Just a couple of Baja beach dogs enjoying the sunset, Biscuit, my Lhasapoo and his best poodle friend Moxy Mayham.
I’m growing organic Swiss chard on my deck in pots. Chard is a fast growing nutritious green vegetable that loves the Baja climate. It grew from seed to harvest in 4 weeks.
I planted Thai basil, parsley, oregano, chives, arugula, mesclun, two types of mint, rosemary, lovage and lavender. The herbs are always fresh and I know that they are organic. This garden is a definite Baja success.
Here’s a simple chowder made with readily available Mexican chorizo (Italian sausage would be a close substitution), potatoes, Swiss chard or spinach, chicken stock and a touch of cream. It’s a spicy re-creation of Zuppa Tuscana Soup. You can substitute any legume for a vegetarian meal but you’ll need to add red pepper and paprika to mimic the chorizo flare.
I’m taking my soup to Fiesta Friday where you can find more delicious recipes.
Chorizo, Chard and Potato Chowder
Ingredients:
4 ounces chorizo
2 medium potatoes, any variety, diced
1/2 chopped onion
4 cups chicken stock, unsalted
3 cups chopped fresh Swiss chard
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup la crema, or half and half
Preparation:
Brown chorizo, drain off the majority of grease. Add onion and sauté until opaque. Add chicken stock and potatoes. Boil 15 minutes until potatoes are soft. Add chard and cilantro, return to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in cream and serve with fresh bread or tortillas.
What's for dinner, Doc? 
Love your fresh herbs and the fact that you’ve made this dish with something you’ve grown yourself! The dish itself is fab, a great combination of flavours:)
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It is so nice to be able to grow vegetables through out the winter here while the snow flies in Nevada. Thank you for stopping by the Baja.
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Thank you Monika.
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I don’t think I could even grow a plant. I have tried flowers before, but they died before I could fully enjoy them. The soup sounds very comforting. Thanks for taking this along with you at Fiesta Friday #164!
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Your herbs look amazing. Four weeks to grow chard is astonishing – at least it would be here in the UK! 🙂
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I’m glad you stumbled onto my food blog. The chard is a success, the zucchini was a flop. I’m afraid that the summer heat will kill most of my herbs but I will re-plant them in the fall.
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I always have problems with keeping herbs alive, but that’s more to do with slugs than heat! Great blog Tracey 🙂
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Thanks Lynn.
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🙂
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