The Garden Chef Joins Cocktails in the Garden

Thursday, May 3 was the debut of the Garden Chef Cooking Demonstrations at Cocktails in the Garden.  Now visitors have more opportunities to catch a Garden Chef Demo including Thursday nights from 7 – 9 p.m. and weekends at noon, 1 p.m., and 2 p.m.  

A tip for squeezing lemons, use one hand as a strainer to catch the seeds.

Our very own Garden Chef Christina Curry selected herbs from the herb wall to pair with grilled salmon, fresh spinach, kale and orzo.    

Kale is a great source of vitamin A and C.  Check out other recipes on the blog and the Garden Chef webpage for fun ways to use kale, including kale chips!

After partially cooking the side of salmon on the grill, Chef Cristina covered the fish with lemon slices and herbs, wrapped it in foil, and placed it back on the grill to finish cooking.

Chef Cristina finished the orzo with cranberries for a wonderful sweet and tart flavor.  Pine nuts would also be a great pairing.  Enjoy!

Wilted Greens with Orzo & Dried Fruit 

3 T grapeseed oil

1 T shallots, chopped

10 oz spinach

1 bunch Swiss chard, cleaned and cut

1 bunch kale, cleaned and cut

2 cups cooked orzo pasta

1/4 cup lemon juice

lemon zest, to taste

1/2 cup dried cranberries

2 T fresh parsley, chopped

salt & pepper, to taste

Heat grapeseed oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat.  Add the shallots and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the spinach, Swiss chard, kale, and season with salt and pepper.  Cook for about 2 minutes and remove from the heat.  Continue to stir so the vegetables cook evenly.  Add the orzo pasta, lemon juice, lemon zest, cranberries, and fresh parsley and toss gently.  Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.  Serve with grilled, seared or baked salmon.

Discover more Garden Chef recipes here.