I have a confession: I’ve always been a little wary of chard.  Maybe it’s because it looks sort of like a kind of weed that used to grow in my yard when I was a child.  Even the Rainbow or Bright Lights variety, that’s all shot with shades of red and orange, puts me on my defenses.

When our CSA box last included a bundle of the Bright Lights variety of chard, I felt I had to at least try it.  After all, wasn’t that part of the reason we got the CSA?  To be surprised, and encouraged to try the new things that might be presented to us?  All right, chard it was.

Fortunately about the same time I got an amazing cookbook.  If you don’t already have it, you should stop reading right now, run to the bookstore (or library) and get yourself a copy of “Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America’s Farmers’ Markets” by Deborah Madison.  I’ve long been a fan of Ms. Madison; her “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone” is an outstanding source of unique and delicious vegetable recipes, even if you’re not a vegetarian.  This cookbook, although not as big nor as all-encompasing, trumps even that one in terms of it’s outstanding recipes.  Ms. Madison visited farmers’ markets all over the country and put together recipes and meals from what she found.  A number of the menus are vegetarian, but there’s nothing that says you couldn’t grill a steak or roast a chicken to go along with these dishes.

And that’s exactly what we did.  I made the Bright Lights Chard Gratin and we had grilled New York Strip steaks with it.  I was completely won over.

The recipe head note suggests that this gratin could be made with all chard, or a mixture of chard and other greens.  As it happened, I only had about a quarter of the amount of chard the recipe called for, but I did have a sack of spinach greens from the same box.  Since the recipe portion is for 6 as a side, I halved the whole thing, and wound up using 8 ounces of chard (one decent sized bunch) and 8 ounces of spinach, for a total of a pound of greens. 

The result surpassed my expectations.  The greens get satueed and cooked in a creamy white sauce with goat cheese (hey, what isn’t better with cheese?) and topped with a crumb mixture that crisps up beautifully in the oven.  It comes out bubbly and absolutely delicious.  I can’t wait until this week to see if we get any more chard.  I’m completely hooked!

Bright Lights Chard Gratin

from “Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America’s Farmers’ Markets” by Deborah Madison

serves 4 as a main dish; 6 as a side dish

• 2 pounds chard, including half the stems (or an equal amount of greens, such as spinach, nettles or sorrel)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• sea salt, and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons chopped dill or parsley
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 cup milk, cream, or a mixture of cream and stock
• 1 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and lightly oil a 2-quart gratin dish. 

Separate the leaves and chard stems.  Wash the leaves well, then coarsely chop them.  Trim the ragged edges off the stems, wash them well, and dice them into small pieces.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a wide skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and chard stems and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has begun to brown, about 20 minutes. (Note: I found this took about 5-7 minutes, not 20; maybe my heat was higher.  In any event, it shouldn’t be left unattended, because you may find this goes faster than the original recipe says it will.)  Add the chard leaves (and any other greens you may be using), sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt, and cook until they’re wilted and tender, about 10 minutes (interestingly, this was about the correct amount of time).

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet and add the bread crumbs, garlic and dill or parsley.  Cook, stirring for about a minute, then scrape the crumbs into a bowl and return the pan to the heat.

Melt the last tablespoon of butter, stir in the flour, then whisk in the milk (I used plain old 2%).  Simmer for 5 minutes, season with 1/2 teaspoons salt, and add to the chard mixture.  Add the cheese, then taste the mixture, correct for salt, and season with pepper. (Note: I actually added the goat cheese to the white sauce in the pan and whisked it until the cheese was melted, then poured it over the chard mixture.  This was successful also.)

Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and cover with the bread crumbs.  Bake until heated through and golden on the surface, about 25 minutes.  (The sauce will also be bubbling a bit.) Let settle a few minutes before serving.

Eat, and vow to make again as soon as humanly possible!

I’m getting lots of nice herbs, and some garlic shoots (which make a teriffic cream soup, if you stumble across them at your local farmer’s market), and bok choy.  Big bok choy.  Bok choy that looks like it’s plotting to overthrow a government somewhere.  I’m afraid to have two or more of them in my canvas bag together for fear they’ll organize a coup.  Big.

So what, I thought, do I do with these things?  I’ve certainly cooked with bok choy before, but it was the smaller “baby” ones that I used.  You know, cute and friendly-looking.  To my relief, what I found in separating and cleaning them was that the growth pattern of the plant is such that the baby ones actually grow as offshoots to the huge ones.  In fact, that’s why they’re so menacing-looking; there are actually a couple of baby ones under the outer leaves of the largest plants.  I was getting a two-for-one deal of sorts; one or two babies along with the bigger one.

