We have been harvesting tons of greens in the garden— chard, kale, sorrel, and spinach. Tons. Kale chips have been a mainstay in my garden snack file for a while; even my picky kid eats them. Looking at my basket filled with another massive round of greens I thought if kale works, why not give Swiss chard a try?

The Swiss chard chips were tasty and satisfied my salty snack craving. Just be sure to store in a totally airtight container so they stay crispy. I highly recommend this recipe for your family, but not so much when you’re entertaining guests because I guarantee you’ll have a green-flecked smile.

Swiss Chard Chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees

1 bushel of kale or Swiss chard (10-12 stalks)

1 tablespoon grape seed oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon sesame seeds (optional)

 

Strip leaves on the stalks of the Swiss chard and tear the larger pieces in half. On a parchment lined cookie sheet, toss ingredients together and bake for 20 minutes. Serve or store in an airtight container for up to two days.

 

Shopping tip: I find parchment sheets pre-cut to fit my cookie sheets on line at the King Arthur Flour.

Since we are rolling into St. Patrick’s Day it seems like the right time to talk cabbage, specifically Brussels sprouts. In warmer climates we are getting ready to harvest our first round of these little guys. In colder climates, it’s the perfect time to plant Brussels sprouts in your garden.

I haven’t always like Brussels sprouts. In my youth, they were from the freezer section, overcooked (sorry, Mom) and really, really…stinky. But growing them in my garden changed my outlook completely. It’s worth it to give them a try, both in your garden and on your plate.

Last week in San Francisco, Brussels sprouts were featured on many of the menus—from battered and fried at Boulevard, to flash fried at Ame and back home, I love to feature them in a salad, like my Raw Brussels Sprout Salad with Blood Orange Dressing or simply roasted with a drizzle of olive oil, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Lunch at Boulevard

Brussels sprouts are ready to harvest when they are 1/2”-1 1/2” in diameter and are firm to the touch. Another bonus to growing your own are the big delicious leaves and crunchy stems. The leaves add an amazing sweetness and crunch to your salads and we munch on the stems for snacks.

My current crop of Brussels sprouts seem to be doing well so far, but I recently stumbled upon some advice in 1001 Hints & Tips for Your Garden that I can’t wait to try out.

Brussels sprouts take up a lot of real estate in your garden, needing a full 24” for each plant. Lettuce and radishes will be happy under planted beneath your Brussels sprouts. You can also under plant herbs, especially mint which will keep those pesky caterpillars away.

Four to six weeks before your desired harvest, lop off the top leaves of the plant.  This will help your produce grow bigger in a uniform way, yielding bigger and prettier sprouts. Just remember not to throw those large leaves away, take them into the kitchen and eat them up!

Alternately, you can remove the lower leaves by snapping them off and a few days prior to harvest to give them a little room to grow. I’m trying this tip right now. I’ll let you know if the “lower snap” or the big “lop off” works best.

Apple season is here.  These muffins are a great way to use ’em if you got ’em. I like Pink Lady or Granny Smith apples best for this recipe — they have a great tanginess and hold up beautifully through the baking process. Last fall, I made these for a class party at my daughters’ school, and they were a huge hit. Now, with school starting up again and apple season in full force, I tuck them in the girls’ lunches as a special treat or a quick breakfast-on-the-run option — they love them! And since they are made with whole-wheat flour and fresh apples, it’s a healthier (and tastier) muffin.

Whole Wheat Mini Apple Muffins

Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Makes 36 mini muffins

 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

2 cups (8 1/4 ounces) King Arthur 100% White Whole Wheat Flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar

3/4 cup dark brown sugar, divided

1 large egg

1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk

2 large apples, peeled, cored, and cut in a small dice

 

Gather all your ingredients on your counter top and measure everything out — this step makes baking so much easier!

 

Next, fill your mini muffin tin with liners (optional) and spray cooking spray (I use grapeseed oil spray) over the entire pan. The spray helps the muffins come out of the liner more easily and not stick to the top of the tin.

 

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside. With your stand mixer or hand mixer, cream the butter and add the granulated sugar and 1/2 cup of the brown sugar. Beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and mix well; stop once to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix in the buttermilk gently. (If you over-mix, the buttermilk will cause the mixture to curdle.) Stir in the dry ingredients and gently fold in the apple chunks.

 

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups (I use a 2 tablespoon sized ice cream scooper), sprinkling the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar on top. Bake for 14–16 minutes, turning midway through the cooking process or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

If you like this recipe, you may want to try my Pink Lady Apple Crisp too.

I love, love, love doughnuts! Did you know it is National Doughnut Day? It wasn’t really on my radar, but my friend, Gina, reminded me of this important day on the culinary calendar and encouraged me to share my recipe.  She remembered I made these deep-fried delights for a bake-off awhile back. Actually, it’s not my recipe, but rather one that I made from the Big Sur Bakery Cookbook. Full disclosure, my doughnuts got beat out by a Leche de Carmel and Monica’s Macaroons…but they still were pretty darn good. I “jam-packed” them with homemade peach marmalade and drizzled them with a zesty glaze. These are delicious, worth the calorie splurge (I made sure to work extra hard in hip hop class today) and are the perfect way to celebrate this day — also a great surprise for breakfast in bed on Father’s Day, too.

