Unique Chocolate Treats for Valentine’s Day

Move over, Russell Stover. For choosy chocolate lovers, common candies just won’t do. If your girlfriend, boyfriend, best friend, mom, or whoever you want to treat (yourself included) craves unique chocolate, these unusual chocolate treats are the perfect Valentine’s Day gift. They may not come in heart-shaped boxes, but it’s what inside that counts.

From camel milk and crickets to curry powder and coconut ash (and plenty of less alliterative options), these interesting chocolates are all worthy of adoration. And yes, sweet-salty bacon chocolate bars deserve a mention, but even that’s old-hat by now. Try one (or more) of these unique chocolate gifts for your discerning Valentine.

Charbonnel et Walker Pink Marc de Champagne Truffles, $28 at Sur La Table

Charbonnel et Walker/Sur La Table

Champagne is a must for special occasions, and Valentine’s Day is no exception—but why not present it in the form of pretty pink Champagne chocolate truffles? These are white chocolate with a hint of strawberry, and a creamy Champagne milk chocolate center, rolled in powdered sugar to finish. Très chic.Buy Now

Raaka Chocolate Small-Batch Organic Chocolate Library Gift Box, $30-$50 on Food52

Food52

A box of bonbons is classic, but a box of bars is just as welcome, especially when they come in a range of fascinating flavors like these (from maple and cacao nibs to bananas Foster). Even better: All of Raaka’s chocolate bars are vegan and gluten-free, so everyone can enjoy.Buy Now

Al Nassma Camel Milk Chocolate, $12.99 on Amazon

Al Nassma/Amazon

If dairy isn’t an issue, look beyond conventional milk chocolate. Camel milk chocolate has recently gotten easier to come by outside of Dubai (and the “Chopped” kitchen, where Martha Stewart once brought it along for the dessert basket challenge), but chances are good your giftee hasn’t tried it yet. It’s available with dates and with hazelnuts, as well as in dark chocolate form. Most reviewers admit they can’t taste much of a difference, but the camel milk certainly gives it some cachet.Buy Now

K+M Extra-Virgin Dark and Milk Chocolate Sampler Gift Box, $59 on Goldbelly

Goldbelly

This Thomas Keller-backed—and Oprah-approved—organic extra-virgin olive oil chocolate has an ultra-smooth mouthfeel and extra antioxidants from the heart-healthy fat (which comes from famous Italian olive oil producer Armando Manni). If this sleekly packaged set of milk and dark chocolate is a bit too rich for your blood, you can also buy single bars of the same olive oil chocolate for $15 each at Williams Sonoma.Buy Now

Exotic Truffle Collection, $32 at Vosges Haut-Chocolat

Vosges Haut-Chocolat/Facebook

This 9-piece truffle set from Vosges starts with high-quality chocolate, of course, and highlights inventive flavor combinations like star anise, fennel, and absinthe; ginger, wasabi, and matcha green tea; and coconut and curry (among some less unusual options for when your palate needs a little break). Spring for the 16-piece collection and get some additional flavors (like pasilla chiles and candied violet), or the deluxe 32-piece box for a few more (including horseradish-lemon zest and rose water-pistachio).Buy Now

Chocolat Moderne Passion Fruit Caramel Bar, $10.50 on Mouth

Mouth

This painterly white chocolate confection is striking even before you bite through the sweet, creamy shell and find the tart passion fruit caramel filling. There’s a touch of cardamom too, and the company calls this flavor combo “The Lover,” so it’s extra-appropriate.Buy Now

Éclat Chocolate Porcini & Thyme Chocolate Bar, $10 at Terrain

Terrain

Porcini mushrooms and thyme may sound more suited to a bowl of pasta than a chocolate confection, but this beautifully striped milk-and-white chocolate bar contains both earthy shrooms and herbal thyme for a flavor sensation. The packaging is gorgeous too, and the bars are handmade in Pennsylvania. (You can find some flavors on Amazon as well.)Buy Now

Éclat Chocolates + La Boîte Spiced Infused Bar Trio, $34 on Food52

Food52

If mushrooms are a hard pass, check out some of the company’s other intriguing flavor combos, as demonstrated in this fragrant trio of chocolate bars made in collaboration with La Boîte (and featuring the same lovely botanical illustrations on the outside): halvah, rose, and cardamom; star anise, ginger, and cinnamon; and long pepper, lemon, and mace.Buy Now

