Thayer in the Kitchen

The woman who sits in the cube in front of mine was having a birthday a couple of weeks ago.  Typically people from your department bring in treats to help celebrate your birthday.  They aren't usually as good as this treat was.  I think it can be served as a dip with Scoops tortilla chips or a salad--just skip the chips. It is almost as easy to make as it is tasty to eat. 2-3 avocados, cubed (they have to be ripe, but not mushy) 4 diced tomatoes 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion (or whatever kind you have) 4 oz. crumbled or cubed feta cheese (original recipe called for 8 oz. which I think would be too much) Dressing 3 minced cloves of garlic 3 tablespoons parsley 1 teaspoon oregano 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar Pour the dressing over the vegetables.  Add the cheese and mix.  Serve with the chips. You can also substitute fresh basil in the recipe for the parsley.  The oregano could still be used or not.

I forwarded this recipe to our CSA farm as a good way to use tomatillos other than salsa verde.  "Here is the recipe for the chicken dish with the tomatillos. We had company for dinner and everyone thought it was delicious. I served it with a salad made from your beets & tomatoes with a shallot vinaigrette." 2# tomatillos (husks removed, washed & halved) 1 whole chicken cut in pieces or a pkg of breasts & legs coarse salt & pepper 2 jalapenos, seeds removed and chopped (if you prefer a hotter dish you can leave in the seeds) 1 medium onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, chopped 1 large can hominy, drained (this is optional--you could leave it out and serve the dish with brown rice) 1/4-1/2 cup chopped cilantro Puree the tomatillos in a blender or food processor. Brown the chicken pieces in a little hot oil and season with salt & pepper. Remove chicken and saute onions & jalapenos until tender. Add the garlic for another minute. Stir in the toma...

We actually like Swiss Chard, but I know quite few people are not fans.  I tried this recipe with our most recent bunch of Swiss Chard from our farm.  It is layered potatoes, cheese and tender greens and makes a lovely skillet cake.  Arthur and I both decided it was a keeper. 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped 3 medium russet, white, or yellow finn potatoes, thinly sliced (no need to peel) Salt and pepper to taste 1 bunch Swiss chard, leaves coarsely chopped, chop the stems and keep separate 1 cup grated Jarlsberg or Gruyere cheese (or whatever you have available) Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat butter and oil in a (10-inch) seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, onions and chard stems, cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Spread out vegetables evenly in the bottom of the skillet and remove skillet from heat. Arrange a third of the...