Eat Fresh, Eat Local
We pride ourselves in investing as much as we can into our local economy: that means farmers, makers, artists, holistic health care, etc. We know that every dollar we spend locally makes our community stronger! So, we have been members of Community Sustained Agriculture (CSA) for the last decade. (Basically, as long as we’ve been buying our own groceries!) For the last year, co-founder Carissa has also worked at Brix Bounty Farm in Dartmouth, MA. That job has transitioned to a “work share”. That means, work a shift a week in exchange for veggies. Hooray for bartering and community building!
The upside? We get more fresh veggies than we can possibly eat. The tough part? Sometimes we get more of a certain veggie than we can possibly eat! Queue SWISS CHARD… We don’t discriminate against veggies. We eat ’em all. But to be honest, we’ve got our favorites. And frankly, until recently any Chard was not on that list. Rainbow Chard. Swiss Chard. Red Chard. Green Chard. They just didn’t make my mouth water like Kale or Spinach always has. But necessity is the mother of invention, and a fridge full of Chard got me thinking. Could Fire Cider make this vegetable irresisteble?
Cooking with Fire Cider
Whenever we want a recipe to have a sweet, spicy, herbal tang we turn to Fire Cider. Adding just a splash of Fire Cider to soups, stews, marinades, and dressings is serious magic. It contains all of the flavor and nutrition of its ingredients (including Garlic, Onion, Ginger, Horseradish) in a simple to use form. Usually, we’d turn to Fire Cider to spice up soups. But, springtime calls for new dishes and new culinary adventures! I’ll warn you now, after this Swiss Chard discovery, I (1) lived off Swiss Chard for about a week and (2) went through an 8-ounce bottle of Fire Cider in that time. Oops. There are worse things than an addiction to farm-fresh greens and Fire Cider, right?!
Braised Swiss Chard
You’ll often see recipes for sauteed swiss chard with lemon and garlic. This is a lot like that, but a whole lot more flavorful and simple. So, when you don’t feel up for chopping garlic and juicing lemons, know that Fire Cider has your back! (And has the same kick and tang you’re looking for.)
Ingredients:
Swiss / Rainbow Chard (we grow Bright Lights variety at the farm)
Tahini
Town Farm Tonics Fire Cider
Olive Oil
That’s IT.
Start by heating your pan. Next, chop your Chard, and add it to the hot pan with a splash of water. Then, stir the greens and cover the pan with a lid or plate. You’re essentially steaming your greens. Every so often, stir your Chard and add a bit more water if need be. Within about 5 minutes your Chard should be wilted and soft. Finally, remove your lid and steam off any remaining water.
Now, here comes the fun part! Drizzle in a spoonful of tahini (to taste). Stir quickly so it doesn’t burn! Then, pour your Fire Cider over the greens while you stir the greens. Now your pan will sizzle and smell intoxicatingly delish! Next, take your pan off the heat and drizzle a bit of olive oil over the greens. That’s it! The amounts of each ingredient are up to you. If you like tangy greens, add more Fire Cider. If you want a richer sauce, add more tahini or oil. No need for other spices or even salt! It can’t get healthier or tastier than that. Enjoy! And let us know how your Fire Cider cooking goes in the comments below.