Swiss Chard (or Other Greens) Fritters + Montreal

On Monday morning I opened the fridge to find no milk, no eggs, no juice and two vegetable drawers filled with greens. We had left the house in a scramble on Friday, dropped the kids in Vermont en route to Montreal, and returned too late on Sunday evening to think about groceries.

What was on my mind, however, was unloading some of those greens before the next CSA share arrived later that evening. The stars had aligned for Swiss chard fritters, an Ottolenghi recipe my friend Dee alerted me to this winter , which, along with the prawns with tomato and feta and the almond-clementine cake, she described as “not-to-be-missed” Jerusalem recipes.

And so I set to work plunging all of the mustard, turnip, and radish greens along with one bunch of kale into a pot of boiling water. After blitzing the blanched, cooled, squeezed greens in the food processor with lots of herbs (parsley and cilantro), a heavy grating of nutmeg, and a couple of eggs, I folded in a handful of crumbled feta. In a small frying pan, I tested one fritter for seasoning and then stored the batter in the fridge till dinnertime.

Crispy on the edges, creamy in the center, these little fritters, squeezed with lemon, made the most lovely Meatless Monday meal. More importantly, they saved my fridge from utter and complete dark-leafy-green domination. And for that, I couldn’t be more grateful.

A Weekend in Montreal

We had our first Airbnb experience, which couldn’t have been more enjoyable. We stayed in the Mile End neighborhood:

Isn’t traveling fun? Even courtyards are exciting.

We ate delicious pastries at Kouign Amann .

And spent hours at Jean Talon Market .

We admired the cooking demo sink at Les Touilleurs,

ate delectable bagels at St. Viateur ,

and drank midday beers while watching Greece vs. Columbia:

We drove — so lazy! — to the top of Mt. Royal ,

and ate pig liver mousse at Le Comptoir:

We admired the Weck Jar votives at Sel Gras:

enjoyed every drop of wine,

and quickly checked the hockey score:

After dinner, we stopped at Café Olympico for the most delectable coffee and affogato:

and watched Japan score an incredible goal against Ivory Coast.

On Sunday morning, we had our best meal of the trip at Lawrence, including a flaky, warm currant scone served with clotted cream:

And before heading out of town, we picked up coffees at Arts Café.

Definitely will return there next visit:

Description

Notes: As noted below, any dark leafy green will work just fine. And the same is true for the herbs — use what you have. Chives, basil, tarragon, etc. would all be delicious.

• 14 to 18 ounces Swiss chard, kale, mustard, turnip or radish greens, etc, stems removed
• ½ cup chopped Italian parsley
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• ¼ cup chopped dill
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg — I never measure: just grate directly into the food processor
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• freshly cracked pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 large eggs
• 3 ounces crumbled feta cheese ( 1/2 cup )
• Olive oil or grapeseed oil for frying
• Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add greens and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from pot and drain well, patting leaves dry with a paper or kitchen towel. Once cool, give the greens a squeeze to remove excess water.
2. Place the greens in a food processor with the herbs, nutmeg, sugar, salt, pepper, flour, garlic, and eggs. Purée until well blended. Transfer to a large bowl. Fold in the feta.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large sauté pan — I prefer to use my nonstick skillet for these — over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, spoon in 1 heaping tablespoon of the fritter batter (you should be able to fit 5 to 6 fritters per batch). Press down gently on each fritter to flatten. Cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden brown, seasoning each side with salt. I find that using two forks to flip is easier than a spatula. Transfer the cooked fritters to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with remaining batter, wiping out the pan and adding fresh oil as needed. Serve warm, with lemon wedges (optional).

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Description

Notes: As noted below, any dark leafy green will work just fine. And the same is true for the herbs — use what you have. Chives, basil, tarragon, etc. would all be delicious.