Saffron Chocolate Truffles, $18.95 at Compartes

Compartes

Saffron is both a spice and a luxury good, and usually not paired with chocolate, but they make a great couple, and the golden color of the filling is gorgeous too. Compartes, which has been a celebrity favorite since it opened in the 1950s and is still beloved by famous and regular folk alike, also offers tons of other delicious flavors to suit any taste, all fetchingly decorated to boot.Buy Now

Olive & Sinclair Smoked Nib Brittle, 2 packs for $37.90 on Amazon

Olive & Sinclair

This buttery, rich, golden brittle is studded with cacao nibs that have picked up a hazy tang from renowned bacon baron Allan Benton’s smokehouse, and it’s all finished off with a layer of chocolate. (Consider accompanying this with a box of the brand’s duck fat caramels.)Buy Now

Lake Champlain Chocolates It’s Hot, Honey Chocolate Bar, $5 on Amazon

Lake Champlain Chocolates

Not only is this smooth and silky dark chocolate bar filled with spicy-sweet habanero-honey caramel, it has an appropriately cheeky name perfect for the occasion. And it’s affordable enough for every budget.Buy Now

Woodford Reserve Bourbon Dark Chocolate Caramels with Sea Salt, $26.99 on Amazon

Woodford Reserve/Amazon

Got a bourbon lover in your life? These dark chocolate-covered, sea-salt-sprinkled caramels are made with Woodford Reserve’s award-winning bourbon, plus butter and cream. For something with a cool kiss of mint and a bourbon cream center rather than chewier caramel, try their Mint Julep Bourbon Balls too. Don’t see those every day.Buy Now

Sanders Dark Chocolate-Covered Potato Chips with Pink Himalayan Sea Salt, $9.40 on Amazon

Sanders/Amazon

If you’ve ever dipped your fries in a chocolate shake, then you know this is good. Maybe better, since the chocolate is dark and the potato chips will stay nice and crisp. If your Valentine has a sweet tooth that’s also salty, they’ll be delighted with this addictive dessert—and if you’re lucky, they’ll share.Buy Now

Philadelphia Candies Original Milk Chocolate-Covered Potato Chips, $13.95 on Amazon

In case you (or yours) prefers milk chocolate, you (and your potato chips) are covered!

Don Bugito Dark Chocolate Covered Crickets, $10.99 on Amazon

Amazon

If Nestlé Crunch bars and even chocolate-covered potato chips are a little too ho-hum for your honey, consider gifting these crunchy, dark chocolate-coated crickets with sea salt instead. Edible insects are the wave of the future, so may as well get on board now. And almost everything tastes better enrobed in chocolate anyway.Buy Now

Chuao Chocolatier Mini Dark Chocolate Bar Gift Set, $16.95 on Amazon

Chuao/Amazon

Chuao chocolates are fairly easy to find in grocery stores and at other retail outlets, but this lovely little gift box is a great option for Valentines who like some variety. Find a mix of flavors like sea salt and chipotle with popping candy for a little fizz; spicy dark chocolate; and mango, chile, and lime.Buy Now

Loving Earth Vegan, Gluten-Free, Paleo-Friendly Lemon Cheesecake Chocolate, 3 for $27.95 on Amazon

Loving Earth/Amazon

Vegan and paleo-friendly, this chocolate bar boasts “zesty lemon caramel with a cheesecake twist“—made with Peruvian cacao, Indonesian coconut sugar, and organic lemon essential oil, but no dairy at all. You can also try a 6-bar variety pack with other flavors like raspberry and mint.Buy Now

Zoe’s Chocolate Co. Sesame Tahini Chocolates, $19 at Food52

Food52

Tahini has taken over desserts and we love it. These smooth dark chocolate bites are filled with pure sesame purée, milk chocolate (yes, two kinds of chocolate in one), and bits of toasty sesame brittle for a textural treat that tastes amazing.Buy Now

