Monthly Archives: March 2007

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Recipe: Sauteed Baby Swiss Chard

March 7, 2007 in recipe, vegetable

I love winter greens. They are so flavorful and just packed with vitamins & healthy nutrients.

I think that in the US we are often a bit nervous about veggies that we aren’t 100% familiar with. And swiss chard certainly falls into the unfamiliar bucket for most of us! But the vegetable is absolutely beautiful and flavor is rich and robust. The version in this photo has red stems, though you can also find them with bright yellow and orange stems. They cook up beautiful and bright! And the best part is – they are very easy to cook!

How to buy: look for chard with bright and vibrant colors. The green leaves should be full and sturdy, not wilted. The stem color should also be bright and firm, not flimsy. Even with baby chard (as shown in this photo), all these guidelines were true.

How to store: wash chard just as you would lettuce. Soak, rinse, spin and gently dry. After it is dry I store in a plastic bag lined with paper towel in the fridge.

Sauteed Baby Swiss Chard recipe follows. Read the rest of this entry →

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Australian Wagyu Tritip

March 6, 2007 in meat

I scarcely know where to begin when describing this beef. I hesitate to even label it a “recipe” since the beef stands alone. I can honestly say I have never eaten more tender or flavorful meat ever. And yes, I realize the boldness of such a statement!

You can see by the marbling of the beef that it is *very* rich. It also needs very little attention to perform magnificently. A dash of pepper and spices, 10 minutes or so under the broiler, and voila – one of the more perfect steaks you will ever eat.

Brad and I were at Bristol Farms on Sunday and they were sampling this meat. Lets just say I found it necessary to have more than one sample! ;) Bristol Farms is now importing and selling this specialty Australian beef produced by golfer Greg Norman directly to the public.

Greg Norman Signatureâ„¢ Wagyu is a 350-day, grain-fed line of imported Australian Wagyu. Pronounced WAG-oo, it’s a super-premium beef known not only for its generous marbling, but also for its fat quality; Wagyu cattle produce beef that is lower in saturated fats than other beef. Greg Norman Signatureâ„¢ Wagyu is produced under “farm-to-plate” standards for a consistently high quality of marbling and flavor.

If you live near a Bristol Farms, I highly recommend trying this beef. It is phenomenal and quite frankly will blow your mind.

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Recipe: Mango Margarita

March 5, 2007 in drink, recipe

Sunny days and margaritas! Sounds like Texas to me. ;)

After what feels like endless rain in San Francisco, we had some fantastic weather this weekend. And what better way to celebrate than a fresh, frothy margarita on the deck? I had a few mangoes from previous CSA boxes in the fridge, so I dug up a recipe and we tried it out.

The verdict? Fantastic! This drink worth buying a mango for! Enjoy! 8) Read the rest of this entry →

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Recipe: Baked Penne with Sausage, Kale, & Buttery Crumb Topping

March 4, 2007 in pasta, recipe

I don’t often make baked pasta dishes but perhaps that will change now that I’ve tried this ooey-gooey-delicious mess. I based this recipe on one I found in Cooking Light for March 2007. Several substitutions and ratio changes later, and we have Baked Penne with Sausage, Kale, & Buttery Crumb Topping. I liked how this turned out in small indivdual serving dishes, plus I used less pasta than the Cooking Light version so it was creamier as a result. Serve with a salad and you have a perfect dinner – and left overs for lunch! :) Read the rest of this entry →

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IOTD: More on CSA Boxes

March 2, 2007 in CSA, IOTD, organic

Wednesday is one of my favorite days of the week now. Every Tuesday night I go to sleep in anticipation of what my weekly Organic Fruit & Vegetable box will hold. The best part of Wednesday is coming home and getting to check out all the fantastic produce of the week. As you can see – even Norway (my cat) gets excited! ;)

I have mentioned the Organic CSA Box before, but I wanted to post a bit more detail about it and my thoughts now that we have been receiving it for several months. The bottom line is that *I LOVE IT!* :-D

  • I love that every week I receive vegetables I might not buy.
  • I love that every week is an adventure as I discover new ways to prepare vegetables, new dishes to explore, and sample new flavors!
  • I love that the quality of the produce we eat is so excellent that you simply want to eat more fruits and vegetables.
  • I love that purchasing this box supports my local food network and family run farms.

I could keep going, but the bottom line is that by purchasing a CSA box you are supporting your own family’s health, and the community health. What could be better than that?

For more information on CSAs please refer to following links. They are truly available *everywhere*! My friend in Toronto has started receiving a box each week and even with the winter weather she gets amazing variety. I have researched and found farms that have weekly, monthly, or seasonal boxes for friends and family all over: Boston, San Antonio, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Toronto, Chicago, and more. Try it out – you will like it!

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Recipe: Baby Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese

March 1, 2007 in recipe, salad

This recipe comes via Capay Farms. Every week in my organic CSA box they include some wonderful recipes and ideas for using the bounty of the week. I love spinach salad and the salad dressing below is absolutely perfect. I’ve modified their recipe and customized the salad to suit our meal. It makes extra though so you have an easy second salad ready to go whenever you want it. Read the rest of this entry →

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