Not the greatest photo, but you get the idea. Here, 'Bright Lights' (rainbow) and 'Ruby Red' Swiss chard surround my Meyer lemon tree.

With all the rain we had a few weeks ago, my chard just went crazy, so we have been using it a lot. It has found its way, stalks and all, into the veggie juices we make on weekends. I made a white bean and chard soup a couple weeks back that turned out delicious. I also make a simple salad by shredding the leaves finely, then tossing with lemon or lime juice, a splash of soy sauce and a drizzle of olive oil. The stalks are wonderful in their own right, with their crunchy texture and a tangy flavor similar to rhubarb. Inspired by a fabulous braised celery  dish I had at Foreign & Domestic, I peeled the stalks to remove as much of the fibers as possible, then sauteed them with garlic until just translucent and added chicken stock and salt. I braised them until they were almost melted. They were spectacular!

Rainbow chard stalks, ready for braising

The delicious final product

As temperatures rise, the chard is starting to wane so it needs to be picked and eaten soon to make way for more eggplant and chile plants. So last night, I made my favorite chard dish of the year which was inspired by my mom, who loves Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. Talking to her on the phone one day, she told me how she stuffs the leaves with a picadillo of ground lamb and beef mixed with cooked rice and seasoned with garlic, pepper, oregano and thyme, then serves them covered in a tomato sauce. I did a mix of lamb and beef to make it more economic and used brown rice that I had in the pantry for its nutty flavor and firmer texture. For the seasoning I used Zatar, which my friend Rae had brought back from her trip to Israel, and made my basic tomato broth simmered with a few sprigs of fresh mint. They turned out so good that they’ve joined the regular menu rotation. It’s a simple, economic and healthy recipe. Here is a step by step guide:

Take four to six large Swiss chard leaves. Cut off stem and reserve for another use. Cut out the rib from the middle. Blanch the leaves briefly in salted boiling water, drain and let dry a bit.

Make the stuffing by browning a pound of ground meat of your choice with some garlic and chopped onion. Add a cup of cooked rice (or barley, quinoa, couscous, etc.) and season to taste. Place a portion of filling in the center of the leaf, making sure the sides overlap in the middle so the stiffing doesn't fall out.

Fold in sides to cover filling, then carefully roll to seal. Repeat with all leaves and filling. Steam the chard rolls until filling is heated through and leaves are tender, about 8 minutes on the electric steamer.

Make the tomato broth by blending tomatoes (canned ok) with onion and garlic. Add a little oil to a heavy pan and fry the puree until it changes color and reduces a bit. Add salt and pepper to taste and a sprig or two of fresh mint or cilantro. Add water to thin it out to desired texture and bring to a boil. Simmer until well seasoned.

Serve the rolls drenched in the tomato broth.

This is a very appropriate wine to serve with them. Enjoy!

Artichokes are very sculptural plants that add lots of visual appeal in the garden.

I had never grown artichokes before, so the whole process was new this year. Even though I planted last year, the plant never reached maturity until this spring. It grew huge and beautiful, and at one point there were 12 artichokes on it!

I was eager to try new recipes with them, inspired by a Facebook posting from my friend and fellow writer Kristi Willis from Kristi’s Farm to Table, in which she asked what are the most intimidating vegetables. I was determined to not be intimidated by artichokes any longer, especially having so many to experiment with  instead of having to pay $3.50 a piece at the store. I had a couple of recipes from Lidia Bastianich, including one for a thinly sliced, raw artichoke salad that intrigued me. Unfortunately, I tended to harvest them too late, once they were too big and tough to eat. Next year I’ll be more vigilant to harvest when they are small and tender. This summer I also planted  an Italian purple variety that I am excited to see grow next season!

This one here was almost perfect:

Beautiful Green Globe artichoke!

But I decided that rather than experiment, I would go for a sure bet. I steamed it in the electric steamer for about 10 minutes, then served it like my mom does, with herb vinaigrette for dipping.  I also drew some butter at Will’s request:

Steamed until tender, we ate this beauty as an appetizer with herb vinaigrette and drawn butter for dipping.

I also steamed the last few of the season, but actually processed the. I discarded all leaves, quartered the hearts and tossed them in a salad with the last of our garden lettuce and spinach and a lemon vinaigrette.