Oregon Craft Brewers Chocolate Beer Truffles, $26.21 at Made in Oregon

Moonstruck Chocolate

If Valentine’s beer is more your true love’s desire, give them a box of these Oregon craft beer chocolate truffles. Smooth and creamy inside with a crisp chocolate shell, I can personally attest that these are delicious, and the edible bottle caps look exactly like the real thing.Buy Now

Sweet Heat Chocolates Carolina Reaper Dark Chocolate, 8 pieces for $16 on Etsy

Sweet Heat Chocolates/Etsy

If you like to keep things spicy, maybe even slightly sadomasochistic, how about some truffles infused with notoriously hot Carolina reaper peppers?Buy Now

A Note on Wrapping: If you choose an exotic truffle collection, you’re already covered as far as presentation, but if you opt for a homemade mix of a few intriguing bars, you can wrap them each in tissue paper and present them in a sweet heart-emblazoned bag. In any case, you’re going to make someone very happy.

Hallmark Large Gift Bag with Glitter Heart, $5.99 on Amazon

Create a grab bag of individually-wrapped treats in a romantic package.

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Related Video: How to Make Exploding Chocolate

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Instant Pot Mexican Pulled Pork (Carnitas)

When you need pulled pork fast, make it in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker! In about half the time of other recipes, this recipe makes the oh-so-tender carnitas for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and many other Mexican dishes.

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Farmed Fish vs Wild Fish: Is One Always Better Than the Other?

When it comes to farmed fish vs wild fish, the choice isn’t quite as simple as it seems; they each have their pros and cons, and there are other factors to consider, including specific fishing and farming methods and sources of origin. Consider this your cheat sheet to the most sustainable fish and seafood options out there.

The Bewildering Array of Options

One of the best things about eating seafood—besides the rich flavors, easy prep, great protein, and low calories, of course—is the variety of available options. I mean, chicken is chicken. Steak is steak. But the word “seafood” can mean a virtual cornucopia of options: saltwater fish, freshwater fish, crustaceans, mollusks. The choices are virtually endless!

However, regardless of whether you’re standing at the grocery store’s fish counter or staring at a restaurant menu, you’re more likely to see information nowadays about where and how your seafood was caught. And you might wonder: Does it matter? Should I care if my salmon was from the Atlantic or Pacific? Does “responsibly farmed” mean something important? And hey—how exactly do you farm a fish, anyway? The questions could leave you scratching your head for hours.

Brett Stevens / Cultura / Getty Images

The best and easiest way to keep track of the dizzying factors is to cheat. Resources like the Marine Stewardship Council and The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program are designed to help help consumers make informed choices. The Monterey Bay Aquarium even offers a handy Seafood Watch Guide app for your phone. It’s an easy-to-navigate app that uses simple color coding (green, yellow, red) to tell you whether the exact type of shrimp, tuna, or whatever you want to buy is a good, OK, or bad choice.

For me, it’s been as an important a tool as my actual shopping list. However, if you want to understand more about why tools like the Seafood Watch Guide are necessary in the first place, keep reading. Here, I’ve got your handy guide to understanding and navigating some of the differences between farmed and wild seafood in a way that will make your body, your conscience, and the environment (yes, the environment) smile with contentment.

Related Reading: The Best Seafood Delivery Services to Try in 2020

Why Should You Care?

Great question! Often when we hear of animal or environmental welfare issues it revolves around industrial farming or pollution. But the earth’s oceans are subject to the same issues. One of the biggest issues is overfishing: As a society at large, we’re eating way more seafood than ever before. Did you know there was a time when lobsters were so abundant they were considered a “junk” food and served to prisoners? You would never know it when you see lobster tails for $20 a pound at the store. But it’s unfortunately true: Our insatiable appetite for all kinds of seafood means that fisherman are racing to fill the demand and fish species are being caught faster than they can reproduce, causing shortages, higher prices, and most dire, risk of extinction. Here’s a sobering thought: Approximately one-third of known fish populations are over-fished and over half are completely fished. Yikes.

Not only is overfishing a serious problem, but actual fishing methods can be a big cause for concern. While some ways of catching fish and shellfish are sustainable, others upset and damage the delicate ecosystem, destroying the food and homes that our fishy friends depend on to survive in the wild. Many fisheries are now taking to farming fish in order to maintain wild species numbers, but even some of those methods have unintended consequences. You can’t even make generalizations about “good” or “bad” types of seafood because different subtypes of species (for example, bluefin versus yellowtail versus albacore tuna) can be affected based on where or how they are farmed. Yep, it’s complicated.

