Questions about organic food in general

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         Q. Chard?

         Q. Kale?

         Q. Artichokes?


Chard?

What is chard?

A green leafy vegetable that is very easy to cook. The leaves and their fleshy stalks are often treated as two different vegetables, but when the stalks are barely an inch wide, the two can be cooked as one vegetable.

How to store?

Keep chard refrigerated in a plastic bag until ready to use, preferably within a few days.

How to use?

The stems are typically braised, while the leaves are used as you would spinach-in soups, as braised greens, with eggs, rice, lentils, and in savory tarts. Large leaves can be stuffed. To prepare the stems, trim the tops and bottoms, then, with a paring knife, peel off the film of skin and tough fibers that covers the surface. Chard trimmings, particularly the stems, make an excellent contribution to vegetable stocks.

Source: Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone, Deborah Madison, Broadway Books; ISBN: 0767900146

What is kale?

A green leafy vegetable that is used most often in soups, especially those with potatoes and beans. The most tender leaves can be torn in small pieces and used in salads The stems are as tough as ropes, so slice the leaves all the way off.

How to store?

Like most other greens, to stay fresh, it is best to refrigerate in a plastic bag.

How to use?

The kale we see most commonly has intensely ruffled leaves that are fairly tough, needing 12 to 15 minutes to cook. Even though it cooks down, kale manages to hold much of its volume. A bunch weighing about a pound yields 1½ to 2 cups cooked. Ornamental kales are more to look at than to eat, although I've sometimes used the most tender leaves, torn in small pieces, in salads.

Good partners for greens: Olives, butter /Saffron, garlic, red pepper flakes, cilantro, basil/ Lemon, red wine vinegar/ Tomatoes, potatoes, chickpeas, pasta, eggs.

Source: Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone, Deborah Madison, Broadway Books; ISBN: 0767900146

Cooking ideas for artichokes

Artichokes can be steamed, fried, braised, sautéed, marinated, stuffed, grilled, and roasted. They make a wonderful contribution to vegetable stews, pastas, and risotto. Cooked hearts can be pureed or added to salads.

Here is the easiest way to cook artichokes:

1. Clip the thorns from the leaves, slice off the top third of the artichoke, and trim the stem so that it can stand upright, removing as little as possible from the base.
2. Now, give them a good rinse, pulling the leaves apart to flush them out,. Rub the cut surfaces with a lemon half.
3. Set the artichokes upside down on a steaming rack over boiling water. Cook until a leaf comes out fairly easily when tugged, 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size. ( If you plan to serve cold artichokes, drop them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking, then let them drain upside down on a kitchen towel in the refrigerator until ready to eat.)
4. Enjoy!

How do you eat them?

1. Pull off each leaf, one by one, dip it into whatever sauce is offered, then slide the leaf between your teeth. ( The meat is the base of the leaf; the finished leaves get tossed in a bowl in the middle of the table.)
2. The best part is next. You’ll see a cone of violet-tipped, thin, pale leaves in the center. Pull this off and discard it. Underneath is a fuzzy mat called the choke; slice it off with your knife.
3. The part that is left is the heart of the artichoke.
4. Yum!

Source: Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone, Deborah Madison, Broadway Books; ISBN: 0767900146