The ones that got too big before I could harvest were left alone to do their thing, which I love. Artichoke blooms have got to be amongst the most interesting in the garden! Thy have a certain alien quality to them, don’t they?

Here is a good example of the before and after.

Here is a close-up of the bloom. Outstanding, isn't it?

Tortitas de coliflor are a simple but delicious classic of Mexican homecooking.

Tortitas, meaning patties or fritters, can be made with a number of veggies, and are a popular alternative to meat dishes during Lent or when the budget is lean.  Tortitas are a staple of the frugal Mexican kitchen. They are usually served swimming in a thin sauce or broth. Check out this recipe for another tortita alternative with Prehispanic Central Mexican roots.

For this recipe, the cauliflower is usually boiled, but yesterday was hot and humid and I didn’t want the stove on for long so I steamed it in my electric steamer, then chopped it into small pieces. You will recognize the batter technique, known in Mexico as rebozar, if you’ve ever eaten a chile relleno in a restaurant. In Mexico, this egg batter is used not only for chile rellenos but for a variety of vegetables like calabacitas, and it is commonly used for frying fish fillets.

Tortitas de coliflor

1 cauliflower, cut into small florets
1/2 cup flour
3 eggs
Vegetable oil for frying, as needed

For the tomato broth:
2 cups chopped tomatoes (fresh is best but canned will do)
1/4 medium white onion, roughly chopped
2-3 garlic cloves
1 chile serrano or chipotle in adobo (optional)
Salt to taste
2 cups water or vegetable broth

Cook the cauliflower until fork tender, either boiling or steaming. Meanwhile, separate eggs and beat whites to small peaks; add the yolks carefully, just folding in rather than beating. Place cauliflower bits in a large bowl and toss with flour to coat completely. Pour beaten eggs over it and gently toss to cover completely.

Add the mixture by the spoonful to the hot oil and fry until golden on both sides.

Heat oil in a frying pan and drop large spoonfuls of the cauliflower mixture. Fry until it starts to brown, then turn over and fry until golden brown  on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

Prepare the basic tomato broth: blend the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and chile in the blender. Add salt to taste. Fry with a tablespoon of oil in a heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally, until it reduces a bit and is well seasoned. Add the water, lower the heat and simmer on low. Place the tortitas in the hot tomato broth and simmer for a few minutes so they absorb some broth and remain heated through.

Drain tortitas on paper towels before adding to the broth

These are awesome served with a basic Mexican white rice:

1 cup white rice
2 cloves garlic, sliced in half
1/4 withe onion, thick sliced
1 T vegetable oil
2 cups water or broth (chicken or veggie)
Salt to taste
1 sprig cilantro or Italian parsley, optional
1/2 c frozen peas and carrots, optional

Rinse the rice under cold running water until rinse water comes out clear; drain well. Heat oil in a saucepan with a lid and fry onion and garlic until fragrant and translucent. Add rice and fry, stirring, until rice becomes opaque. Add broth and salt and bring to a boil; lower heat to low, cover, and cook for about 1o minutes. Before it dries completely, add cilantro or parsley sprig and peas and carrots, if using. Cover and cook 5 more minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

What to drink? How about an inexpensive rose vinho verde, to continue the frugal theme!

Swiss chard, red and green kale, all doing wonderfully right now!

Austin weather…what can we say? One day it’s 75 degrees and sunny, the next it’s snowing. The plants are so confused, and gardeners start getting spring fevered a bit too early. Last weekend at the Natural Gardener I saw people buying tomato seedlings! Me, I am patient. My tomatoes never go in the ground until at least St. Patrick’s Day. But Valentine’s Day is another story: it’s the day when I plant potatoes.

After my failed container experiment of last year, I saved a large section of garden to plant four varieties I found at Natural Gardener that weekend. I have previously grown Red Pontiac with success, so I planted that again. But I also wanted some new things, so I got Desiree, labeled as a popular gourmet potato in Europe.  This from Seed Savers Exchange: red-skinned mid-season variety introduced from Holland in 1962. Deep golden flesh with moist creamy texture, delicate flavor. Good disease resistance, very reliable and easy to grow. An excellent choice for a general cooking potato. 95-100 days.

I also planted All Blue and Austrian Crescent, both of which failed in the containers last year. This time I am doing it right and I hope I’ll have a good harvest of various potatoes. Really, homegrown potatoes are as satisfying as tomatoes.

