Hello! I hope you’re well! This is day 34 of social distancing for me. My family is healthy and has somewhat acclimated to our current reality.  There’s definitely a lot going on and so much is out of our control.

I’m trying to embrace the new. New routines, recipes, local businesses, ways of connecting with friends and family, workout programs, wines, hairstyles and t-shirt/legging combinations :). Today, I’m sharing a couple of my amazing new finds.

Last week was our first Perfectly Imperfect Produce delivery. I’ve wanted to order for a while and, with COVID-19 stay at home orders in full swing, it seemed like the ideal time to support a local, woman-owned business and keep me out of stores. We ordered the Large Organic size box which was full of fruits and veggies AND it was delivered! We were also able to make a contribution toward additional boxes Perfectly Imperfect Produce is supplying to health care workers. Perfect!

The box included Swiss Chard. I’ve only had Swiss Chard a couple times from Carrie’s school garden and I think I just chopped some up and put it in a salad. I knew I had to use all of the contents in the box! I’m determined to bring every single food item in our kitchen to new life by transforming it into a yummy breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert. I went straight to one of my favorite books, The Vegetable Butcher. I highly recommend this book!

What can I make with Swiss Chard? My answer? Well, Cara Mangini’s answer–Swiss Chard Crostata with Fennel Seed Crust. After a quick scan of necessary ingredients, I was certain I had everything to make it or could easily improvise. I whipped up the dough for the crostata crust the day before Easter and it was easy. The next day I made the filling and baked the whole thing for our Easter meal. I’ve never made a crust without butter! This recipe had me intrigued and I couldn’t wait to get it all together!

I didn’t get any photos of the preparation process but here’s one of the finished crostata. It’s so pretty! The crust is unique and full of flavor from the olive oil and fennel seeds. The filling is lovely and balanced. We devoured it!

This recipe is a keeper (I’m linking it to a site that has permission to publish the recipe)! One of the things I’ve enjoyed during quarantine is trying new recipes and experimenting with different ingredients based on what we have on hand. Are you trying new recipes or creating dishes from your pantry and refrigerator finds? I’d love to hear! Stay home and stay well!

From the heart,
Shannon

SWISS CHARD CROSTATA WITH FENNEL SEED CRUST