My convictions are strong

Today is April 15 -- Tax Day. True to form, I completed my taxes this morning. While I am not proud to admit I filed on the last day, I can say with my head held a bit higher that I prepared my own taxes by my little own self. I was more than a little giddy to see that I would be receiving a return since I was banking on this chunk of money to fund my trip to Ireland in September.

Good people of Ireland, hide the whiskey.

As I mentioned in my last post, this month is ugly. Taxes, papers, quarterly reports and timesheets, boo hoo, bla bla. I know you can empathize with my desire to hide in bed until May 5 when I take my last exam and all papers will be completed and out of my cramped-from-typing-hands. Until then, Hail's Kitchen will be sporadic -- more sporadic than it already is. But after May 5, friends, there will be so much cool shit I can hardly contain myself.

Stick with me. I still have to eat, which means that I will still be posting, but more than likely my meals will be less like the following gift from God and more like an evil trick.

That said, the following meal was DIVINE. I would have paid good money for this dish in a restaurant. My vegan and vegetarian friends, all you have to do is leave out the pancetta and voila, perfection. Please don't be scared of the Chard. Chard is less bitter than other greens and so, so delicious. It's similar in taste to spinach but BETTER! You could use spinach, kale, mustard greens -- any dark, leafy green you enjoy -- but the chard was fabulous.

A note on pancetta. My mission to purchase only local meat was met with an exception here. Pancetta is Italian bacon. Where am I going to get bacon from Italy in Eastern Idaho? Right. Exceptions have to be made occasionally. I have, though, stuck to my guns and have not purchased any meat from the grocery store. Yes, ma'am, my convictions are strong.

Try this recipe. You will like it.

Instead of using my meager funds to buy a new cutting board,

I choose to buy fancy mushrooms.

Priorities.

If I were a fairy, I would live under a shitake mushroom.

(Funny anecdote on shitake mushrooms: I once worked in a fancy shmancy restaurant outside of Sun Valley where we had to inform our guests of the nightly specials from memory. One server failed to attend our prep meeting with our manager who detailed the menu and explained any words like SHITAKE. Poor dude went to a table announcing the nightly risotto special as: shit - take risotto. mmm. I love me some shit - take risotto. Big seller.)

If I dare say, pancetta is better than bacon.

Fresh thyme and lemon zest make the dish.

Red chard.

We'll be planting rainbow chard this summer on the farm.

Cannot wait.

Criminis and shit-takes :)

They lose an enormous amount of volume.

Divine.

Polenta with chard and mushrooms

1 bunch chard, washed with stems removed and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 lb mushrooms, sliced (I used shitake and baby crimini)

1 large shallot, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 oz pancetta, diced

1/2 cup broth, vegetable or chicken

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 tbs olive oil

1 tbs butter

2 tbs fresh thyme

1 lemon, juiced and zested

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

polenta recipe

Prepare the polenta about ten minutes before service.

Meanwhile, heat a large pan over medium high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until crispy. Remove and set aside. Add the shallots and garlic to the same pan. Cook for about 2 minutes then add the olive oil, butter and mushrooms. Stir well to combine and then allow to cook. Resist the urge to stir! Cook for about 1-2 minutes without disturbing to allow the mushrooms to caramelize. Add the wine to the pan and cook until the liquid is evaporated. Once browned, remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the chard to the same pan. Season with salt and pepper. Once reduced in size, about a minute, return the pancetta and mushroom mixture to the pan. Add the broth and cook down to evaporate a bit of the liquid, about a minute or so. Taste for additional salt and pepper. Add the lemon juice and zest and thyme and serve immediately over hot polenta.