A Really Delicious (and Pretty) Swiss Chard Salad

Well, I had a baby at the end of May. I spent weeks just staring at her perfect little face, napping and soaking it up, sustained and nurtured by spectacular meals made and delivered by friends and family. It works like this: you have a baby, and someone, like your sister, calls up all your friends and invites them to prepare you a meal and deliver it on a particular day. That means your baby-admiring visitors come one at a time, and when they do, it's the best thing ever. We ate handmade sushi one night and baked macaroni and cheese with freshly baked bread the next,  followed by stuffed pork chops with grilled vegetables, chicken cacciatore, Thai curry, roasted ham and vegetables.....

There was so much love in that food. I never wanted to cook again. Thankfully. two months later, I'm regaining my passion for the kitchen. It helps to have a weekly box of lovely vegetables delivered to me from my friend Sarah's new farm. Like many gardens in the Valley, hers produces lots of beautiful Swiss Chard.

I love Rainbow chard braised with lots of garlic and caramelized onions, but I'm always a little disappointed that the brilliance of its orange, pale green and red stems fades with cooking. Chard is slightly challenging as a raw salad green when it's mature, which is why the dressing I make for this is extra scrumptious.  It's a big gorgeous salad with lots of extra yummy things that make it just right for your next summer barbecue, or to bring to a new mother. ❤

Pretty Delicious Swiss Chard Salad 

1 bunch rainbow Swiss Chard, washed and cut into ribbons
1/2 cup crumbled Feta
1/4 cup chopped Almonds
1/2 cup slivered Red Onion
A big handful of Raspberries
1/4 cup dried Cranberries

Spread the chard on a large platter and arrange the feta, almonds, red onion, raspberries and cranberries on top.  Drizzle with lots of the dressing just before serving and toss gently.

Dressing:

1/4 cup Maple Syrup
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Grainy Mustard
1 clove Garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
Shake all the ingredients together in a jar with a tight fitting lid.

Cherry Raspberry Crisp

Sixteen years ago, I sat overlooking the Dartmouth harbour and asked myself "What should I do?  Which way to go?"  I had just spent the year before attending college and working on the weekends, and now seven friends of mine were gearing up to head out West.  I really wanted to go.  I totally could not afford it.  I headed back to Pleasant Street, pushing Daniel, my charge, in his wheelchair.  When I arrived at his house, Daniel's mother was waiting.  She wanted to discuss leaving me in charge of both her children for an entire week while she went on vacation.  Since I would be responsible for them 24 hours a day, I would be paid for 24 hours a day.  In a week, I would have more than enough to join my friends.

We left in May, eight kids in two unlikely cars: a 1962 Plymouth Valiant named Hal, and a 1980s Oldsmobile Toronado.  We made our way across the country, stopping whenever we wanted, sleeping in our cars or pitching a tent.  When Jody picked up his guitar somewhere around Port Parry and Rachael sang the opening line of "Pocahontas", the Northern lights spread up through the sky as if by magic.  We  experienced all the seasons as we drove: late spring in Ontario, deep summer heat in Manitoba, winter in Kananaskis.

We made it to Vancouver sometime in early June.  We arrived late at night, with the loose plan of staying with Mari's brother.  He wasn't home.  You don't really want to sleep in your car in Vancouver!  We thought of heading out of the city, but we were so tired.  It was too late to call home to get the phone number of the one person I knew there, so we began walking aimlessly, hoping Mari's brother would get home sooner than later.  As we walked, I saw two people sitting at a bus stop that looked familiar.  It was my friend Amy.  In a city of two million people, I found her.  We offered her and her friend a drive home and she let us stay at her house.

Amy lives in Sweden now, with her lovely husband and a darling baby girl.  Luckily for us, her parents still make their home in Nova Scotia, so we get to see her once a year.  When Amy came over for supper last week, it was a great excuse to do some baking.  I made this Cherry Raspberry Crisp.  You might be aware of my passion for raspberry, but I admit they're a little seedy.  So it's really nice to combine them with other fruits.  I used sour cherries here, which I adore, but you could also use sweet cherries, or blueberries.

