This is chard stem. Many of us don’t eat it because it can be a little bitter or astringent, but the color is AMAZING! After tasting it raw, it takes many of us a little trust that it is still worth using.
If you put salt and a touch of oil on it, let it sit for a while, then strain off the juices, it can become a colorful part of a sauteed chard dish (we saute it first with garlic, then add the leaves). There are a lot of ingredients in the kitchen that take a fair amount of trust to include in a recipe.
Our recent newsletter told the story of a wonderful student we will call Dan, who now has secured an internship at a high-end restaurant in San Francisco after being in our class and helping us in our garden.
During his summer internship with us, he helped grow chard in our school garden, enjoying the beauty of it all summer long. Rainbow chard and his journey reminded me of the trust that students put in us every day. Trust is the stealth ingredient in any exploration, the basis for any growth.
In the excitement of doing, it is easy to forget the importance of trust. As we head into November, we are glad to be reminded to care for that trust around us and enjoy the meals we get to prepare together.
