Raised garden beds – kits and instructions

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collection of colorful vegetables

Category: Ask a Cook

  • Sauteed Swiss chard

    Swiss chard is one of the first bits of bounty we harvest each year, especially when we get a crop started in the fall and nurture it through the winter with floating row cover. Here is our favorite, super-simple recipe.

    Serves 2-3

    Swiss Chard (25 or more leaves)
    1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
    Olive oil
    Kosher salt
    Lemon juice

    Directions

    1. Rinse greens thoroughly.
    2. Stack and roll, then cut into ribbons; leave to drain in colander over bowl for a few minutes.
    3. Over medium heat in lage sauté pan, saute garlic to golden.
    4. Using tongs or oven mitt, add the still-moist chard.
    5. Stir briskly as chard wilts and turns bright green.
    6. Cook for a minute or so, then turn heat off. Add a squeeze of lemon and a scattering of kosher salt.

  • Lemon vinaigrette

    It’s almost time for lettuce to sprout and for snow peas to grow tall enough to clip off a few leading shoots and add them to salad. So as we dream of that first salad, here is the recipe for our family’s go-to dressing.

    Use this basic vinaigrette for lettuce-based salads, to dress lentils or beans or boiled potatoes, or as a marinade. For variety, use vinegars or different oils. Add crumbled dried herbs (thyme is a good one, for starters). Fold in a bit of mayonnaise if you are looking for a creamier version. You won’t need to buy salad dressing again.
     ~ Karla Cook

    Close-up of colorful salad greens with edible flowers

    Makes about ¾ cup dressing

    Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
    8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    1 clove garlic, smashed
    ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
    ½ teaspoon salt
    Freshly ground black pepper

    Directions:

    1. Place ingredients in a one-cup jar with a tight-fitting lid
    Shake to emulsify
    Refrigerate leftovers