Cherry Raspberry Crisp

1 pint Raspberries
1 pint Sour Cherries
2-4 T. White Sugar, depending on how sweet you already are
1 T. Cornstarch
1 C. Rolled Oats
1/2 C. Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 C. Brown Sugar
1/2 t. Baking Powder
1/8 t. Salt
1/4 C. Butter, softened
1/4 C. Milk
1/2 t. Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°.  Combine the berries, white
 sugar and cornstarch in a deep pie dish.  In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Rub the butter in with your fingers until the mixture is crumbly.  Mix the milk and vanilla together and drizzle over the mixture.  Sir until well combined, then drop clumps over the fruit in the pie dish.  Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until juices are bubbling thickly and crisp topping is browned and beautiful. ♥

"only pick the ones that pull easily from the stem!" Grandfather Osburn

Ravishing Rhubarb and Raspberry Pudding Cake

Where oh Where Are You??

I whined last time about the lack of strawberries around these parts.  Truth is, I have had this year's first strawberry shortcake and even made a batch of Rosemary Raisin Pecan Crisps to pair with strawberries and Dragon's Breath Blue Cheese for a special wedding last weekend (oh my god).  However, today was my day off, and I really wanted to bake up a strawberry-rhubarb something (I thought about it all through my morning yoga class) and there was NOT A LOCAL STRAWBERRY TO BE FOUND.  Granted, it was rainy, miserable berry-harvesting weather.  And I certainly wasn't going to go and do anything drastic like pick my own or anything.  So I hauled out a bag of frozen raspberries, sliced up some lovely pink rhubarb, and tweaked a recipe I found in a Canadian Living cookbook (which, good news,  I won this week having stuffed Molly's Brownie fundraiser ballot box with tickets I was forced to purchase because let's face it I suck at fundraising and it's June and I've given up my thin veneer of being a perfectly organized mother and am even sending my kids to school with *gasp* pre-packaged snacks this week and they're lucky they have clean socks to wear even if they don't match).

Although this was not what I had in mind as I down-dogged and tree-posed, I was more than happy with how it turned out.  Raspberries and rhubarb are a wonderful pair (am I the last to find out?),  so much so that I am now planning to freeze some rhubarb for raspberry season!

I don't know about you, but to me there is no sweeter word pairing than "pudding" and "cake".  Unless it's "summer" and "vacation".  Or "strawberry" and "rhubarb".  But that will have to wait.

Raspberry Rhubarb Pudding Cake
(adapted from Canadian Living Everyday Favourites)

Let's talk about flour for a moment, because this originally called for all-purpose and you know me, I can't help but try to sneak in at least some whole wheat.  But whole wheat flours vary widely in texture and this can have some serious repercussions on the lightness of baked goods.  So I recommend a whole wheat flour that has had some of the bran removed, like Speerville Whole White or President's Choice Organic Whole Wheat Flour.

4 C. Frozen Raspberries, thawed (a 600g package will do nicely)
2 C. Thinly Sliced Rhubarb
1/3 C. Sugar plus 1/4 C. Sugar


Cake Part:
1/2 C. Butter, softened
3/4 C. Sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 t. Vanilla
3/4 C. Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 C. All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 t. Baking Powder
Pinch of Salt
1/2 C. Milk

Preheat the oven to 350.  Drain raspberries, reserving juice.  In a buttered 8" square baking pan, combine the drained raspberries, rhubarb and 1/3 C. sugar.  In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until creamy.  Beat in the eggs.  Combine the flours, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and add to butter mixture alternately with the milk starting and ending with the flour mixture.  Scrape evenly over the raspberry-rhubarb mixture.  Bring the reserved juice to a boil with the remaining 1/4 C. sugar and pour this over the batter.  Bake until the cake is firm to the touch, about 50 minutes.  Serve warm, making sure to top each serving with the raspberry rhubarb sauce underneath.

