Ah, back to Monday after the Valentine’s Day / Meatless Tuesday flip flop last week.  This past Saturday and Sunday were beautiful Seattle days.  Lots of sunshine but it was wicked cold.  The temp said low 40s but it felt like high 20s.  Then today, a few clouds rolled in.  The heat’s on, been wearing nothing less than three layers inside the house and chugging cups and cups of piping hot tea.  I’ve been wanting to make this chard and white bean stew since I saw it on the 101 Cookbooks blog.  Being perpetually cold, there was no better time than the present!  Especially since while I was plating everything, Goldfarb came in after being out with the dog and announced it was snowing.  WHAT?!  Okay, it’s stopped now but they are calling for snow showers the next few days.  I have lost all faith in Punxsutawney Phil.  But I can’t blame him too much.  I mean he is just a groundhog after all. He’s the smart one – he went back underground.

Anywhoo, Goldfarb asked me this afternoon what we were having for MM.  When I told him he said, in a very disappointed tone, “hmm.”  Come to find out he is not a fan of chard.  After all these years, I learned something new.  No wonder he only picks at it in restaurants.  Always thought it was just because he was full from everything else.  {Don’t tell him I told you, but he breaks the cardinal rule: do not eat more than one serving of bread!}  So when I asked him how the stew was, I was shocked.  “Really good!” he sang.  In fact, he says this recipe goes on the ‘replay list.’  So the moral of this story is, even if you don’t like chard, you will love this stew. You’ll love it even more over toasted thick, chewy bread and topped with a poached egg.  And, yes, I poached that egg myself.  First time ever it has actually come out right {a quick 3 min simmer} and also not horribly ugly. And yes, eggs and dairy are allowed.

Now as I am finishing this entry, I hear icy rain pelting the windows. Ah, Seattle.

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