holiday food
Mary Alice Cooper, MD Classical Homeopathy in Albuquerque since 1992. Specializing in Visceral Manipulation & Lab Analysis. 204 Carlisle Blvd. NE Albuquerque NM 87106 (505)266-6522 info@drmaryalicecooper.com
December 2012 10
FOODS with
spirit Swiss Chard Gratin This recipe from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters is a rich and delicious addition to any holiday table. Serves 4 to 6 3 bunches chard, washed and stemmed (save half the stems) 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs 5 tablespoons butter 1 large onion, diced Salt to taste 4 teaspoons flour 1 cup milk Freshly grated nutmeg Bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil. Thinly slice the reserved chard stems, add them to the water, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the leaves and continue cooking until tender, about 3-4 minutes longer. Drain and allow to cool, then gently squeeze out the excess liquid and coarsely chop. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350째F. Melt a tablespoon of butter and toss in the breadcrumbs until the butter has been absorbed. Spread them out on a small baking sheet. Toast, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. In a medium saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat, then add the onion. Sweat until translucent, about 6 minutes, then
stir in the chard and a couple pinches of salt. Cook for 3 minutes, then sprinkle the flour over the chard and stir well to coat. Add the milk and nutmeg and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes as the mixture thickens. The chard should be just moist, but not overly wet, or else the gratin won't brown properly. Taste and season with salt. Butter a baking dish and spread the chard mixture evenly in the dish. Dot with the remaining butter and top with the breadcrumbs. Bake until golden and bubbling, about 20 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then serve. Citrus and Beet Salad This recipe was taken from the food blog Fork, Knife, Swoon. It combines the delicious winter season flavors of citrus and beets in an amazingly simple, tasty, and colorful salad. Serves 4 4 golden or red beets, washed and trimmed 2 medium Cara Cara navel oranges 3 blood oranges 2 Satsuma tangerines 2 cups baby arugula, loosely packed 1/4 cup fresh chervil (or parsley), roughly chopped 1/2 cup goat cheese, roughly crumbled 1 tablespoons fresh lime juice Extra virgin olive oil Fresh ground black pepper Preheat oven to 400째F. Drizzle beets with olive oil and wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Roast for an hour, until beets can be easily pierced with a fork. Remove from oven and let cool, still wrapped in foil. Meanwhile, cut off the tops and bottoms of oranges. Using a sharp knife, remove peels and white pith. Slice the oranges crosswise into thin slices. Peel the tangerines and separate the segments. Place the tangerine segments and orange slices in a bowl. Juice the remaining orange ends and add to the bowl along with fresh lime juice. When the beets are cool enough to handle, remove the skins and slice the beets crosswise 1/8-inch thick. Arrange the beets, oranges and tangerines on plates, layering to create texture. Top with arugula, chervil and goat cheese. Drizzle with remaining citrus juice and olive oil and season with freshly ground black pepper. Find more recipes and stories at www.fork knifeswood.blogspot.com.