• 14 to 18 ounces Swiss chard, kale, mustard, turnip or radish greens, etc, stems removed
• ½ cup chopped Italian parsley
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• ¼ cup chopped dill
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg — I never measure: just grate directly into the food processor
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• freshly cracked pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 large eggs
• 3 ounces crumbled feta cheese ( 1/2 cup )
• Olive oil or grapeseed oil for frying
• Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add greens and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from pot and drain well, patting leaves dry with a paper or kitchen towel. Once cool, give the greens a squeeze to remove excess water.
2. Place the greens in a food processor with the herbs, nutmeg, sugar, salt, pepper, flour, garlic, and eggs. Purée until well blended. Transfer to a large bowl. Fold in the feta.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large sauté pan — I prefer to use my nonstick skillet for these — over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, spoon in 1 heaping tablespoon of the fritter batter (you should be able to fit 5 to 6 fritters per batch). Press down gently on each fritter to flatten. Cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden brown, seasoning each side with salt. I find that using two forks to flip is easier than a spatula. Transfer the cooked fritters to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with remaining batter, wiping out the pan and adding fresh oil as needed. Serve warm, with lemon wedges (optional).

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2014/06/18/chard-fritters-montreal/

The quantity of herbs heaped onto nearly every dish at every Vietnamese restaurant never ceases to amaze me. And this time of year, I crave nothing more than eating this kind of food: fresh, light, fragrant. Summer rolls lined with mint, green papaya salad speckled with Thai basil, chicken salad loaded with scallions and cilantro — oh Nam Phuong ! You feel so far away.

This is another nice no-mayo salad to serve at a summer gathering or to bring to a potluck. I love a classic chicken salad, but I love the lightness of this one, too. And there’s only one thing to keep in mind while making it: less is not more. Don’t be afraid to heap on those herbs.

Description

I’ve given instructions below for how I learned to poach a chicken at the restaurant, which is how I now always poach a chicken: place chicken in a pot; cover with cold water; partially cover pot and bring to a boil; turn off the heat; let chicken finish cooking while it cools completely in the liquid. This takes a few hours. If you do this method, it is imperative that you let the chicken cool completely in the liquid before removing it otherwise it won’t be cooked. I like to do this at night — I stick the whole, cooled pot in the fridge (it’s always a challenge finding space), and then pull the chicken from the bone in the morning. You can, of course, do this first thing in the morning, too. Also, if you are pressed for time, just simmer your chicken until it’s done. What I love about the bring-the-water-to-a-boil-and-shut-it-off method is that the chicken never over cooks — it is plump and moist and juicy. I should note that when you begin pulling the chicken from the bone, the meat might look pink, which will make you think it is not cooked, but it is — the red spots/blood vessels (this is a guess?) sometimes spread into the meat giving it a pinkish hue. If you are nervous, just plunge the pulled meat into a pot of boiling water for a second and drain it, but I can almost assure you your chicken will be cooked if you allow it to cool completely in its cooking liquid.

• 1 small chicken (about 3 lbs. if you can find one)
• 1 large red onion
• 2 to 4 tablespoons white balsamic (or other) vinegar
• kosher salt
• 3 to 4 scallions
• a ton of herbs: basil, tarragon, cilantro, Thai basil, mint
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil plus 1 or 2 more tablespoons
• freshly cracked black pepper
• crushed red pepper flakes or a mince hot chili (optional)

1. Place chicken in a large pot. Cover with cold water. Partially cover, bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat. Let chicken cool completely in liquid. This takes a few hours. (Alternatively, simmer chicken until it’s done.)
2. When ready to make the salad, thinly slice the onion and place in a bowl. Cover with two tablespoons of vinegar and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile pull chicken from bones and place in a large mixing bowl. Slice the scallions somewhat thinly (or not) and add to the bowl. Give the herbs a rough chop and add to the bowl. Add the macerated red onions and the ¼ cup of olive oil. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste. Add pepper flakes or chili to taste.
4. Use your hands to toss everything together. Take a taste. If necessary add another tablespoon of vinegar and olive oil. Add more salt if necessary. Toss again and taste until seasoning is right. Serve.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes