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[klwilliams]

I'm not sure if it's because of the constant rainy weather, or not having my own car, or having a lingering cold, or just not having Chaz around, but for the last ten days or so I've burrowed into my shell and not done anything beyond go to work, watch TV/play WoW, or otherwise goof off. My cold seems to be gone now, though, and I have my car back. I actually went to the grocery store today, to buy some meat to go with the new CSA vegetables. I'm ready for the constant chard to stop coming, but Chaz figured out how to make the salad dressing I like from DishDash, so I'll start eating salads again. (I don't like standard salads that are just a pile of vegetables with goop dropped on it. The DishDash salads are tossed, with an interesting set of tastes that I can now mostly make.) I have a story I need to finish this weekend, that I made some progress on this week and this morning, so that's the major part of my agenda. Dymphna is running around keeping me company, and I bought cookies and chips at the store (yes, I'm ignoring WW too right now). And tomorrow it's supposed to be sunny. I hope that doesn't mean it will snow in Newcastle.

Comments

[deborahjross.livejournal.com]

We could invite you over, but it's been raining so hard, the birds have been swimming in the trees (I stole that line from Tanith Lee--isn't it brilliant?)

[klwilliams.livejournal.com]

And from how the news makes it sound, I'd have to climb mountains of mud to get there.

[branna.livejournal.com]

My solution to too much in the way of chard and beet greens and so on has been soup. That way I can freeze the soup and save it for much later, instead of getting completely sick of chard.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Does chard make nice soup, or does it just make soup?

[deborahjross.livejournal.com]

Don't know about soup, but a great way to prepare chard on a blustery day is to sautee the stems with onion and garlic, then add the chopped leaves to steam, along with balsamic vinegar and a handful of raisins. Dump in kidney beans for a main dish, if you like.

[klwilliams.livejournal.com]

That sounds good.

[branna.livejournal.com]

Well, lately I've been using beet greens, but they are very similar to chard and make very tasty soup. I usually add turkey meatballs, cannellini beans, onions, garlic, etc. and the greens go in last, just long enough for them to wilt.

[klwilliams.livejournal.com]

That sounds good, too.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Mmm, beet greens...

Thanks for this. Karen, you listenin'...?

[branna.livejournal.com]

http://branna.livejournal.com/76963.html

[branna.livejournal.com]

Adding the beet stems with the onion rather than later also works well.

[galeni.livejournal.com]

Chard is what you put in Minestrone, so yes, nice soup.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Heh. Chard isn't what I put in minestrone. But I might try that. Thank you!

[galeni.livejournal.com]

What do you put in? My recipes call for chard or possibly spinach but that's less sharp a taste than chard.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Baby spinach is what I've tended to use: as you say, less sharp than chard. I am now wondering about sharpness, and whether that's a good thing in a minestrone.

[(Anonymous)]

The beans are slightly sweet so having astringent greens works for me. Using spinach would change the flavour to emphasize the other spices/ingredients more, I think. But I think I'll try it next time.

[al-zorra.livejournal.com]

Dymph "running around!"

I'm working also on that salad concept: salad as main dish, rather than a bunch of leaves with some kind of vinegar and oil toss.

It's too bad that we'll be leaving here just at the time this concept would be feasible in terms of cost and availability. In NYC, neither cost nor availability makes sense. Down here, just buying the greens in the supermarket -- they are very, very, very good, because, well they're grown here. In NYC, no matter how expensive and organic and all the rest -- no flavor. Ugh.

Love, C.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Oh - does that mean you're leaving permanently? Or just for the season, as it were?

[al-zorra.livejournal.com]

We received a writing - research fellowship at the college here -- a private, liberal arts, boutique college that specializes in writing about early American history. It's for the academic year, and the academic year is nearly finished, so we're moving back to our permanent home, which is in NYC.

An 18th century house, the Patrick Henry Residence, came as part of the Fellowship writing prize. We'll miss the house a lot! Particularly the kitchen.

Love, C.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Ah, right. Hey-ho.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

It's not quite cold enough to snow. But I did walk out of the house this evening and go "brrr!" and come back in for my nice jacket.

[klwilliams.livejournal.com]

I'm glad there's no snow. While I know March is still early enough for snow (where I grew up we had snow frequently in May and on at least one occasion June), I hope the rest of your spring is warm and sunny.

[darcyjavanne.livejournal.com]

Chard... Do you have a local friend with guinea pigs? If so, guineas love chard. ;)

[evilviscountess.livejournal.com]

Make chard chips in your oven, do them just like the Kale ones. They are tasty!