Author: Lyndie

Categories
Pasta

Ricotta and Chard Cannelloni — Chopping Block Report

Ricotta and Red Chard Cannelloni was on the chopping block on Saturday.  As I started to follow the recipe, it quickly became clear that we were going to part ways.  The original recipe called for twice as much ricotta and half as much chard as I thought was reasonable.  And I really wanted to bring walnuts and bacon into the recipe via a topping to please the carnivore(s) in the house.

So, my version packs a lot more veggies, and offers a smoky crunchy topping of crumbled bacon and walnuts to offer some contrast of textures.  The result, Ricotta and Chard Cannelloni with Walnut Cream Sauce, is something I’ll make again.  This was a great way to use chard, and it was a nice departure from pasta with tomato-based sauces.

Categories
Veggies Starring as....Themselves

Stir Frying Fall Flavors

As much as I like to try new cuisines and new recipes, I tend to be boxed in by some “purist” thinking when it comes to combining flavors within a single recipe or meal.  For example, when my sister recently raved about a recipe for ginger risotto balls, I had a difficult time wrapping my mind around an Asian flavor like ginger in a classic Italian streetfood.

So, tonight’s dinner represented a big step for me.  I passed by some of the usual suspects when considering veggies to stir fry as a side for our orange chicken and cardamom rice, and julienned some cabbage and sweet potatoes.  The resulting Cabbage and Sweet Potato Stir Fry was pretty (sorry, no pictures!), nutritious, and it really showcased some of our seasonal produce at its best.

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Uncategorized

Carpe Diem … and Stone Fruits!

  

When I talk or write about cooking, I emphasize the value of my kitchen game plans for helping me get a healthy dinner on the table quickly after a day of work.  However, there are some things that just can’t be planned, and that’s what crossed my mind this afternoon at my local farm stand. I was wrapping up my shopping, when I saw it from across the aisle.  

Each Box  $1.00  

  

Now, most of the boxes on the table adorned with this sign were: (a) quite small; and (b) full of vegetables that…well, let’s be honest…were approaching the “limp noodle” stage of life.  But one box stood out.  It was a flat box used for shipping tomatoes, about the size of a case of beer, and it was full of stone fruits — peaches, nectarines, and plums.  I could see that several were bruised, but many of them just looked a little miffed that they were being passed over for a centerfold in Farm Stand Quarterly.  

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