So What Should You Look for When Buying Wild-Caught Fish?

Monty Rakusen / Cultura / Getty Images

When deciding on what kind of seafood you’re cooking up for dinner and want to buy responsibly, know that not all wild-caught seafood is created equally. You have two questions to ask yourself: Which seafood is most healthy for me, and which is most healthy for the environment?

If you care about the environment and creating a sustainable ecosystem that provides you with your favorite fish forever (hint: you should!), then it’s important to pay attention to how your fish is caught. Responsible fishing methods catch only the seafood the fishermen intend to catch, with no or minimal byproduct. Irresponsible fishing either captures a lot of bycatch which could include animals like sea turtles or dolphins, or harm the ocean, lake, or stream. While there are a multitude of fishing methods out there, below are some examples to look out for:

Responsible Wild Fishing Methods:

• Pole and line; trolling: This is exactly what you think of when you envision a father and son out on a wooden boat in a quiet lake. Commercial fisherman use this method, too. Because they catch only one fish at a time, this is considered an environmentally sound way of fishing with very low bycatch.

• Traps and pots: Like underwater mouse traps, these are often used to catch bottom-dwellers like your super tasty but super expensive lobster. Because they attract a certain kind of animal and aren’t dragged around the ocean floor, traps and pots typically don’t catch unintended species or damage the ecosystem around them.

• Handlines and jigs: Also using lines to catch individual fish via individual bait, these are often reeled up with only the intended fish on the line, minimizing bycatch and environmental impact.

Potentially Harmful Wild Fishing Methods:

• Bottom trawl: Fisheries use this method to catch groups of bottom-dwelling seafood, such as shrimp or halibut, all at once by dragging a large type of net across the seafloor. Unfortunately this method also drags up everything in it’s path which can damage the seafloor and inadvertently catch unintended animals. By the time the net is pulled up, many of these unintended catches are dead or dying.

• Dredges: Similar to bottom trawl methods, dredges are like cages with metal teeth that are dragged across the seafloor. They can create the same kind of environmental damage and bycatch as bottom trawls.

• Purse seining: Fishermen use a type of large net to encircle schools of fish and pull the netting closed to draw the fish together, much like a purse. It’s an efficient way to catch large schools of fish like sardines, but if other species such as dolphins are swimming in proximity to those schools, they can get caught up in the nets as well.

Some good choices for wild fish include wild Alaskan-caught salmon, pole or troll-caught albacore tuna, and California spiny lobster.

However, when it comes to wild fish and your health, watch out for top-level predators who tend to contain high mercury content such as swordfish, Chilean sea bass, orange roughy, Atlantic salmon, and certain types of tuna such as bluefin. Mercury is a heavy metal that can be a health risk for certain types of people, especially for fetuses, babies, and children, causing neurological damage. Note that you don’t have to cut them out completely, but limit yourself to eating no more than a serving per month. If you’re in a high risk group, avoid these altogether.

What Should You Look for When Buying Farmed Fish?

franckreporter / E+ / Getty Images

Commercial fish farms are generally designed to address overfishing and environmental concerns. However, while some farmed fish are great health and environmental choices, others still cause similar impacts to our bodies and the environment. Disease, mercury levels, waste byproducts, and the risk of farmed fish breeding with wild species are just some of the concerns. On the flip side, though, some sustainable ecosystems use recirculated water and compost their waste to get close to a net-zero environmental impact. Here are some examples of farmed fishing ecosystems:

Responsible Farmed Fishing Methods:

• Recirculating systems: This type of farming uses a system where water is treated and recycled through a tank system. It’s sustainable because it can be used for many different fish species, recycles the water, and since the fish are in a tank they can’t escape and wreak havoc on local ecosystems.

• Suspended cultures: This system is mainly used for shellfish that doesn’t need to swim or really move around, such as oysters and mussels. Farmers suspend ropes and nets in the water and let the shellfish cling on and grow there. Because these tasty guys mainly eat by filtering water and plankton, they leave minimal waste and there’s no external or artificial fish feed that would mix with wild species.

