ITEMS
Microgreen Mix
Swiss Chard
Buttercup Squash
Sausages / Lentil Burgers
Jun Tea
Dark Cocoa Loco Snack Bites
PRODUCERS
Amaltheia Organic Produce - Belgrade
Gallatin Valley Botanical - Bozeman
Terra Greens Produce - Manhattan
Bugoni's Sausages - Missoula / MMFEC - Ronan
Vibrant Roots - Kalispell
Kelly Jean Snacks - Bozeman
Black Bean Chili with Buttercup Squash and Swiss Chard
This is a versatile vegetarian chili, which can easily be made with meat if you prefer. Adapted from Bon Appétit. Serves 4.
2 Tbs olive oil
2 C onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Buttercup squash - either peel, seed, and dice raw, or roast whole then peel, seed, and dice
2 Tbs chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
3 15-oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained, or 4 1/2 C cooked beans from dried. Sub any bean.
2 1/2 C vegetable or chicken broth
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes + their juice
3 C Swiss chard leaves, coarsely chopped, plus stems chopped to ~1/2-inch
Microgreens, for garnish
Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions with a pinch of salt and sauté until tender and golden, ~9 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, and cumin, stirring and cooking for 1 minute. Add the diced chard stems and the diced squash (if it's raw) and stir for 2 minutes, then add the beans, broth and tomatoes. *If the squash is pre-roasted, add it at the same time as the beans, broth, and tomatoes.
Bring everything to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for ~15 minutes. Stir in chard leaves and simmer until it's tender but still bright green, 3-5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Ladle chili into bowls and serve topped with microgreens, as well as any other garnishes: sour cream, shredded cheese, crumbled feta or cotija, diced avocado, sliced scallions or chives, cilantro, corn chips, or a squeeze of lime juice...
*For a meatier version, cook up to 1 lb of any ground or cubed meat you like (pork, beef, wild game, chicken, turkey, etc) in the large pot first. Transfer to a plate/bowl lined with paper towels, then add meat back in once chili is simmering. Add a little more broth if the consistency is too thick.
Rigatoni with Swiss Chard and White Beans
Adapted from Milk Street: Vegetables. Serves 4-6.
1 lb rigatoni pasta - sub penne, ziti, or whatever shape you like
salt and pepper
2 Tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch swiss chard - separate leaves and stems. Slice leaves into ~1-inch pieces, chop stems
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 Tbs fresh rosemary, minced. To sub dried rosemary, use ~124 tsp ground
1 15-oz can cannellini beans, drained but not rinsed, or ~1 1/2 C cooked white beans from dried
1 oz pecorino romano cheese, grated, plus more for serving
Optional: sausage! see below...
Garnish with microgreens, basil, or parsley as desired
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 Tbs salt and the pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is starting to soften, but not completely cooked (just shy of al dente). It will finish cooking later. Reserve 1 C pasta water, then drain.
In the same pot, heat the oil over medium heat (if cooking sausage, see below). When it's hot, add the garlic, chard stems, red pepper flakes, rosemary, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chard stems soften, 1-2 minutes. Add the chard leaves and stir until they're wilted, ~1 minute.
Add the beans, cooked pasta, 1/2 C reserved pasta water, and the cheese. Cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta has reached al dente and everything is well-coated. Add more pasta water if it looks dry. Serve with additional grated cheese and any garnishes.
Adding Sausage:
This pasta is also delicious with sausage, pancetta, or bacon. To add sausage, either cook it whole and serve alongside, or sliced or crumbled it (with the casings removed) and cook it in the large pot with 1 Tbs oil. Remove the sausage to a paper-towel-lined plate or bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving the oil and fat in the pot. Proceed with the recipe to cook the vegetables in the oil left behind, then add the sausage back in with the pasta and stir to coat.
What is Jun Tea?
Jun Tea is known as the sister beverage to Kombucha. Whereas kombucha is made by fermenting black tea and sugar, Jun Tea is made with green tea and honey. I find it to be less acidic than kombucha. Vibrant Roots distributes to a handful of restaurants in Bozeman, including The Daily, Feed Café, Steep Mountain Tea, and Map Brewing. They have a wide variety of interesting flavors (and colors!) to try out.
Additional Recipe Suggestions
Pumpkin Dal with Swiss Chard - you could definitely use the Buttercup squash!
There are several good squash recipes here, if you need more inspiration!
Sautéed Greens Burritos is a fallback weeknight meal in our house - simple and healthy