wet spring weather

This has been the coolest, wettest spring I can remember! Hopefully the local crops won't suffer too badly.
Ryan's lunch: snap peas; peanuts; carrots; blueberries & strawberries; Italian pasta salad.

I try not to get stuck in a rut
with certain foods. We get
a big bunch of swiss chard
pretty much every week from
June to October. So I force
myself to try new things...

Baked Cheezy Chard

1 large bunch swiss chard
(about a dozen big leaves)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper or to taste
1 cup bread crumbs (I use
whole wheat panko variety)
2 T + 2 T margarine (I use
Earth Balance buttery sticks)
3 T flour
2 cups plain almond milk
1/4 cup soy parmesan
1/4 cup grated soy cheese (I like monterey jack or mozzarella)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Wash swiss chard and remove stems. Chop. Place in oiled baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
In a bowl, mix 2 T softened margarine with the breadcrumbs.
In a small saucepan, melt the other 2 T margarine. Add flour. Stir with fork for a minute or two or low-med heat. Remove from heat, add almond milk, mix. Return pan to stove, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the cheeses.
Pour sauce over swiss chard carefully. Top with breadcrumb mixture. Sprinkle garlic powder on top.
Bake at 450 for 25-30 minutes.
Goes great with roasted or stuffed tomatoes, or a pasta with red sauce.

In the yard after dinner...































































AJ was determined not to get his picture taken...so he was constantly in motion!

Cookbook Review: Gourmet's Fresh

I think it's strange that the first cookbook I choose to review isn't even vegetarian! But during the local CSA and farmer's market season, I find myself using it all the time. Gourmet's Fresh: From the Farmer's Market to Your Kitchen Table was published almost 9 years ago, but I find I use it even more than our own CSA's recipe collection when it comes to finding recipes for unique local ingredients.
The recipes are organized in 4 segments, 1 for each season. Since I live in New England, even though it is technically summer, I am still using recipes mostly from the Spring section. There are wonderful (and easily vegan-izable) recipes for asparagus, peas & pea shoots, strawberries, rhubarb, radishes, young asian cabbages, mushrooms, spring herbs, and even one for purslane (commonly thought of as a weed that typical grows like crazy in between rows of vegetables).
Summer obviously concentrates heavily on tomato dishes, along with basil, zucchini, peppers, eggplant, green beans, corn, melons, cherries, peaches & plums.
Fall features the typical apples & squash, potatoes, cranberries, pears, nuts, & onions.
Winter includes heartier fare like soups & chowders, sweet potatoes and other root vegetables, conserves & cakes, & cool weather greens.
Each section ends with a good assortment of drinks and desserts, and there are menu suggestions for assembling multi-course meals.
Chances are your local state agriculture website has a comprehensive list of farmer's markets in your area. Here are the Massachusetts listings. And here is a list of CSAs and similar farms in the United States. Both farmer's markets and CSAs/food coops are great ways to reduce your carbon footprint and purchase locally grown foods.

Restaurant Review: Big Fresh

Big Fresh Cafe - Framingham, MA

It may not look like
much on the outside,
but in my opinion this
is the best restaurant
in our town. What
better way to kick off
what I hope will be some
mouth watering restaurant
reviews.

Located in a strip mall, across the street from McDonald's and Bugaboo Creek steakhouse, near Walmart and route 9, is this fabulous restaurant that strives to bring wholesome local New England grown foods to its customers.

The menu is delicious, with falafel wraps, asian curry dishes and stir-fries, salads and sides of locally grown vegetables. In the foyer is a bulletin board that often changes, highlighting different local farms. And in addition to daily specials, there is a blackboard telling what local ingredients are available and which farm they came from.

The New England growing
season isn't as long as in
other areas of the country,
but last week in May the
first local produce had
arrived--spring asparagus!
Later in the season this
board will be crammed with
a list of local food items.

Another thing I love about this restaurant is the open kitchen--you can watch your food being prepared, and during slower hours socialize with the staff. However, at 1pm on a tuesday, the place was packed with a line of people waiting to place lunch orders.

I was craving a falafel
hummus wrap, my usual.
My husband often orders
something different, but
ends up stealing some of
mine for a few tastes, so
this visit we ordered
the same thing. Delish!

Check out the Big Fresh website for their menu, catering menu, or to learn about the restaurant's various community connections.
Or stop in for a healthy lunch or dinner before heading out with your date to the Framingham 16 cinema, Shopper's World, or Natick Collection mall.