With newfound courage, I began combing my cookbooks for my favorite ways of cooking bok choy.  I find it’s a vegetable that’s commonly called for in Australian recipes.  I am a devoted fan of Donna Hay, and often her recipes recommend that such-and-such be served with steamed bok choy.  Thus I turned to her book Off the Shelf: Cooking from the Pantry to see what I could come up with.  I apologize for not having pictures of the completed dish, but trust me, this recipe for bok choy will make you a fan of it, and it takes all of ten minutes to whip up.

Greens in Oyster Sauce

Steam halved bok choy over boiling water until tender.  Place 2 teaspoons sesame oil in a hot wok with 2 tablespoons of shredded ginger and cook for 1 minute.  Add 1/3 cup oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 1/3 cup Chinese rice wine and simmer until thick.  Place greens on serving plates and spoon sauce over top.

photo of not-as-scary-as-it-looks bok choy by themodernapron.

For seafood, check out the The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s independent online guide to sustainable seafood called FishWatch. It lists information on the 50 most commonly harvested and farmed species eaten in the US, and includes facts about mercury levels, recipes, and frequently asked questions about the fish we buy and how it’s raised.

The Animal Welfare Institute is launching an Animal Welfare Approved program.  Farms will be able to earn a certification that is provided free of charge to eligible growers.  The reviewers are veterinarians, farmers, and animal behavior specialists.  The website at AnimalWelfareApproved.org is currently under construction, but it promises to be an excellent resource for information, and assurance that the animals we consume were treated humanely.

Thanks to Gavin and Lauren for bringing these two great sites to our attention!

Thus far the USDA has no certification program in place for seafood, so finding “green” seafood can be a challenge.  There are a couple of labels to look for, and some sources of information that can be helpful in this search.  The Marine Stewardship Council certifies fisheries and fish farms using three principals: condition of the fish stock to ensure that the fishery is sustainable, impact to the marine environment to measure the effect that fishing has on the immediate marine environment (including non-target fish species and marine mammals and sea birds), and the fishery management system, evaluating the rules and procedures in place and how they are implemented.  The MSC is a nonprofit organization based in London, with offices around the world.  Fish from MSC-certified fisheries carry a seal of certification.

For detailed information on which species of fish are best, the Blue Ocean Institute provides a Guide to Ocean-Friendly Seafood that give a red/yellow/green rating (green fish are good to eat, red and yellow should be avoided).  The rating is based on a number of criteria relating to sustainability, for both wild and farmed species.  The Monterey Bay Aquarium provides advice on which species of fish are best in their Seafood Watch program.  They include free printable pocket guides for immediate reference while shopping or ordering at a restaurant.

The issue also touches on produce, and the meanings behind some of the current buzzwords.  Local, for example, just means “nearby” and the definition of “nearby” can be fairly broad.  There’s no regulation for this label, and growers and retailers can use it at will.  There are some state labels in use, and each carries its own set of guidelines.  Locally grown food is often riper and fresher, since it doesn’t have to travel as far, which may also be good for the environment, cutting back on the use of fossil fuels in transporting the food. 

Produce that is USDA Certified Organic must be grown to meet USDA standards, which mandate that they not be treated with pesticides or herbicides, that genetically modified seed not be used, and farmers must conserve soil quality, among others.  The certification process is expensive, so there may be small farms in your area that are organic, but can’t afford to make it “official.”  Produce that is Certified Biodynamic moves past organic and ensures that the farm is a self-sustaining system, incorporating crops and livestock.  The independent Demeter Association is the certifying organization.  For sources of fresh, local produce in your area, check out the Community Sponsored Agriculture program.

When it comes to meat and poultry, there are there primary designations.  Grass-fed and –finished (which applies to beef, lamb, and bison), Certified Organic (which can apply to beef, lamb, bison, pork, and poultry), and Certified Humane (for beef, lamb, pork, and poultry).  Grass-fed and –finished means that the animals eat nothing but their mother’s milk and grass or hay until they’re sent to slaughter.  There are some cattle that are “partially grass-fed” and these are usually grain finished.  For more information, including sources of grass-fed and –finished beef, you can go to the website of the  American Grassfed Association.  Certified Organic is again a USDA-regulated designation.  The animals receive no antibiotics or hormones, are fed an all vegetarian diet that is certified organic, and must have access to pastureland and room for exercise.  Grazing must be managed in a way that doesn’t degrade the land.  Certified Humane animals are guaranteed to have been raised under humane conditions, without cages, or tie-downs in stalls.  Certified Humane producers are audited by third-party groups.

Once you have the various labels down, you can choose what make the most sense for your budget and lifestlye.  Generally the more closely regulated the food source, the higher the prices.  However, I know that I’ve decided, after reading about the beef labels, that I’m going to try to find a grass-fed and -finshed supplier in my area, and when it’s not possible to get beef from them, I’ll look for USDA-certified organic.  It may mean we eat beef less often, since it will likely be more expensive, but the quality of the beef (and of the lives of the cattle who provided it) will be greater, and that’s something that matters to me.