This 1950s KitchenAid Mixer was my grandmother's

Have faith, this looks weird but it's right!

Raspberry Blueberry Shortcakes

Well, raspberry fever continues. We found a u-pick right down the road from us with wonderful, huge berries. I'm not usually a berry picker, but I wanted my kids to experience the torture, and much to my surprise, they had a great time. While their boxes were nearly empty, their faces were smeared with red juice and they had the look of truly satisfied raspberry appreciators. At first I was concerned that they not eat too many, out of respect for the farmer and the fact that we pay for them by the full box, not the full belly. The solution is to guess how much they might have eaten and simply pay for it.
This recipe is so simple, but unbelievably good. If you live in the Valley, the some of the finest cultivated (and Organic!) blueberries are available from Lazy Brook Farm (year round, they freeze them). There are also dozens of blueberry u-picks open right now, and wild blueberries can be found growing all over the place...just look down! Collect your berries, make the Vanilla Cupcakes, whip up a little cream and make this tasty dessert in no time at all:

Raspberry Blueberry Shortcakes for 6

6 Vanilla Cupcakes (or use your favourite scone recipe instead)
1 pint Blueberries
1/4 C. Sugar
1 pint Raspberries
1 C. Whipping Cream
1 t. Vanilla
Sugar to taste

Heat the blueberries and sugar over medium high heat in a saucepan. When they are juicy and bubbling (after about five minutes), remove from the heat. Let cool about ten minutes, then fold in the raspberries. Whip the cream and add the vanilla and sugar to taste. Split the cupcakes, top with half the berries and cream, then replace the tops and spoon on the rest of the berries and cream. ahhhh...

Kale and Swiss Chard

Kale and Swiss Chard are among the most beautiful of vegetables. Sold in enormous bunches, and in a multitude of gorgeous colours, these greens practically jump into your market bag (they do look stylish jauntily peeking out of there). It's only when you get home that you go "uh-oh! What was I thinking, buying this many greens?" Well, if you are crazy healthy like my two good friends named Melissa and Melyssa, you put them in a smoothie and head back the next week for more. However, the rest of us may want to dress it up a little, or at least cook it. Luckily, it's easy.

Greens with Caramelized Onions
1 T. Olive Oil
1 large Onion, sliced or diced
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 bunch Swiss Chard or Kale, chopped (stems are most welcome, but separate them from the leaves and chop them)
Salt and Pepper
Optional: Balsamic Vinegar, Raisins, Dried Cherries, Feta, Parmesan Cheese

Heat your largest pan over medium heat and add the olive oil and onions. Stir and cook for at least ten minutes, until onions have softened and are browned in spots. You may add a little water from time to time if the onions are sticking. Turn the heat to high and stir in the garlic and stems. Saute for a minute. If you're using kale, add the chopped leaves at this point and about 1/4 C. water. Cover and cook for about five minutes, until kale is tender. If using Swiss Chard, the water isn't necessary. Just add the leaves and stir until wilted. In either case, season to taste with salt and pepper. If you like, add a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar, and/or a small amount of any or all of the suggested toppings!


Chicken Penne with Raspberries and Greens

1 batch Greens with Caramelized Onions
1 C. Whipping Cream
1/2 C. Apple Cider (optional, I love Boates)
1 lb. Penne or your favourite pasta, cooked
2 C. cooked chicken, diced or shredded
1 pint Raspberries
Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese and Chopped Parsley

Prepare the greens in your largest pan, then stir in the cream and cider if using. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and let bubble for a minute. Stir in the pasta and chicken. Cover and cook for about five minutes, until sauce has thickened and pasta is nicely coated. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and divide among 6 bowls. Garnish with the raspberries and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and parsley.

