The Delights of the Season Roll On In

Greetings Eaters!
The beautiful bounty of our fertile local continues to gain momentum this spring. Two of my favorites make their way onto the menu this week: Japanese Turnips and Bright Lights Chard.

The turnips are small to medium in size and snow white in color. They are one of the best edibles to be pulled directly from the earth and popped into your mouth during field work. They are tender and sweet with a subtle sharpness and overall are a very approachable turnip. Look for them next week and again in the fall as they are a premier roasted vegetable. Cut off their tops and they are excellent keepers, so consider buying some this fall for your crisper drawer and cooking them up at holiday time.

Bright Lights Chard has renovated the image of chard in this country. A vigorous grower these plants are as ornamental as edible. Chard has a mineraly, erthy flavor that is best enjoyed extremely fresh. When cooked this way its natural sweetness comes through complementing its other flavors and making it a distinctive green. It is, of course, extremely nutritious and you should eat as much as you can. I see the results in out healthy little boy every day. During his gestation we ate chard sauteed like spinach, in pastas, in quiches, wilted with eggs over easy for breakfast, in soups, salads, stir fries, and best of all - grilled.

Credit to our dear friend Eric Menzel for teaching us the wonders of grilled greens. The hearty nature of chard particularly suits it well to this treatment and I recommend you try it.
Simply dress the whole leaves with minced garlic, olive oil, and salt. Toss to dress the chard well, but avoid saturating it with oil. Now just lay the leaves onto a hot grill for a few minutes per side. The leaves will char a bit and otherwise wilt similarly to sauteed spinach. Coarsley chop the cooked leaves to facilitate serving and eating. Served alongside other summer, fire cooked treats, the chard is sure to draw interest and fans. For a decadent burger, chop the grilled chard fine and use instead of lettuce, then add some smears of Prairie Fruits Angle Food or Little Bloom cheese!