One thing my husband and I have been searching for in our new home is someone who sells whole sides of beef.  I think we’ve found someone, which is excellent news.  Beef from cattle raised on small farms is at least an order of magnitude better than what the grocery store carries, even those with specialty labels (organic, etc).

After my son was born and I returned to work, I got very friendly with the woman who had been hired to cover for me on my maternity leave.  She lived in Loudon County, VA, and she and her mother raised beef cattle.  They sold it by the side for about $2 a pound.  On a whim, we decided to buy a side.  We acquired a quarter sized chest freezer, and placed our order.  Around mid-February, my husband drove to the butcher shop in Maryland where the cutting had been done and picked up about six big boxes of beef. 

It took us a year to work our way through the whole side, but it was happy work.  This was by far the best beef I had ever had.  The meat itself had an almost nutty flavor, and the fat was sweet and melting.  We were terribly sad when we moved and could no longer get our beef.  I even explored the possibility of having it packed in dry ice and overnighted to us.  Unfortunately, this would add so much to the cost of the meat that it wouldn’t be worth it.  It’s pricey to overnight 200+ pounds of meat.

So, as I say, I’m thrilled that I may have found a supplier near my new home.  For those who may have been curious about buying a whole side of beef, but have been a little shy, here are some guidelines based on my own experience.  I don’t claim to be an expert by any means; these are just some aspects of the purchase that are probably not familiar to anyone who normally buys their steak on a Styrofoam tray wrapped in plastic.

• Finding someone who sells whole sides may seem a little daunting.  After all, we don’t all go on maternity leave and hire a contractor to replace us who happens to raise beef cattle as a hobby.  However, if you ask around at farmer’s markets, or in the Community Supported Agriculture community, you’ll often find a source, or someone who knows one.  Here’s a link to Local Harvest’s CSA page, as a starting point.  There’s also a website called eatwild.com that can point you to local suppliers of grass fed beef.
• Once you find your source, ask if you can pay a visit to the farm.  Obviously if you’re squeamish about this idea, skip it, but it’s nice to see the way the cattle are raised.  It’s kind of hard to describe what happy cows look like, but when you see them, you’ll know them.  My friend used to say, “If beef from happy cattle tastes good, this is the best-tasting beef in Loudon County, because these are the happiest cows in Loudon County.”  She was right.
• Don’t be put off by the lack of an “organic” certification.  My friend explained to me the very lengthy and expensive process for obtaining an organic certification from the government.  For most small farmers, the associated costs are prohibitive.  They would have to charge a fortune for their beef.  Of course, you want to ensure that the feed they’re getting doesn’t contain any animal products. 
• Once you sign up, you may be asked for “cutting instructions,” or there may be a standard that they use, and any deviation from it may be at an additional charge. There may be a form to fill out, or you may just be asked questions over the phone or in email. If you’re not familiar with what comes from where on a steer, here’s a fun puzzle that will teach you.  When you put the right cut in the right location, text pops up telling you what cuts come from that area.
• You pay what’s called the “hang weight.”  That is, the price per pound is calculated on the weight of the animal at slaughter, prior to the actual butchering process (although the offal is removed, and so is the head).  Once the meat “hangs” (usually for about 14 days) it shrinks somewhat. 
• Most butcher shops will take all the leftover meat scraps and grind them for you.  The first time we got 60 pounds of ground beef.  Sixty pounds!  My friend who raised the cattle herself used to serve chili at every single party, regardless of the event.  Just be aware that this is not your grocery store 97% lean ground beef.  Usually it’s pretty fatty stuff, but I must say, it’s absolutely wonderful.
• Many butchers will throw in things like bones (for those who like marrow, want to make stock, or want to give them to the dog) either for free or for a very reduced price.  You usually just have to let them know that you want them.
• Generally you get a phone call or email when your order is ready, and you have to go to the butcher shop and pick it up.  Be prepared: most butcher shops are not right downtown; you may have to do some driving to get your beef, but it is well, well worth every mile for the incredible taste, and the knowledge that you’re supporting a local farmer.

Picture from Freefoto.com

The land our house is built on was once a strawberry farm, but the farm ceased production in the early 1960s, so the soil has been grown over with grasses and blackberry brambles almost ever since.  I know we’re going to need to amend the soil with some good compost before we start planting. 

Around Christmas I ordered a little compost pail to put on our kitchen counter to collect vegetable scraps.  Because we hadn’t actually started our compost pile, we needed some way to contain all the scraps we were generating.  I stumbled on these compostable biodegradable bags, and I’ve never looked back.

These bags fit into my little pail and hold up to 10 liters (about 2 and a half gallons).  They come in a roll of 100 and when they’re full, I just pull them out of the pail, tie them up, and toss them into a special container in our garage.  The pail just needs a quick rinse, a new liner, and we’re ready to go again.