This weekend I will also reseed my beds. I am not sure if they got washed away with the rain, or if the dogs had something to do with it, but my seeds for carrots, beets, radishes, arugula, spinach, and kohlrabi have not sprouted after 2 weeks. I am disappointed, now I am almost three weeks behind on these and with the weather around here it may be too late for some of them, like the kohlrabi. But the fennel I grew in a large pot did very well, and last night I harvested a beautiful large bulb:

Beautiful, big fennel from the garden!

I bought some radishes and beets at the Sunset Valley Farmer’s Market from my friend Gary Rowland from Hairston Creek Farm, so last night I made this winter salad which was a great hit. The colors are beautiful and, dare I say, very Valentine’s.

Beautiful and delicious winter salad of Chioggia beets, black radish, garden fennel and parsley, and Rio grapefruit

Winter salad of beet, radish, fennel, and grapefruit
2 servings

1 large Chioggia (aka candy stripe) beet
1/2 large fennel bulb
1 medium or half a large black radish
1/2 Rio grapefruit
Juice of half a lemon
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Wash veggies well with a veggie scrubber if necessary. Slice very thinly with a mandolin and combine in large bowl. Peel the grapefruit with a sharp knife, removing all white pith. Over the bowl, cut out segments from the membrane (aka supremes) and add them to bowl, letting any extra juice drip onto the veggies. Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper, and toss. Let it sit for a few minutes. Just before serving add olive oil and toss. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

2012 is the Year of the Dragon, my sign, considered the most powerful and auspicious of all zodiac animals. I am taking this opportunity to make a fresh start for myself, with a true sense of purpose and a new set of goals and wishes for this coming year, my year. I found the description of “Dragon people” on this website to be a spot-on match to my personality, which I found incredibly amusing.

I wanted to make different dishes from the previous years while still using some of the “lucky” food items (see last year’s post for more on these lucky foods) so here is the menu and recipes. Remember that traditionally, in China, the New Year is celebrated for the first 15 days, so you still have time to enjoy some of these lucky – and tasty- dishes.

~Fresh-squeezed tangerine mimosas (tangerines symbolize abundant happiness and good luck because the word “tangerine”, in Chinese, sounds like “luck”.) These are always Will’s job, and he does it magnificently.

~Pan-fried pork dumplings (These symbolize wealth because they look like ancient Chinese money. The first Chinese bank note was called the Jiaozi – which is the Chinese name for dumplings.) No, I had no time to make them myself, so we bought those little pre-packaged ones from the H.E.B’s Sushi Ya kiosk. Will loves them

~ Yu Sheng aka “prosperity fish salad” I have wanted to make this dish before but it didn’t suit the weather on previous years, but with yesterday’s relatively warm weather, it seemed perfect. I found dozens of recipes online, and as always, I ended up making my own version based on everything I read. I found this post from Vancouver’s Straight.com, to be particularly informative and fun.

Yu Sheng, "prosperity fish salad", is a new-year tradition among the Chinese diaspora in Singapore and Malaysia.

From Staright.com’s post: Decked out prettily on a platter, the salad is then ready for the significant action from which it derives its other popular name, lo yu sang. The word lo means to toss and mix. In this context, it represents the active wheeling and dealing of successful movers and shakers to create, generate, and increase wealth. Lo hay in Cantonese means striking it big. To activate this, on the signal, all the attending diners are to dip their chopsticks into the salad and toss and mix the salad while chanting “Lo hay! Lo hay!” together, hence wishing each other success and advancement in the year to come.

For some reason, I thought about my pal Hilah Johnson from Hilah Cooking while reading this. She would have a blast doing it. Do try this at home, Hilah!  Will and I got busy with the tossing, screaming “Lo Hay” and laughing hysterically before diving in. The salad was fresh and delicious, and has been requested to join the regular repertoire come summer.

