Ricotta &Chard-Stuffed Cannelloni
Skip some steps by substituting manicotti or large shells for the rolled lasagna noodles. Make a batch to freeze for those winter nights when you are pining for the greens in your CSA share!
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
3/4 lb. chard, stems and leaves chopped separately
2 15-ounce containers ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving
3 1/4 cups prepared tomato sauce
12 lasagna noodles, cooked
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and chopped chard stems; sauté until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add chard leaves; toss until wilted and almost tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to large bowl; cool 10 minutes. Mix in ricotta and 1 cup Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Spread 3/4 cup sauce over bottom of 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Place 1 lasagna noodle on work surface. Spread 1/3 cup filling over noodle. Starting at 1 short side, roll up noodle jelly roll style. Place filled noodle, seam side down, in prepared dish. Repeat filling and rolling remaining lasagna noodles.
Arrange stuffed pasta in dish. Pour remaining sauce over pasta.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cover dish loosely with foil. Bake until heated through, about 45 minutes. Let stand uncovered 10 minutes. Serve with Parmesan cheese. Makes 6 Servings.
Bon Appétit, July 1997, www.epicurious.com
Pumpkin-Quark Pie
This recipe is Katy’s adaptation of the classic pumpkin pie recipe from “Joy of Cooking”. Katy also notes that she usually uses a good sprinkle more of each spice called for in the recipe and, more importantly, that “pumpkin pies and farmers seem to always appreciate whipped cream”. Something to remember the next time you invite a farmer over for dessert!
Pumpkin Pie
2 cups baked pumpkin (see below)
2 cups yogurt or quark
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
2 slightly beaten eggs
unbaked pie shell (regular 9-inch pie pan)
Mix everything in a big bowl until well blended. Pour the mixture into the pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, until an inserted knife comes out clean.
Baking a Pumpkin
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut pumpkin in half and remove seeds and strings. If you like roasted pumpkin seeds, save seeds to roast in another baking pan, maybe with a dash of tamari,.
Bake pumpkin, each half face down on baking pan. Bake until pumpkin is soft, about 40 minutes. Scoop out soft pumpkin from the shell.
Seared Rainbow Chard With Leeks
Preparing Chard doesn’t get much easier than this! A squeeze of lemon before serving will brighten the flavors, or try mixing in some cooked bacon, pancetta, or smoked ham and finish with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
2 (1-lb) bunches rainbow chard
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large leeks (white and pale green parts only
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Halve leeks lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut stems from chard (if leaves are large, cut out coarse portions of rib), then cut stems crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Stack chard leaves and roll into cylinders. Cut cylinders crosswise to make 1-inch-thick strips of leaves.
Heat butter and oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté chard stems and leeks with sea salt and pepper to taste, stirring occasionally, until slightly soft, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add chard leaves and continue to sauté, stirring
frequently, until wilted. (If greens begin to brown before they
wilt, sprinkle with a few drops of water.)
Makes 8 servings. from Gourmet, August 2000,
www.epicurious.com