As spring turns into summer I continue to enjoy my small scale farming more and more. I am constantly amazed with the large amount of vegetables produced in my two 4x4 junk greenhouses. I started building the first one when the ground was still frozen in the first week of March. We planted peas, mizuna, tatsoi and a mustard salad mix while the daytime temperatures were still below 50 degrees.
This first planting flourished and until a week ago was producing more than we could eat. I just did the last cutting the other day and pulled the roots so I can put in another batch of greens, after I give the soil a nutrient boost.
The other green house (a revised version of the first one) got planted with all the seedlings that I started inside in early April. Everything is thriving and the weather has been nice and warm during the day with a slight chill in the air at night, creating ideal growing conditions for my greens.
The peas, radishes, beets and Swiss chard have been growing like crazy, throwing their mature leaves out faster than I can keep up. The radishes have required some time and care with thinning and weeding so that they don't crowd each other out and crack or go woody. I realize that sowing radish seeds requires thinking about the spacing and depth of the hole a little more than other veggies so that each seed produces a mature full grown vegetable.
When a friend of mine gave me a small package of Hudson Valley Seed Library Rainbow Swiss chard seeds back in April I was so exited to get them in the ground. Swiss chard to me is one of the most underused vegetables in the home and restaurant kitchen and over the last year has become my favorite "go to" green.
An excellent source of vitamin C, potassium and magnesium, swiss chard leaves are mild and tender at most sizes. Compared to its cousin, the beet, who's leaves become less tender and stringy with increasing size, swiss chard is a very versatile green and can be used in many different flavor combinations and can be eaten raw or cooked.
Rainbow chard Risotto
1 cup Arborio rice
1/3 cup diced bacon
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large onion
1 clove garlic minced
4-5 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
3 cups raw Swiss chard torn into bite sized pieces
(save the chard stems and dice them the same size
as the onions keeping them separate from the greens)
2-3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese grated
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup Arborio rice
1/3 cup diced bacon
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large onion
1 clove garlic minced
4-5 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
3 cups raw Swiss chard torn into bite sized pieces
(save the chard stems and dice them the same size
as the onions keeping them separate from the greens)
2-3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese grated
salt and pepper to taste
Risotto takes time and a dedication that most other rice dishes do not. Take the time to cook it properly and you will be the envy of all your friends.
1) On high heat, sauté the onions, garlic, bacon and swiss chard stems in olive oil (use a deep frying or cast iron pan.) After a minute or so, reduce the heat to medium and sauté the ingredients until soft.
2) Add dry Arborio rice to the pan, stir it around to integrate it into the sauté.
3) Warm the stock for the risotto in a separate pan and set it aside. The liquid will be added in three or four stages so having it warm already will help with the cooking process.
4) Add your first cup of stock to the pan and stir. Let it simmer until the liquid has been absorbed fully. You will repeat this process three times, stirring the mixture in between.
5) When you add the last cup of liquid, the rice should be al dente. Add the raw Swiss chard, it is a little cumbersome but stir it in slowly, covering the raw greens with hot rice. Continue stirring until the greens are cooked. Taste the rice at this point to make sure it is finished cooking. If it is finished, turn the heat down to low.
6) Stir in the butter and cheese slowly and in stages so as to avoid clumping. If it's not creamy enough, add a small amount of stock at the end.
Enjoy with gusto!
1) On high heat, sauté the onions, garlic, bacon and swiss chard stems in olive oil (use a deep frying or cast iron pan.) After a minute or so, reduce the heat to medium and sauté the ingredients until soft.
2) Add dry Arborio rice to the pan, stir it around to integrate it into the sauté.
3) Warm the stock for the risotto in a separate pan and set it aside. The liquid will be added in three or four stages so having it warm already will help with the cooking process.
4) Add your first cup of stock to the pan and stir. Let it simmer until the liquid has been absorbed fully. You will repeat this process three times, stirring the mixture in between.
5) When you add the last cup of liquid, the rice should be al dente. Add the raw Swiss chard, it is a little cumbersome but stir it in slowly, covering the raw greens with hot rice. Continue stirring until the greens are cooked. Taste the rice at this point to make sure it is finished cooking. If it is finished, turn the heat down to low.
6) Stir in the butter and cheese slowly and in stages so as to avoid clumping. If it's not creamy enough, add a small amount of stock at the end.
Enjoy with gusto!