Yu Sheng

3 carrots
1/2 English cucumber
4 red radishes or 1/2 small daikon
1 medium grapefruit or pomelo (another “lucky” foodstuff)
2 large green onions (from the garden!), chopped
1/4 lb. fresh, fresh salmon or another sashimi-quality white fish
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 Tbs. light soy sauce
3 Tbs. rice vinegar
Pinch of sugar, to taste
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. chile oil or Sriracha sauce (or both, ha!)
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
Sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds

Using a mandolin, shred the carrots, radish, and cucumber to fine threads. Peel grapefruit and cut into segments (supremes.) Place all of them side by side on a serving platter. Sprinkle green onions and cilantro on top. Thinly slice fish and placeslices in the middle, on top of the veggies. Mix soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, and chile oil or sauce and toss well. Sprinkle sesame seeds on salad. When ready to serve, drizzle dressing over salad, and proceed with ceremonial tossing.

~ Spicy ground turkey in lettuce wraps (the Cantonese word for lettuce is a homophone of “rising fortune”)

1 Tbs. peanut oil or vegetable oil
½  medium white onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs. fresh ginger, grated or finely minced
1 lbs. ground turkey (I used thighs)
2 T soy sauce
1 Tbs. chile garlic sauce
1 Tbs. fish sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbs. chopped fresh mint
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/3 cup chopped peanuts
1 head Boston or butter lettuce, or substitute 1 head iceberg lettuce

Heat oil and fry garlic, onion and ginger until fragrant. Add meat and stir occasionally to break big clumps. When almost done, add sauces and cook through. Add cilantro, mint, and lime juice. Wash the lettuce leaving the leaves whole and dry thoroughly. To eat, let each person make their own wrap placing the meat mixture inside the lettuce “cup” and garnishing with chopped peanuts. Enjoy!

Our festive table, aka the coffee table since the kitchen one is full of "my office." See if you can spot Benji underneath!

Today, my main man Bryce, manager at JuiceLand at Barton Springs who also started a fast the same day I did, set me up with a pineappley Ninja Bachelor Party to start the day, a rich and creamy Tri-Pinnacle, a refreshing TigerLilly, and my very own Vampiro blend, which I have been drinking through the day.

Ingredients for one glass of Tri-Pinnacle: water and flesh from one coconut, a bunch of kale and spinach, and frozen avocado cubes.

One thing I know for sure is that this experience has been life-changing. I feel healthy, I have energy; my allergies have not quite disappeared but have cleared noticeably. I have not weighed myself – first of all because I don’t own a scale, and secondly because that was not the purpose of this cleansing- but I can already tell my pants’ waistlines are a little looser. At yesterday’s event at Uchiko, many people commented on this fact. I also heard things like “you look radiant!” Indeed, my skin feels different, especially my face. I started noticing that after about the fifth day: softer, cleaner, and clearer. My friend Julie had commented that perhaps I “shouldn’t stray too far away from the bathroom,” but that was really never the case.  Because of the sheer quantities of liquid I have been consuming daily, I get to pee a lot. But hey, I also pee a lot when I am drinking wine or beer, so no biggie there.

Here's what goes in the TigerLilly: celery, kale, parsley, spinach, cucumber and wheatgrass.

When I was first talking to Matt about doing this, he recommended I watch the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead for inspiration. A few weeks later Troy Polamalu, one of my favorite athletes of all time, did the same on his Facebook page. So finally Will and I watched it last night, and I think it should be required viewing for every single American. In the movie, director Joe Cross calls the process a “reboot” of your system. I could not have put it better myself. If you have any serious health problems you should consult with a doctor or professional nutritionist first, but man, if you have the need to lose weight and get healthy in a way that makes perfect sense scientifically and physically, you should seriously consider a juice fast. It is really not that hard. It’s all in your head. It’s definitely not gonna kill you, and it will definitely make you stronger in mind and body. Bring it on, Year of the Dragon! (more on this coming soon…)

So my next resolution is to do one of these 10-day juice “reboots” every three months to help my body heal from all the abuse I put it through. I don’t really eat junk food, candy, sodas, or other crap like that, but now and then I indulge in things like BBQ, ice cream, and lots of wine. Body deserves a break. All in moderation.

My dinner last night and tonight: 1/3 green juice with 2/3 Vampiro.

Today I was full of energy, getting lots of work done and meeting two tight deadlines. Whew. Then I headed to Uchiko for the announcement to the media and official launch of the new Austin Food and Wine Festival.  Having spent eight years involved with the Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival, I felt that attending this launching party was not just important as a journalist but on a personal level, as the closing of one chapter of my life. More renewal for 2012.

