“What does a large bunch of green onions mean?” “I don’t know, what does a bunch of chard mean?” Hhmmmm….

It was raining the day I went to go pick up my first batch of produce from the local CSA. I wasn’t even completely sure where I was going, so I was a little nervous. Luckily, it was pretty easy to find my destination. When I arrived and received my batch of produce, I was a little overwhelmed. Most of the food I received were greens in which I had never seen before, little less eaten. The produce I got that day included collard greens, chard, kale, leeks, asparagus, spinach, and also some fresh eggs. I loaded my items into my car thinking “what am I going to do with these vegetables that I have no idea how to prepare?!”

When I got home, I sorted the different vegetables and greens on the kitchen table. I wasn’t exactly sure what green was what and wondered how I would tell the difference. I went online and searched key words like “chard” and looked for pictures. That is how I discovered what I actually had.

After I determined what greens I actually had, I searched for recipes that had those ingredients in them. Many of the recipes called for spices or other ingredients that I did not have, so my options were limited.

While looking at different chard recipes, I found one called Chard in Dijon Mustard Sauce. I had all the ingredients and it didn’t take a lot of time to prepare and cook, so this is the recipe I chose as my first CSA produce cooking attempt!

Week 1, recipe 1: Chard in Dijon Mustard Sauce Ingredients: 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil 1 large bunch of green onions – finely chopped 2 cloves garlic – finely chopped ½ lb mushrooms – sliced 1 bunch of chard – finely shredded 1 tablespoons Dijon Mustard Preparation: Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté the green onions and garlic for 2 minutes (until soften and tender). Add mushrooms and cook 4 to 5 minutes more. Add chard, cover and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, or until chard is tender but still crisp. Mix in mustard and heat for 1 to 2 more minutes. Stir and serve immediately.

I was a bit nervous when I had my finished dish in front of me. All the ingredients did not make as much food as I was expecting, but it didn’t look too bad. I thought it looked pretty good actually! So, I scooped some of the Chard in Dijon Mustard Sauce onto my plate and gave it a taste. Thank goodness! I was happy to find that my dish tasted great. The flavor and texture of the chard was a mixture between lettuce and spinach and the
mushrooms and mustard gave the dish an extra “oomph”. My success with my first dish has given me confidence to try out more new recipes and foods. I’m on my way to becoming a better, more adventurous cook, as well as a healthier consumer!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following snack is something I whipped up quickly on-the-run. I had some bread and a slice of American cheese and I wanted to add a healthy touch. So, that’s where the spinach came in! I have never made this snack before (with spinach) but it is definitely a snack that I will make again someday.

Fun snack #1:
Cheesy Bread and Spinach

Ingredients:
1 slice of bread – any kind
1 American cheese single
1 handful of spinach

Preparation:
Steam spinach in a microwave safe dish with a few tablespoons of water (approx 60 seconds). Drain spinach. Warm cheese single on slice of bread in the microwave for approximately 15 seconds (watch carefully). Place steamed spinach on slice of bread with cheese and fold slice in two for a quick, yummy snack
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This dessert is good, but a bit tangy. It has the consistency of a home-made applesauce and the flavor of rhubarb. It would recommend serving this treat with vanilla ice cream to sweeten it up!

Dessert # 1: Rhubarb Sauce Ingredients: 4 cups chopped rhubarb ½ cup sugar 2 tablespoons water Preparation: Bring water, sugar, and rhubarb to a boil. Turn heat down to low and let simmer for another 10 minutes or until rhubarb is tender and thickened. Enjoy warm or chilled. Tastes great with toast or ice cream!