Chilled Swiss Chard & Garlic Scape Soup

This is a twist on the classic French “soupe de laitue”. Greens, onion and just a little bit of potato are sautéed, then simmered with stock or water and then puréed to a silky-smooth consistency. It’s also a cousin to vichyssoise, only made here with approximately three parts greens and only one part potato. I finished the soup with nonfat yogurt. The ratio I like is about two parts vegetable mixture to one part yogurt. While I haven’t tried them myself, you could experiment with a non-dairy nut or oat-based yogurt, if you prefer a vegan soup. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a final dollop of crème fraiche makes for a decadent accent.

Swiss Chard & Thai Chili Summer Rolls
cucumber, carrot, rice noodles, ginger-sesame dipping sauce

This is my farm inspired version of the classic Vietnamese summer roll. I used blanched Swiss chard leaves (stems removed) in place of traditional rice paper wraps. My filling includes tamari-marinated carrot and cucumber, as well as rice noodles blanched and tossed in sesame oil, plus some of the Thai chili dipping sauce spread on the chard before wrapping,

Some of the CSA beets (steamed and shredded) would have been a fine addition to the rolls, but I gifted them to my beet loving dinner guest!

Learn from my mistake! I thought I could get away with not peeling the cucumber and imagined the skin would add extra crunch appeal. Bad idea! The bitterness in the cucumber skin is a deal breaker. 

Grilled Zucchini & Whole Wheat Couscous Tagine
apricot, beet greens, toasted pistachio

The success of this dish calls for boldness. Start by getting a really good char on the zucchini, using a stove top grill pan if you’re cooking indoors. Once grilled on both sides, douse zucchini generously with plenty of lemon juice. For the couscous, sauté spices such as cumin, coriander, fennel and ginger in olive oil. Add the amount of boiling water required for the couscous and then pour it over the grain, along with some chopped dried apricot, and cover. However much seasoning you think is enough – double it! I finished the dish a lemony beet greens dressing, because I had beet greens! First blanch the leaves and toss with plenty of lemon and olive oil. Alternately, fresh coriander and/or parsley will do just fine. 

Pro tip: I really never use store bought spice blends, but happily make an exception for the ones made by my friend Chef Lior Sercarz at La Boite. Here, I used his Marrakesh No. 6