I stopped at Filasky’s Produce to pick up some fill-ins that I don’t have in my garden – local spring onions, local tomatoes (mine are just flowering) and their own snow peas and strawberries.  While I was there I couldn’t resist getting a cup of Woodside Farm Creamery ice cream – it is heavenly.

The tomatoes made their way into this dish, but the snow peas were gobbled up almost immediately by Cameron (and me).  It is great when a 3 year old is excited by the news that there are “beans” to eat!

This dish was an opportunistic mix of ingredients I have around (chard, bulgur, chickpeas, feta, tomatoes) but the textures and flavors blended really well.  I am calling it a pilaf, but I am not sure if that is really what it is.  And as promised…here is the pic of the chard waiting to be used…

Mediterranean Swiss Chard Pilaf

1 cup bulgur

2 cups hot water

1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed

2 Tbsp olive oil (I only use extra virgin)

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic,  minced

1 bunch swiss chard or other green (from the garden)

salt &  freshly ground pepper, to taste

Feta – whatever amount you prefer, I tend to use a lot

1 ripe medium tomato, diced (from Filasky’s Produce)

Splash of lemon juice

1 Tbsp olive oil

Put the bulgur in a bowl and pour hot water over it.  Stir once and let sit for about an hour, until all the water is absorbed.  Pour the burgur into a sieve and press to drain any excess water. Transfer the bulgur to a large bowl and mix in the chickpeas.

Meanwhile, remove the leaves from the chard. wash well and dry with a towel.

Heat the 2 Tbsp oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds to a minute, until fragrant.  Add the chard in batches and stir in until just wilted.  Remove from heat.  Chop fine.

Stir the chard mix into the bulgur, stir in the feta and tomatoes.  Add a splash, about 1 Tbsp, of lemon juice and mix in; add salt and pepper to taste

Serves 4