Raspberries

I've always been obsessed with raspberries. Raspberry iced tea at the Coffee Merchant when I was a kid, raspberry sorbet (once!) at Chez La Vigne, raspberry tart baked from an old Harrowsmith magazine, raspberry soda on a road trip with my parents to the States. I can't seem to get sick of them. Finally this year, I've planted a little row of them in my garden, but until they can provide the 50 pounds or so a year that I eat, I'll be buying them frozen from Webster's, a farm a few miles from the Cafe that also supplies us with our baking beans. They pack them solid in tubs, which isn't totally convenient, but I'll tell you this: those berries, defrosted carefully, look and taste so much like fresh it's ridiculous.

Strawberries are very nearly done for now, though I look forward to eating more in August when the later-season berries are ripening. I love how, just as they slip away, the pints of raspberries start appearing at little tables and stands. My favourite spot to buy fresh raspberries is at Darlene's in Windermere, where the Grays also grow wine grapes to perfection. These are expertly converted into the luscious Windermere white wine by Jost Winery. Last year, the kids and I stopped there and I spent ten minutes in their driveway madly hunting my car for 3.50 in change (this is a good reason not to clean your car!) and we returned home with our prize.

Just this evening my son and I wandered down our driveway and picked two small handfuls of raspberries from wild canes. A taste was enough for my daughter to get her mind off her missing chicken for a second and smile (the chicken returned a while later). Oh, July! If only we could spread your sweet summer excesses over the entire year. Well, get your freezer bags ready. Nothing freezes quite as well, or is more welcome in January, then a Valley raspberry. Buy a few pints and spread them gently in single layer on a cookie sheet. After a few hours, when they're frozen solid, shake them into a bag. Hide them away. There are plenty of lovely simple ways to enjoy raspberries, like on top of your hot cereal with a good hit of maple syrup, or gently crushed into a Raspberry Shortcake, or with creamy goat cheese and greens. For that one, I suggest the following vinaigrette:

Raspberry Balsamic Dressing

1 clove Garlic
1/2 t. Salt
2 T. minced Red Onion
1 t. Dijon Mustard
1 T. Honey or Maple Syrup (omit if using jam)
a few good grinds of Black Pepper
1 t. dried Oregano
1/2 C. fresh Raspberries or 1/4 C. Raspberry Jam
1/4 C. Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 C. Red Wine Vinegar
3/4 C. Canola or Olive Oil
Combine everything but the oil in a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer to a jar, add the oil, and shake until combined. This dressing will keep for at least 2 weeks, refrigerated and tightly sealed.

If you like your raspberry recipes a little more complex, this should keep you busy! It will also result in a memorable cake, one that you might think about more than you want to.

Lemon Raspberry Cream Cake Serves 16

You can make everything ahead of time and refrigerate, then assemble the next day!

The Cake:

2 C. sugar
4 eggs
1 C. oil
1 C. water
2 ½ C. flour
½ t. salt
2 ¼ t. baking powder
1 t. vanilla

Beat sugar and eggs, than add remaining ingredients and beat for 1 minute. Pour into two 8 or 9 inch greased and floured pans. Bake about 30 minutes at 350, until skewer inserted in middle comes out clean. Remove from pans and cool on a rack.

The Lemon Curd:
3 eggs
1/3 C. sugar
zest of 1 lemon
½ C. lemon juice
6 T. butter
1/2 C. Cream Cheese
Whisk together in saucepan, then cook over medium heat until butter is melted. Continue to whisk until mixture is thickened, then strain. Set aside to cool. Beat cream cheese until smooth, then whisk in the lemon mixture.

The Raspberry Sauce:

2 C. raspberries
1/2 C. sugar
1 T. Lemon Juice
1 T. Cornstarch
Combine in a sauce pan and heat gently until mixture bubbles and thickens. Scrape into a bowl and let cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting

12 oz. Cream Cheese
½ C. butter
1 T. vanilla
3 ½ C. icing sugar
Pulse in processor until creamy.

To Assemble: Split cakes into two layers. Top three of the layers with Raspberry Sauce and Lemon Curd, then stack together. Top with the plain layer. Frost all over with Cream Cheese Frosting.