heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 minutes. If you’re using dried thyme, add the thyme during the last minute to release the flavors. Transfer to a bowl.Add one cup rice and the parsley to the pancetta mixture, combine the ingredients, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cover the bottom of a 9×12 baking dish with a layer of arrabiata sauce. Gently mound a spoonful of the rice stuffing in the middle of each pepper and press the sides around the filling. Place in the baking dish, spoon additional sauce on top, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and bake for another 5 minutes to melt the cheese.

* Can be eliminated for a satisfying and delicious vegetarian dish.

* I always like a little heat and used an Arrabbiatta sauce from Antonello’s Ristorante, but you may use Puttanesca or any spaghetti-type sauce that you prefer.

Shown served atop a bed of polenta (recipe to be posted).

Enjoy

She’s Cookin’s  recipe for Eggplant Parmesan was chosen as a finalist in Zov’s (of Zov’s Bistro fame) eggplant recipe contest and the judging is today; so I’m busy making Eggplant Parmesan “My Way” just as soon as I finish this cup of java Over the years, I fine-tuned the preparation of this dish to make it less heavy and lower in calories without sacrificing the robust flavor and cheesy deliciousness.

Wish me luck If it wins, you’ll see Eggplant Parmesan “My Way” featured as a daily special at Zov’s Bistro in Tustin!

For Meatless Monday, I’m sharing this so-simple hummus recipe from Real Simple magazine. Of course, you can buy hummus at any store, but for the cost of a can of garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas) you can make your own in 5 minutes — and it’s worlds better! Because I prefer a little heat, I jazzed it up with a dash of cayenne and my current spice obsession called Ras el Hanout from Awaken Savor spices.  (More about Awaken Savor’s unique spice blends in a future post.)

5-Minute Spicy Hummus

1-15  ounce  can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

¼ c. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Ras el Hanout spice*

kosher or sea salt

¼ cayenne pepper (or paprika for less spicy) for serving

In a mini food processor or blender, puree the garbanzo beans and garlic with the olive oil, lemon juice, spice, and salt until smooth and creamy. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water as necessary to achieve desired consistency. Salt to taste.

Transfer to a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cayenne pepper or paprika. Serve with toasted whole wheat pita bread.

Enjoy!

Add a crisp green salad topped with your favorite veggies and you have an instant Meatless Monday meal.

* Note: Ras el Hanout is a traditional Moroccan blend of herbs and spices, popular across the Middle East and North Africa. The name means “head of the shop” in Arabic and represents the very pinnacle of spice blends. Ingredients include saffron, paprika, cumin, ginger, coriander, tumeric, fennel seed, and allspice to name a few. You may substitute cumin, but I highly recommend adding this Ras el Hanout to your array of spices.