What better way to celebrate our last harvest of Swiss chard than by using the colorful stems to make a hearty pasta dish? The flavors found in this recipe aren’t your typical American variety. They’re reminiscent of northern European fare, weaving together smoky sausage with tangy apple cider vinegar and sweet yet earthy caraway seeds.

After finishing this meal, we knew that we had come up with a dish that could serve as a main course, without leaving any stomachs unsatisfied. This is definitely not a lunch meal. It’s best enjoyed at the dinner table, perhaps with a cold glass of beer, a side of brussel sprouts, and a hungry group of friends.

4 servings

• 1 C dry penne, cooked al dente
• Stems from 1 1/2 lbs of Swiss chard, cut in 1-1 1/2 inch pieces (our source: Mysterious Horizons Farm)
• 8 oz Kielbasa or turkey sausage, 1/2 inch slices then quartered
• 1/2 medium onion, sliced
• 1 small tomato, chopped (our source: Mysterious Horizons Farm)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 C beef broth
• 1 tbsp caraway seeds
• 1 tsp dried rosemary (our source: Mysterious Horizons Farm)
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 C Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• salt and pepper, to taste

1. Boil the stems with a teaspoon of white vinegar and a few pinches of salt if you find the stems to be tough and/or bitter. (Ours were a little bitter, so we boiled them.) Otherwise, you can steam them. Once cooked thoroughly, drain and set aside.

2. Brown the sausage in a pan over medium heat. Remove sausage, leaving drippings in pan.

3. Sauté onion in sausage drippings, adding oil or butter as needed. Cook until translucent and add garlic during last 2 minutes of cooking.

4. Add Swiss chard stems, broth, caraway seeds, and rosemary and simmer 2-3 minutes.

5. Add sausage, pasta, Parmesan cheese, and apple cider vinegar, tossing until everything is evenly distributed and coated.

6. Mix in tomato at the very end, to prevent it from cooking too long and losing its flavor and texture in the dish.

Eating this was especially gratifying after working up a healthy appetite at the farm. We recommend you spend a day helping out a local farmer to burn off the calories from this dish…it’s a win/win situation, don’t you think?