• Bag/rack: Another type of shellfish farming system, bags are set in racks on the seafloor and filled with hatchery-raised shellfish. Similar to suspended cultures, there’s no raking of the seafloor or need to deplete wild species to maintain the farm populations.

Potentially Harmful Farmed Fishing Methods:

• Hatcheries: While some farmed fish are raised in artificial pens and others in open water, hatcheries are like a combination of both: fish are spawned and raised in nurseries but are often released in large numbers in wild-catch fisheries. This system can be dangerous to wild fish species both due to risks for interbreeding between the wild and farm-raised populations (they’re not necessarily genetically identical) and food competition.

• Open net pens; submersible net pens: Two different but similar fishing styles designed for open water, these farm systems allow fish to swim freely in oceans or freshwater lakes but are fenced in to a designated area via nets. Potential hazards include the possibility for escape and interbreeding with wild populations, concentrated waste that escapes the pens and pollutes the surrounding ecosystem, and parasites and disease spreading from the farmed population to the nearby wild fish population.

• Ponds: Ponds enclose fish in an existing body of water. While pond water can be recycled similarly to recirculating systems, the waste from pond runoff can infiltrate and pollute the surrounding environment and groundwater. The creation of ponds can also upset the balance of a local ecosystem.

Great choices for farmed fish include catfish, tilapia, arctic char, trout, and blue mussels. Avoid farmed Atlantic salmon if possible.

Fish & Seafood Recipes

Now that you’re armed with knowledge, an app, and have an eye out for the Marine Stewardship Council’s seals of approval, try some of these tasty recipes below:

Mussels in White Wine, Garlic, and Butter Sauce

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Steamed mussels with white wine and garlic is an easy one-pot meal ready in 20 minutes! ❤️Aromatic vegetables are cooked with fresh mussels for a light appetizer or meal. Check out the essential tips for perfect cooking every time 🙌 – Are you a fan of mussels? – #steamedmussels #mussels #seafood #lemon #garlic #sunmer #whitewine #wine #steam #thefeedfeed #huffposttaste #foodandwine #todayfood #foodforfoodies #buzzfeast #eeeeeats #bhgfood #buzzfeedfood #bhgfood #culinaryscience #foodscience #jessicagavin – Recipe: https://www.jessicagavin.com/steamed-mussels-white-wine-garlic/ (link In profile)

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The secret about mussels is that they seem so fancy but are actually incredibly easy. Simply make sure the mussels are all closed before you put them in the pot, and are all opened when you’re done steaming them. Juices from the mussels mixed with wine, garlic and butter makes it a no-fail meal. Don’t forget the garlic bread! Get the Mussels in White Wine, Garlic, and Butter Sauce recipe.

Dukkah-Crusted Salmon

Chowhound

Salmon is a nutrition powerhouse and this recipe elevates the meaty fish with a delicious middle-eastern spice and nut rub. With just a couple of ingredients and a pan, you’ve got a main that would go well with rice or sauteed veggies. Remember to use wild-caught Pacific salmon for this one. Get our Dukkah-Crusted Salmon recipe.

Easy Fish Tacos

Chowhound

The best two things about fish tacos is they’re healthy… and they’re tacos! Herbs and citrus make a tasty marinade, and this recipe adds the flavors and crunch of a cabbage slaw to give it a little something extra. Use a firm whitefish so it won’t fall apart on the grill. Responsibly farmed tilapia is a great choice for this one. Get our Easy Fish Tacos recipe.

Shrimp Scampi Pasta

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Shrimp Scampi! It’s deliciously saucy, rich and buttery (without being heavy) and its perfectly bright and flavorful! Plus who doesn’t love it? . This super easy shrimp recipe can be made in under 30 minutes! Nothing complicated just basic ingredients that together create an amazing dinner! RECIPE LINK IN BIO

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Shrimp scampi is another seafood dish that seems fancy but is super easy. This recipe adds another twist with incorporating parmesan into the cooking process. Scampi also goes well with so many different sides: you can eat it solo or top it on pasta or rice. Shrimp can easily be overcooked so be careful: once it turns from translucent pink to white, it’s done. Remember to use farmed giant freshwater or tiger prawn shrimp, ideally from US sources. Get the Shrimp Scampi Pasta recipe.

