And this, my friends, is the last of the Turkey
It's the last of the turkey, for now, but surely just the beginning of a nearly endless string of recipes using all the greens we get this time of year....
So, when I came home from work tonight I faced your standard dinner dilemma. I wanted something fast. I wanted something (I'll admit) with cheese. I needed to use up the leftover turkey (I know, right?) and I also had several lovely veggies from the farm waiting to be eaten, post haste. So, I did what I do, and I invented a little something for your dining pleasure.
Two things you should know, first -
I finally managed to get my camera working again.
I totally did NOT take any pictures of dinner tonight, which is a shame, because I had these little hands helping as my prep cook, and I do love to show off his knife skills.
Alas, you'll have to settle for a list of lovely farm ingredients used in this one recipe, and instructions for recreating at home.
I'm not really sure what to call this - you could very easily take all the ingredients and eat them over rice or pasta. We ate them inside a very simple whole grain flat bread called Roti Chapati that I buy from the refrigerator section of Costco.
(And here's something you might as well know about me. I maintain my sanity while working full time and raising a family by purchasing some simple staples which can be readily and easily prepared to supplement a healthy meal. Sure, there are the stand bys that we all use of dried pasta and good ol' rice. But I also like to have frozen pasta on hand, like tortellini, and interesting flat breads like Roti-Chapati, as well as frozen shrimp and my new favorite, breaded tilapia. [Oh, believe me, you'll be seeing a fish taco recipe using some of that yummy cabbage soon enough....] And yes, in a perfect world, I love makinig my own tortillas, and bread, and you know what? I even asked for a pasta maker this year for Christmas. But my life isn't perfect, and if some raw flat bread from Costco is going to save me 30 minutes in the evening, bring it. [Plus, this stuff is wicked good, okay?])
So back to tonight's dinner. This time of year we see all kinds of beautiful greens from our farm share. Chard, kale, beet greens, turnip greens and all the beautiful varieties of lettuce. We're also getting leeks, onions, green garlic and varieties of winter squash, plus fresh herbs like dill, cilantro and parsley. I love the greens, and I adore how the members of the onion family add a roundness to the flavor. In today's recipe I combine some chard with eggplant - the two flavors match up well, and the meatiness of the eggplant contrasts beautifully with the bite of the greens. You'll soon discover that I frequently add a splash of balsamic vinegar when I cook with greens - the acid brings out the bright flavors, while the sweetness of balsamic cuts the bitterness of the greens just enough. And of course, I love anything with a nice flavorful cheese like sheeps' milk feta.
Let's call it Turkey and ChardTacos Roll Ups - (but it's so much more than that.)
And there's a sauce! I do love a good sauce....
For the filling (which would also work as a pasta topping.....)
Fill a piece of roti-chapati with filling, and add some lovely sharp feta and some of the dill sauce, below.
*this would also work without any meat at all, or with some shrimp, or some chicken
Dill Sauce
So, when I came home from work tonight I faced your standard dinner dilemma. I wanted something fast. I wanted something (I'll admit) with cheese. I needed to use up the leftover turkey (I know, right?) and I also had several lovely veggies from the farm waiting to be eaten, post haste. So, I did what I do, and I invented a little something for your dining pleasure.
Two things you should know, first -
I finally managed to get my camera working again.
I totally did NOT take any pictures of dinner tonight, which is a shame, because I had these little hands helping as my prep cook, and I do love to show off his knife skills.
 |
| File photo - meal pictured is not represented in recipe. |
I'm not really sure what to call this - you could very easily take all the ingredients and eat them over rice or pasta. We ate them inside a very simple whole grain flat bread called Roti Chapati that I buy from the refrigerator section of Costco.
(And here's something you might as well know about me. I maintain my sanity while working full time and raising a family by purchasing some simple staples which can be readily and easily prepared to supplement a healthy meal. Sure, there are the stand bys that we all use of dried pasta and good ol' rice. But I also like to have frozen pasta on hand, like tortellini, and interesting flat breads like Roti-Chapati, as well as frozen shrimp and my new favorite, breaded tilapia. [Oh, believe me, you'll be seeing a fish taco recipe using some of that yummy cabbage soon enough....] And yes, in a perfect world, I love makinig my own tortillas, and bread, and you know what? I even asked for a pasta maker this year for Christmas. But my life isn't perfect, and if some raw flat bread from Costco is going to save me 30 minutes in the evening, bring it. [Plus, this stuff is wicked good, okay?])
So back to tonight's dinner. This time of year we see all kinds of beautiful greens from our farm share. Chard, kale, beet greens, turnip greens and all the beautiful varieties of lettuce. We're also getting leeks, onions, green garlic and varieties of winter squash, plus fresh herbs like dill, cilantro and parsley. I love the greens, and I adore how the members of the onion family add a roundness to the flavor. In today's recipe I combine some chard with eggplant - the two flavors match up well, and the meatiness of the eggplant contrasts beautifully with the bite of the greens. You'll soon discover that I frequently add a splash of balsamic vinegar when I cook with greens - the acid brings out the bright flavors, while the sweetness of balsamic cuts the bitterness of the greens just enough. And of course, I love anything with a nice flavorful cheese like sheeps' milk feta.
Let's call it Turkey and Chard
And there's a sauce! I do love a good sauce....
For the filling (which would also work as a pasta topping.....)
A glug of olive oilHeat a saute pan over medium heat, and add a thin layer of olive oil to the pan. When the oil is hot, add the eggplant, garlic, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Saute for about ten minutes, covered, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is nice and tender. Once the eggplant is very nearly cooked, add the chard and stir, then add about 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar, and cover. Cook, stirring occasional, for another 5 minutes or so. Add the turkey and continue cooking until everything is heated through.
2-3 small cloves of garlic, very finely diced/smashed/crushed (or however you like it)
2 small eggplants, quartered and sliced (so you get triangles about an inch or so each) ((I don't peel it either, when it's small and fresh and tender.))
1 bunch chard (or other robust, leafy green) thinly shredded (an 1/2 inch chiffonade if you want to be fancy...)
about 2 cups shredded/diced cooked turkey meat*
salt & pepper to taste
balsamic vinegar
crushed red pepper
Fill a piece of roti-chapati with filling, and add some lovely sharp feta and some of the dill sauce, below.
*this would also work without any meat at all, or with some shrimp, or some chicken
Dill Sauce
2 diced small green onions, including the green partsCombine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until the mayo and yogurt are fully combined, and serve with our mid-eastern version of a turkey taco.
1 diced pickled beet (totally optional, but adds a fun pink color!)
1-2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
salt and pepper to taste
a good sized large spoonful of Greek or Bulgarian yogurt (or any good plain yogurt)
a slightly smaller large spoonful of mayo
a squeeze of fresh lemon juice OR white vinegar IF you didn't use a pickled beet (or even if you did but you really like the acid flavor.....)
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