Serves 4

Ingredients

Swiss Chard: 8 large leaves + enough for 4 cups coarsely chopped

 2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium leek, white & pale-green parts only, trimmed, finely chopped & well washed

4 green onions, thinly sliced

Freshly ground pepper

4 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 cup finely grated aged provolone

4 tablespoons ricotta cheese

1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs

Fresh Tomato Sauce (recipe follows)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400˚ Choose 8 chard leaves; set aside. Coarsely chop 4 cups leaves. Bring a large pot of water to boil; add a pinch of
salt. Blanch whole leaves, 1 at a time, until tender & bright green, about 5 seconds. Drain on paper towels.

Melt butter & oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add leeks, green onions, 1 teaspoon salt & 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook about 3 minutes. Add chopped chard & cook until wilted, about another 3 minutes. Put into a bowl. Add pine nuts. When cool stir in rice, cheeses & breadcrumbs. Add more salt & pepper if needed.

Place blanched leaf face down on cutting board. Cut out the thickest part of the stalk, about 1/3 of the way up the leaf. Overlap the cut ends. Spoon 1/3 cup filling about 1/3 of the way up the leaf. Fold bottom of leaf over mixture. Fold in the sides & roll up. Repeat with remaining leaves & filling.

Place rolls in a 9x13 baking dish. Tent with foil. Bake until heated, about 15 minutes. Spoon warm tomato sauce over the top.

Makes about 2-1/2 cups

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 pounds ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preparation

 Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, & cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, salt & pepper. Cook until tomatoes are soft, about 10 minutes. Re-move from heat & let stand 10 minutes. Use as a rustic sauce or blend for a smooth texture.

 Any ripe stone fruit, such as peaches & apricots, can be substituted for or mixed & matched with plums.

Makes 8

Ingredients

8 ripe plums, quartered & pitted

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil or vegetable oil

Vanilla ice cream

Preparation

1. Arrange 4 plum quarters on each of 8 skewers so that cut sides of fruit all face the same direction. Brush cut side of fruit with oil. Place, cut side down, on a medium-hot grill, off direct heat.

2. Grill just until fruit begins to turn golden brown, about 2 minutes. Brush bottoms of fruit with oil. Turn over. Grill until pit cavity fills with juices & fruit is soft, about 5 minutes, depending on ripeness of fruit & heat of grill.

3. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Leeks are a member of the onion family, & can replace them in soups, stews, & sautés. Before using it is essential to clean them well, as dirt can collect between the layers. Trim leeks & dis-card root ends & dark-green parts. Halve leeks lengthwise; thinly slice crosswise. Place in a bowl. Wash leeks in several changes of cold water, swishing to loosen grit. Lift leeks out of water, leaving grit behind.

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 teaspoons olive oil

2 cups sliced leeks

Coarse salt & ground pepper

1 cup cherry tomatoes

6 egg whites

4 egg yolks

4 ounces crumbled goat cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350˚. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sliced leeks; season with salt & pepper. Cover & cook 5 minutes. Stir in cherry tomatoes. Cover; cook 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl.

2. In another bowl, beat egg whites with salt & pepper to stiff peaks. Whisk in egg yolks. 3. Brush skillet with remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add eggs; sprinkle with vegetables & crumbled goat cheese, pushing slightly under surface. Cook over medium heat until sides are dry, 3 minutes. Transfer to oven. Bake 15 to 20 minutes.

Ginger-Curry Butter
Copyright 2008 Kris Wetherbee
Kris provided this recipe for our 2008 “Crazy for Corn” farm event. This flavored butter is good on corn. We’ve also drizzled it over cauliflower & roasted it in the oven.**

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter, softened

 1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon ginger

Mix together all ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended. Serve softened flavored butter with corn.

**To roast cauliflower: Preheat oven to 450˚. Trim & cut cauliflower into small florets. Spread in a roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil (or herbed butter). Season with salt & pepper; toss to combine. Roast, tossing once or twice, until cauliflower is golden brown & tender, 20 to 25 minutes.