Paella Mixta

Chowhound

Paella, a classic Spanish rice dish, can be made with many different proteins but is traditionally made with a mix of meat and seafood. Beware that you need just the right pan and it can take a while, but the payoff is worth it. Tomatoes, saffron, and paprika season the remaining ingredients just right, and when you’re done you’ll have a meal fit for a dinner party (seriously, nobody makes paella for just one.) For the seafood, be sure to purchase sustainably farmed shrimp and clams. Get our Paella Mixta recipe.

Ceviche Tostadas

Chowhound

Want a light and delicious fish recipe but don’t feel like cooking? Ceviche is your jam. The fish actually gets “cooked” by marinating in lime juice, then is chopped up with avocado, onion, peppers, and garlic. Scoop it up with tortilla chips for a corresponding salty crunch. There are a lot of styles of whitefish you can use for ceviche, but be careful: many popular ones like sea bass (imported) and Atlantic halibut (wild caught) are on the Seafood Watch’s “avoid” list. Wild US Atlantic sea bass or wild US Atlantic mahi mahi are excellent choices. Get the Ceviche Tostadas recipe.

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

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Parmesan Crusted Tilapia is a quick and easy dinner recipe that is ready in under 30 minutes! It’s the perfect weeknight meal!🙌🏼 . 👉🏼CLICK THE LINK IN @julieseatsandtreats PROFILE FOR FULL RECIPE👈🏼 . https://www.julieseatsandtreats.com/parmesan-crusted-tilapia/ . #f52grams #recipesharing #feedfeed #instayumm #quickfoods #marthafood #eatingfortheinsta #instafood #instafoody #instafoodblog #ourplatesdaily #TODAYfood #eeeeeats #huffposttaste #nomnomnom #julieseatsandtreats #parmesan #crusted #tilapia

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This gluten-free dish is super easy with a light flaky fish that takes on whatever flavor you season it with. One pan and less than 20 minutes…you don’t have an excuse not to make it. Tilapia is pretty much always farmed, which is just fine: look for fish that’s been farmed in recirculating aquaculture systems. Get the Parmesan Crusted Tilapia recipe.

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This Dynamic Countertop Oven Is Big Enough for Pizza & Down to $90 — Today Only

News Flash: Toaster ovens aren’t just for bread and bagels anymore. Look no further than the nearly 550 glowing reviews of KitchenAid’s countertop convection oven to see folks are using fella for roasting, broiling, baking and, yes, even toasting. Right now the versatile KitchenAid oven is on sale for less than $90, marked down from $140 as Best Buy’s deal of the day. 

This sleek and compact oven features easy convection, bake, toast, broil and warm modes for daily use, plus removable and reversible trays let you maximize oven space (pizza anyone?). It’s perfect for any small- or medium-sized jobs that don’t require the full oven, meaning you’ll also save on cleanup and energy costs. The convection oven earns high marks in over 500 verified purchase reviews and is currently $50 off for today only.

In addition to the oven, Best Buy has a study 12-piece set of Cuisinart stainless steel cookware down under $80 (originally $300) to equip any kitchen. The well-rated cookware set includes a 2-quart saucepan with cover, 3-quart sauté pan with cover, 5-quart stockpot with a cover, an 8-inch nonstick skillet, 10-inch skillet, slotted turner, solid spoon, slotted spoon, and nylon tongs.

Related Reading: A Mesh Skimmer, Cheese Cloth More of Our Most-Discussed Kitchen Tools

Both the KitchenAid oven and Cuisinart cookware set will ship for free and as soon as this Friday. Or purchase online and pick them up at your local brick-and-mortar Best Buy the same day.

KitchenAid Countertop Convection Oven, $89.99 on Best Buy

Best Buy

This oven will come in handy during summer months for baking and broiling without over-heating the whole house.Buy Now

Cuisinart 12-Piece Cookware Set, $79.99 on Best Buy

Best Buy

This sturdy and full set of stainless steel cookware can handle any kitchen job you throw at it.Buy Now

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A Chard Galette That Even Picky Eaters Will Devour

There are plenty of cookbooks celebrating butter, sugar, seafood, soups, and BBQ, but there’s certainly a dearth of books showcasing, well, greens. Sure, greens are arguably not particularly glamorous, a dense mess of crunchy stems and bitter leaves, but this unsung hero deserves its time in the limelight. 

