A Thanksgiving Side Dish: Sauté of Chard, Purple Kale & Broccoli Rabe

Cooking Thanksgiving dinner can be a whole lotta fun and often times a stressor of sorts; what to make (excluding the obvious), how to make it, will there be enough food, will everything come out at the same time etc…etc…etc…  Over the years I’ve made it a point to simplify. Which means someone else has the responsibility of cooking the turkey and I the sides.

So last night Mike walked in from the garden with an armful of greens; a veritable bouquet of Chard, Purple Kale & Broccoli Rabe. 

Gorgeous! The purple stems are purple kale.

Mike, who is a good cook himself (he cooks the turkey), proceeded to prep the greens for cooking by chopping the stems very small so that they would cook quickly.  

He then continued on to the leaves with a rough chop (bigger pieces than the stems). And put all the prepped greens into a sauté pan.

Then onto the stove it went.  

A Sauté of Greens is a fresh, simple and quick way to complement the Thanksgiving Day Dinner; no matter who cooks it!

Here’s the recipe.

Ingredients

1 lb of your favorite green, rough chop (stems optional - chopped very small)
1 Tbls of extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp of kosher salt
1/2 tsp of fresh ground pepper

Process

Turn your stove burner to medium high.  Place a large sauté pan on that burner and add olive oil.  While olive oil is heating add your greens and sprinkle salt and pepper on top.  Begin turning the greens over and over until they begin wilting. Once they have cooked down, turn the stove down to low, cover and cook for 5 to 10 more minutes or until greens soften but still have a crunch (yes you must test).  Once done ladle greens out into a bowl and serve immediately.  

Yields 6 side servings.

Farro Salad with Tomato, Mint, Basil & a Parmesan Lemon Vinaigrette

How many of you have heard about farro?  I first heard about it while traveling through Tuscany a few years back.  We had stopped for lunch at a country villa.  A salad of farro, tomato and parmesan with their house olive oil was one of our luncheon dishes.  It left a lasting memory.  So, when I saw that Tuscan Fields was sponsoring a scholorship to one of my favorite food blog conferences Eat, Write, Retreat I was all in.  All I need do is tell you about this new product being imported here to the U.S., write a fabulous recipe that the judges will find irresistible and WIN!  

With thoughts of a memorable Tuscan Fields Farro dish, new relatiionships and having a winning recipe here’s mine.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 1/4C Tuscan Fields Farro, cook according to package directions
3/4C of fresh mint & basil, julienne (hit julienne for a how-to lesson)
1C of sweet baby tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
1/2C of Parmesan Lemon Vinaigrette (see below)
Kosher Salt - to taste
Freshly ground pepper - to taste

Process

Once Farro is done, drain in a sieve and run cool water over it to stop the cooking.

With a small spoon gently move the farro around to cool all the way through.

Let the farro drain in the sieve for up to 10 minutes.  

Take the farro and place it into a medium size bowl with all other ingredients.  Mix thoroughly until herbs, tomatoes and vinaigrette are combined.  Taste for salt and pepper and add to your own distinct taste.  

Place salad on a large platter and serve family style.  

Yields up to 8 side servings.

*Great with chicken, fish or just as a side salad.

*Perfect for a summertime picnic dish too!

Parmesan Lemon Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1/2C of freshly squeezed lemon juice 
3/4C of extra virgin olive oil
1C of parmesan reggiano, finely grated
1/2tsp of freshly ground pepper

Process

Place all ingredients into a plastic or glass container with lid.  Seal tightly and shake vigorously until all ingredients are incorporated.  Pour half over your farro salad.

*Can be used for any type of salad and or as a dipping sauce.
*1-week life in refrigerator tightly sealed.

Lunch Challenge: Tomato, Basil, Feta Salad A La Casa De La Pav Gardens

It’s lunchtime here on a slightly overcast Friday afternoon in our little neck of the ATX hood. I haven’t been to the market in about a week. I’m famished and have basically no food around. Really? The truth is I have a pantry full of ingredients and a fridge that needs a little stock rotation. And I don’t want to cook. So the challenge is getting something in my belly fast that’s simple and delicious! So here goes…found some feta in the cheese drawer, picked heirloom tomatoes and basil from the garden, have the ubiquitous salt, pepper & olive oil…I think that will work. Let’s do it!

Ingredients

1/2 medium size heirloom tomato, sliced 1/8”
Slice of Feta cheese, 1/8” slice 
Leaves of fresh basil stem 
Sprinkle of salt & pepper 
Drizzle of a good quality olive oil

Process

On a small salad plate, arrange slices of tomato and Feta so that they over lap. In between place a leaf of basil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Done. Eat with joy!

Tips 
*Use your favorite tomato. 
*Tomatoes can be roasted. 
*Salad best during tomato season. 
*Nice to serve with a big hunk of crusty bread or garlic toast.

p.s. The yellow flowers are from our ever blooming fennel plants that have gone to seed.  They’re beautiful and delicious adding a wonderful little crunch along with a slight anise flavor.

Now, time to eat!!!