Braised Chard

"Delicious! The best chard I've ever had." We found this recipe in Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. The paprika gives a rich depth to the chard.

Yield: About 4 servings

Ingredients
2 large bunches chard, leaves sliced into 1-inch ribbons
chard stems, chopped
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup cilantro
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper

Procedure
Place all ingredients in a wide, heavy pot with a few pinches salt. Add 1/4 cup water, cover tightly, and cook over low heat for 45 minutes. Check once or twice to make sure there's enough moisture. If anything is sticking, add a few tablespoons water. When done, taste for salt and season with pepper. The chard should be silky and very fragrant.

Northwest Passage High School

This group of hard-working, down-to-earth young women visited the farm as part of their expeditionary learning program.

We separated 25 pounds of garlic into individual cloves for planting.

Planted 2 beds of garlic

Harvested the remaining carrots in the snow on Saturday morning

And moved firewood for the winter. Thank you for all your hard work!

Celery Root and Wild Rice Chowder

This recipe by Deborah Madison seems perfect for Philadelphia Community Farm garden members since it uses celery root, leeks, celery, and potato.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients
1/2 cup wild rice
1 celery root
2 large leeks, white parts only
2 tablespoons butter
1 celery rib, diced
1 cup thinly sliced russet potato
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 large thyme sprig
salt and pepper
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 cups half and half or milk
truffle oil, optional

Procedure

1. Cover the wild rice with 5 cups water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes or until tender.
2. Thickly cut away the celery root skins, then quarter and chop the root into bite-sized pieces. You should have about 3 cups. Chop and wash the leeks.
3. Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the vegetables, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, then add the stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the half and half and simmer until the vegetables are tender. Taste for salt and season with pepper. To give the soup a creamy background, puree a cup of the vegetables and return them to the pot. If the soup is too thick, thin it with some of the rice water or additional stock.
4. Divide the soup among 4-6 bowls and then add a mound of the wild rice to each. Garnish each bowl with parsley and a drop of truffle oil, if using, and serve.

Celery Root AKA Celeriac

Cold Hands in October

As you can see, we have been bundling up for the October harvest and washing. It has been quite chilly in the mornings, so we're going to pack boxes in the heated green house tomorrow morning. Hooray for warm fingers! Besides harvesting for the second to last summer delivery, we also winterized a few more garden beds with an extra layer of compost.

Remember, October 13th and 15th are the last summer deliveries!

Slaw with Sorrel and Lovage

A flavorful slaw with a festive twist...sorrel and lovage!

Yield: About 4 servings

Ingredients
2 cups finely sliced cabbage
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup chopped lovage
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon mustard
salt and pepper
about 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Procedure
Toss vegetables in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together lemon juice or vinegar, honey, mustard, and salt and pepper. Taste for flavor, then add olive oil slowly while whisking until it reaches the desired taste or consistency. Pour over the vegetables and mix.

Roasted Eggplant and Chickpea Stew

Maybe you have a few eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and basil waiting for this recipe? It comes from Deborah Madison's Local Flavors cookbook.

Yield: About 6 servings

Ingredients
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds waxy potatoes
2 large peppers
vegetable oil
1 cup packed basil leaves
1 cup packed cilantro leaves
3 large garlic cloves
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon roasted ground cumin
2 large onions, peeled and cut into eighths
1 pound eggplant, cut into long strips
2-3 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (1 can, rinsed)

Procedure

1. Preheat the broiler. Bring 6 cups water to boil and add 1 teaspoon salt. Slice the potatoes lengthwise about 1/2 inch thick, boil them for 5 mintues, and drain. Halve the peppers lenthwise, press to flatten them, then brush with vegetable oil. Broil, cut side down, on a baking sheet until blistered but not charred. Stack them on top of one another and set aside to steam. When cool, remove the skins and cut the pieces in half. Set the oven temperature at 350 F.
2. Coarsely chop the basil, cilantro, and garlic, then puree in a small food processor with the olive oil, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3. Toss all the vegetables with 1 teaspoon salt, some freshly ground pepper, and the herb mixture. Using your hands, rub the herb mixture into the vegetables, especially the eggplant, then add the chickpeas and toss once more. Transfer everything to an earthenware gratin dish. Rinse out the herb container with 1/2 cup water and pour it over all. Cover the gratin dish tightly with foil and bake until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the foil, brush the exposed vegetables with the juices, and bake for 20 minutes more. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.