Related Reading: Why Roasting Makes Vegetables Taste Sweeter

Leaf: Lettuce, Greens, Herbs, Weeds, $22.49 on Amazon

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That’s what “Leaf,” a cookbook from food writer Catherine Phipps, is all about. The thick pink book makes greens, herbs, weeds, and, yes, leaves, the center of attention, highlighting their versatility, many flavor profiles, and diverse delicacies. “Leaf” brims with 120 recipes, from flaky, palmable herb pies to stuffed savoy cabbage leaves bursting with chickpeas, tomatoes, and a slew of spices. 

The opening of the book is complete with a comprehensive introduction to sourcing and storing leaves, with a focus on sauerkrauts and other pickled and tangy vegetables, like kimchi. And while it may seem like this book leans on the healthy side, there are plenty of dishes throughout that may star greens but are still indulgent (think pizza and cheesy gratins).

Good Cook Set Of 3 Nonstick Cookie Sheets, $18.08 on Amazon

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To get started, take a peak at this recipe for a chard galette. A whole wheat spelt pastry dough is rolled out like pizza and filled with ribbons of sautéed chard, coin-shaped potatoes, garlic, rosemary, and grated cheddar cheese. The whole thing is baked in the oven, then drizzled with rosemary oil. Slice it into wedges like a quiche, then pair with a green salad. After tasting it, you might just be seeing a lot more greens in your fridge.

Recipe excerpted with permission from Leaf by Catherine Phipps, published by Quadrille October 2019, RRP.

Chard Galette Recipe

This is something I make frequently as it is a very good receptacle for leftovers – heels of cheese, roasted root vegetables, and of course, any greens. It is very quick if you have enough cooked greens and a packet of vacuum-packed beetroot, though of course, the flavor is better if you roast fresh beetroot and then use their leaves in the galette. The rosemary oil at the end isn’t essential, but it does add an extra depth and smokiness.

Chard Galette

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 400g (14oz) chard, stems and leaves separated, finely shredded 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped
• 200g (7oz) new or waxy potatoes, sliced, or cooked beetroot, cut into wedges
• 100g (3 ½ oz) Cheddar cheese, grated
• For the pastry: 300g (2 ½ cups) wholewheat spelt flour
• 175g (6oz) butter
• 1 egg, beaten
• Sea salt
• For the rosemary oil: 4 tbsp olive oil
• A few sprigs of rosemary

Instructions

1. Start with the filling. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan and add the chard stems. Cook for 5–10 minutes over a medium heat until lightly coloured, then add the garlic and chard leaves. Pour in 50ml (¼ cup) water, then cover and leave the chard to wilt. Stir in the rosemary and cool. At the same time, cook the potatoes in salted boiling water until tender. Drain and cool.
2. Next, make the pastry. Put the flour into a bowl with a pinch of salt. Add the butter and rub in until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Alternatively do this in a food processor or in a stand mixer using the beater attachment. Add the egg and work in just enough iced water to bring together into a smooth, slightly tacky dough. Form into a ball, then cover in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 200ºC (400ºF/Gas 6). Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to a round of approximately 30–35cm (12–14in) diameter.
4. Transfer the round to your largest baking (cookie) sheet – you will probably find that it will overlap slightly, but it is still much easier to assemble in situ. Mix the chard with the potatoes or beetroot, then pile onto the pastry, leaving a border of around 4–5cm (1 ½ –2in). Sprinkle with the cheese. Fold in the borders so they cover the outer limits of the filling – don’t worry about the pastry pleating and overlapping; it will have to in places. Brush with beaten egg. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until well browned.
5. Meanwhile, make the rosemary oil. Put the rosemary on a baking sheet and brown in the oven for a few minutes. Crush in a pestle and mortar, then mix with the olive oil.
6. Drizzle the galette with the rosemary oil. It is best served on the warm side of room temperature with a green salad.

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