Enlightening rainbow tacos for a birthday

Event: Neil's 39th birthday

Date: 4th August 2013

Location: Our roof deck

Guests: Juenessa, Karl, Frank, Shelley, Marcus, Deena, Roshni

Menu: Mexican tacos

Yucatecan pork 

Prawns in adobo sauce

Swiss chard and potatoes

Chipotle - tomatillo salsa

Mango - habanero salsa

Pickled red onions

Moroccon chicken skewers with swiss chard salad

I have a real fondness for Swiss chard for two reasons. One is because the prettiness of the multi coloured stems appeals to my girly side and the other is because it's my best success story with growing veg. I can't say the taste has ever been a factor. How to describe Swiss chard? Minerally, briny, chewy perhaps, akin to kale, spinach or dandelion? I'm being unfair, I do really enjoy eating these greens, especially when I find new cooking techniques, like this one for a Moroccan salad, the stems and leaves first boiled and then fried with grated tomato and bitter, bitter olives.

Quesadillas with Osaka pink kale and rainbow chard

Our car now fixed, (Neil changing the fuel pump himself - the brave lad), we were able to visit our favourite vegetable market on the weekend. As usual, I bought too much, our bounty costing double what it usually does through my sheer delight and unfettered giddiness at having access to all this produce again. (Some women get excited in clothes shops, I do too, especially in the UK, but you should see me at farmer's markets - sad really).