Homemade Doughnuts

Makes 1 dozen jelly or glazed doughnuts

1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon active dry yeast

2 ¼ cups bread flour plus extra for dusting

1 ¼ cups plus 1 tablespoon pastry flour

11/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons sugar, plus extra for dusting

1 ½ teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg

5 tablespoons powdered milk

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for coating the bowl

1 egg

Canola oil for frying Doughnut glaze

Doughnut glaze (recipe follows)

 

Place ¼ cup lukewarm water in the bowl of an electric mixer, and sprinkle the yeast over the water. Stir, and then set it aside to activate for 5 minutes.

 

In another bowl, mix together the bread flour, pastry flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, nutmeg, and powdered milk. Add 1 ½ cups of this mixture, ¾ cup cold water, the butter, and the egg to the yeast mixture. Combine in an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook on very low speed for 1 minute. Then, over a 1-minute period, add the remaining flour mixture. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Transfer the dough to a large buttered bowl (large enough to let the dough double in size), cover the bowl loosely with large a plastic bag (a white kitchen garbage bag worked well for me) and refrigerate over night.

 

The next morning, remove the dough from the refrigerator, turn it onto a floured surface, and roll it down until it’s ½ inch thick. If you’re making jelly-filled doughnuts, cut out 12 rounds with a 3 ¼ inch round cookie or biscuit cutter. If you want to make glazed doughnuts, cut the same 12 rounds and then turn them into ring by cutting a hole in the center of each one with a 1 inch cutter. Line a cookie sheet with a linen napkin and dust it generously with flour. Place the doughnuts and their wholes on the prepared cookie sheet. Put the entire sheet in a plastic bag and tie it loosely. Let the doughnuts rise in a warm part of the kitchen until they double in size, about 30 minutes.

 

While the doughnuts are rising, fill a large heavy-bottomed pot with oil about 2 inches deep, and heat it over medium heat until the oil reaches 350 degrees on a deep fry thermometer.

Working in batches, carefully drop the doughnuts, one by one, into the hot oil without overcrowding the pot. Fry until the doughnuts are golden brown, then flip them over and fry the other side – this should take about 4 minutes total. Test for doneness by picking out a sacrificial doughnut and cutting it right in the middle to see if it’s cooked through – this will help you gauge how much more time the doughnuts need. When they’re done, remove the doughnuts with a slotted spoon and place them on a plate lined with paper towels. Continue the process with the rest of the doughnuts and the holes (the holes will fry much faster). Let them sit until they’re cool enough to handle.

 

To make glazed doughnuts, dip the top of each doughnut into the glaze (ingredients and directions below) until half of the doughnut is coated. Shake off the excess. Put the doughnuts, glaze side up, on a cooling rack and let them dry slightly. Then toss the holes in sugar, place them on top of the doughnuts, and serve.

 

To make jelly doughnuts, use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke a hole three quarters of the way into each doughnut. Gently move it around to create a nice-sized cavern for the jam. Put the jam in a pastry bag fitted with a plain decorating tip. Insert the tip into the doughnut and fill it until it feels heavy (yum!!!) Repeat with the rest of the doughnuts. Dip these in the glaze as well.

 

Doughnut Glaze

1½ cups powdered sugar, sifted

3 tablespoons honey

Grated zest of 1 lemon

3 tablespoons whole milk

 

Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl until a smooth glaze is formed. Keep covered until ready to use.

 

Drink: Strong black coffee

Photo by: Blue Caleel

Some meals I prepare with my little girls in mind, for my honey, or a menu dreamed up for a special guest; but this is a dish that is all for me.  This meal for one is tasty, crunchy, healthy and fast to prepare.

I always seem to have these ingredients on hand, and this recipe easily lends itself to substitutions. You can switch the cheese type, add some chicken or turkey, change out the greens or herbs.  I use whatever is in my garden and my fridge that seems to fit.  It’s not a sandwich, it’s not a quesadilla, it’s not a salad, it’s really a combo of all three.

Crunchy Arugula Combo

(Serves 1)

 

1 whole-wheat flour tortilla (I buy Trader Joe’s whole-wheat & corn flour tortillas)

2 slices of jack cheese

1 large handful of arugula

Squeeze of lemon*

Drizzle of olive oil

Squirt of Sriracha sauce (Thai hot sauce)

5-6  thyme leaves

Pinch of sea salt

 

Get your grill pan or cast iron skillet on the stove and heat it on medium heat while you gather the rest of your ingredients. Place your whole-wheat tortilla in the dry hot pan and let it toast there until it begins to bubble. Once it bubbles flip it on the other side. Place the cheese slices on the now warm side and sprinkle the thyme on top. As the cheese melts, in a small bowl toss the arugula with the oil, lemon and salt. Give a gentle squeeze of Sriracha or salsa on the warm cheese. By the time the cheese melts you are ready for the greens. Put the tortilla on a plate and scoop the dressed greens on top of the spicy melted cheese and fold over. Take a seat and dig in – totally yummy and satisfying.

 

*Note: I still have preserved lemons from our Moroccan cooking class, I have been using them in this recipe in place of the lemon juice.