Creamed Chard And Spring Onions

You can swap cream or half and half for all or a portion of the milk, if you want this to be extra lush. You could also stir in a few tablespoons of grated Parmesan. (We ended up using a couple of cans of evaporated milk as that was all we had, really YUM!)

Source: Smitten Kitchen

1 1-pound bunch Swiss chard, thick stems removed and leaves sliced into ribbons
3 spring onions, ends trimmed, white and some green parts sliced into thin coins
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups milk
Salt and pepper

Wash your chard, but no need to dry it, just place it in a large pot over high heat. Cook, covered, with just the water clinging to leaves, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 6 minutes.
Press or squeeze out the excess liquid any number of ways, either by wringing it out in cheesecloth, putting it in a mesh strainer and pressing the moisture out with a spatula or large spoon or letting it cool long enough to grab small handfuls and squeezing them to remove as much water as possible.
Wipe out the large pot so you can use it again. Heat milk or cream in a small saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until warm. Keep warm. Meanwhile, cook onion and garlic, if using, in butter in your wiped-out large pot over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about six minutes. Whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking, about three minutes. Add warm milk or cream in a slow stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, and simmer, whisking, until thickened, three to four minutes. Stir in chard, then salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring, until heated through.

To make Creamed Chard and Spring Onion Pasta: Use 1 3/4 cups of milk instead of 1 1/4 cups. Stir 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan into the sauce while cooking, and keep extra on hand for serving. This should be enough to toss with about half a pound of pasta (more or less depending on how saucy you like yours).

Braised Red Cabbage with Apple and Onion

We often end up doubling the "sauce" - (vinegar, sugar, water, salt and pepper) and keep adjusting until the flavor is where we want it. The apples, cabbage and onion make a good combination!

Source: Everyday Food

YieldServes 4

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 Gala or Fuji apple, halved, cored, and sliced
• 1 head red cabbage (2 pounds), cored, quartered, and thinly sliced
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 cup water

Directions

1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, melt butter over medium. Add onion and apple; cook, stirring, until onion softens, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in red cabbage and season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Add cider vinegar, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until cabbage is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar.

Coconut Pumpkin Soup

This soup is one of my absolute favorites. I look forward to making it every fall/winter and always double the recipe below! It's easy to add some cooked shredded chicken breast for a little protein as well (especially easy if I remember to grab a rotisserie chicken before I checkout!).

Source: Better Homes and Gardens

Makes: 12 (1/2-cup) servings

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 medium carrots, chopped
1 medium green sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 15-ounce can pumpkin (or you can roast your own pie pumpkin!)
1 14-ounce can unsweetened light coconut milk
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 medium fresh jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro 

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, cook carrots, sweet pepper, and onion in hot oil over medium heat about 5 minutes or until vegetables are nearly tender. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, coconut milk, and broth. Stir in brown sugar, jalapeno pepper, salt, and ginger. Stir pumpkin mixture into cooked carrot mixture. 


2. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until heated through, stirring frequently. Before serving, stir in cilantro. 

Goat Cheese Arugula Pizza

A tasty use of our CSA arugula tonight! I tossed the arugula with a little lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh cracked black pepper before topping the pizza. Yummy!

Source: All Recipes

Ingredients

• 1 unbaked pizza crust
• 6 tablespoons prepared pesto sauce
• 3 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 (8 ounce) package seasoned goat cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 cup fresh arugula
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven according to pizza package instructions.
2. Dab pesto onto the center of the pizza base, and spread toward the outer edges. Cut the goat cheese into thin coins, and spread or crumble across the pizza. Arrange tomato slices over goat cheese. Sprinkle with garlic. Brush the crust edges lightly with olive oil.
3. Place pizza directly on preheated oven rack. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the crust edges are golden.
4. After taking pizza out of the oven, allow to cool for a few minutes so that the cheese has time to set. After a couple of minutes, cover the pizza with a few handfuls of arugula. Cut, serve, and enjoy!

Kale Chips

Ok so I always thought these sounded gross, but I had kale in my CSA box that I needed to use so I decided to give these a try. I was expecting tough and chewy, but instead was pleasantly surprised by light and crispy!

Source: Gluten Free for Good

Ingredients

• 1 head kale, washed and thoroughly dried
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Sea salt, for sprinkling  (other fun add-ins that I tried were sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, fresh ground pepper, and some Garlic and Herb Mrs. Dash) yum!

Directions

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.

Remove the ribs from the kale and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Lay on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil and salt (and any other fixings). Bake until crisp, turning the leaves halfway through, about 20 minutes. Serve as finger food.

Roast Chicken with Potatoes, Lemon, and Asparagus

This is a favorite dish to serve company. We've made this many, many times!

 I love that you cook everything in the same dish.

Source: Everyday Food

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, halved
• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 package cut-up whole chicken (about 3 pounds)
• 1 bunch asparagus (1 pound), trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place potatoes and half the butter in a roasting pan; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing once, until potatoes are golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Place chicken, skin side up, on top of potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Roast until chicken begins to brown, about 20 minutes.
3. Scatter asparagus, lemon, remaining butter, and thyme around chicken. Roast until asparagus is tender and chicken is opaque throughout, 5 to 15 minutes. Serve chicken, vegetables, and lemon drizzled with pan juices.