By the way, the former festival and its board members are starting a new chapter as the Austin Food & Wine Alliance, a non-profit organization that will be the direct beneficiary of the aforementioned festival. More on that and my involvement in the future.

So here I am, at Uchiko, with a bunch of my colleagues and chef friends, all sipping delicious wines and Prosecco, and eating tiny bites of perfection from the Uchiko kitchen, while I held a juice in my hand. A large Tree of Life lasted me the hour and a half event, to the amazement of everyone who knows me. If you want proof, here you go:

My friend Pat Sharpe, food editor of Texas Monthly, holds a tiny plate of hamachi tataki with maitake mushrooms, lemon oil, and clam jus, while I sip on my Tree of Life.

I heard nothing but words of encouragement from all my colleagues and friends, many saying “there’s no way I could do this,” and me replying “yes there is!” Just a few days ago I didn’t think I was going to make it. So there. I passed the Uchiko test. Pony up, Matt Shook!

This stuff is so good it almost makes me forget I am not eating!

We came home in time to watch the Saints game, which was a painful, painful letdown. It was right about that time that the allergies kicked in, and I spent the rest of the afternoon sneezing. Of  course I also had to watch Will eat dinner and drink beer, which was frustrating to the point of tears. I took one of my Mexican anti-histamines and marched myself to bed by 8:00 pm just so that I could sleep it off.

Sunday, Day 7 of the juice fast, got off to a nasty start right off the bat. I was not only feeling miserable, but also sorry for myself, hungry, and frustrated. I cried most of the morning until I started watching football again, and then the stupid Texans lost. Will and I decided to get out of the house for a while, so after picking up my juice we headed to the Continental Club for the Bless Your Heart benefit for Houston Press music writer and former Chronicle colleague (and UT classmate) Chris Gray who, at 37 years old, suffered a massive heart attack, was technically dead and resuscitated by Houston Metro workers, then spent time in a medically-induced coma and months recuperating in the hospital. Hey, who can say no to rocking to our faves The Gourds, my pal James McMurtry, and the always entertaining Allen Oldies Band with my superawesome friend David Bebee for a good cause? And yes, I saw a lot of friends and rocked out like the best of them, all the while drinking nothing but green juice. I passed the frekking Continental Club test, learned to do CPR, and was happy to greet Chris, who looked great and smiled the whole time. I wish I had some photos but the Continental is so dark nothing came out.

Today is Day 8 of the juice fast, and I am happy that it is almost over. I am so ready to eat food it’s ridiculous. While it’s true that I was tweaking for a shot of Whiskey during James’ set, not drinking alcohol hasn’t really bothered me as much as not eating food. One of the things Matt wanted me to accomplish with this fast was “to learn to appreciate food so much more.”  Boy, he was not kidding. Tonight, I will “cook” alongside Willy. I have the last of the fall tomatoes sitting on a plate on the kitchen island, and I’ll be darned if I am not going to turn them into juice for dinner. Will has already been warned that he is taking me out to dinner on Thursday.

JuiceLand's Tree of Life has been sustaining me for the last five days. Delicious, yes!

Just so you get an idea of what I am consuming, the above drink, Tree of Life, contains 2 lbs carrots, 1 finger fresh turmeic root, 1 finger ginger, one full coconut, 1/2 lime and 1/8 tsp cayenne. That’s what I’m having for dinner tonight.

Just as I was picking up my juice this afternoon, I got a call from Matt just to check how I was doing. I said fine, still hungry, but chugging along and feeling healthy.

“How far do you plan on taking it?’, he asks, and without even thinking, I replied “Well, I’m already halfway through this thing, so I’m going the whole 10 days.”  The sound of excitement on the other side of the line was encouraging. “That’s EXACTLY what I wanted to hear. That’s what I thought too when I did it first: I’ve come this far, I may as well just do it!” Yeah, that’s kinda what I’m thinking. I told him I have a media event to attend on the 17th, which would be Day 9. The event is important, and will be held at Uchiko so amazing food and wine are to be expected. I told him I had to go to the event, but I was going to try to pass the “free food at Uchiko test” as the last one of my challenge.  He promised we’ll have dinner at Uchiko later if I can pass that test.  You’re on, Matt Shook!

Today has been stressful for me, with too much work and being pulled in 10 different directions all day, so I am exhausted. I’ll write a better post tomorrow.