Fun fact about me: I host a farmers market in my dining room. Truly, it is as crazy and fun as it sounds. A group of families in and around my neighborhood get together, place orders for fresh fruit, veggies, meat, eggs, and cheese from farmers in Rutherford County through an online website, and every other Wednesday my kids patiently wait for the refrigerated truck to pull into our driveway and start unloading bushels of farm-fresh goodness.
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| The truck arrives! |
Every week, before we place an order, I send out an email to my friends and let them know what new produce I have seen listed by our farmers and what we might expect to see popping up pretty soon. I also try to send out a recipe idea or two or a link to something I have posted here on my blog. The obvious benefits to this endeavor are farm fresh produce from local farms – not factory farms – produce that hasn’t been riddled with pesticides and meats that haven’t been pumped with antibiotics and hormones. The less obvious benefit for me has been the ability to try out some new vegetables that I might not ever see in a supermarket.
For example: Lucullus Swiss Chard. Ever heard of it? Me neither. I ordered it last week and convinced a friend to split it with me so we could both test it out. It was a leafy green with white stalks that almost looked like celery. Pretty. Tasted just ever so slightly bitter when I taste tested it right out off the truck. I was excited to have it with dinner right away.
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| Add the swiss chard after the onions have been caramelized |
Ingredients:
1/2 lb of swiss chard, rinsed and roughly chopped
1 small or medium onion, thinly sliced
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 dash of butter
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt
Directions:
Saute thinly sliced onions in olive oil and butter until they start to brown. Add garlic and a little bit of salt. Continue to stir until your onions look deliciously ready to eat. Add the swiss chard. Stir to combine the onions and the swiss chard. The swiss chard will wilt and take on a little bit of a darker green color. Add balsamic vinegar. Stir to coat. Remove from heat and serve! Enjoy!
Some notes … Lucullus swiss chard is just one of many types of swiss chard. This one is considered an heirloom variety. Try this recipe with any swiss chard you can find!
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| The second best part of the farmers market at home … the leftover boxes! |
