Chard Salad with Moroccan Spices

I'll confess I've never really seen much chard in Morocco, even after a year's residence there, and I'm not even sure it's something the climate could support if people felt the urge to grow it there.  That notwithstanding, certain spice combinations can bring out the best from the most unexpected of foods, and while it might just be that I happened to be in possession of some truly exceptional cumin (courtesy of Penzey's, of course), which did a great deal for this simple recipe, I surmise that whatever your cumin quality, you'lll be pretty pleased with the results.  Full disclosure: this recipe was adapted from the one provided here, which I discovered while trolling the internet for good uses for the excess chard I picked up at the Kapiolani Community College Farmers Market yesterday morning on a whim.

• 1 large bunch fresh chard
• ¼ tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. ground sweet paprika
• ½ tsp. ground cumin
• ¼ tsp. salt (or to taste)
• ⅛ tsp. finely ground black pepper

Set a small, half-full pot of water on to boil.  Coarsely chop the chard. Once the water boils, add ½ tsp. or so of salt to the water, followed by the chopped chard, and boil for 15 min. or until the stalks are soft. Dump the chard into a colander and run cold water over it until it cools down enough to handle without discomfort. Wrap the chard in a paper towel and wring out as much water from it as possible. Return the wrung-out chard to the chopping board and chop even more finely. In a bowl, mix the chard, oil, salt, and spices thoroughly. Serve immediately at room temperature.

Mussel Mayonnaise Poke [GF]

 One of the first things I'd resolved to do upon my recent return to Hawaii, after more than a month abroad roaming the arid steppes of northern China, the maize-laden plains of central Minnesota, and the escalator-rich human hive of Hong Kong was to fix myself a good, down-home poke.  Moreover, in honor of my homecoming, I thought I'd experiment a little bit with some unusual variations on my usual sesame-oil-and-soy-sauce recipe.  Here's what I came up with: a poke which complements the creamy taste and soft texture of mussels with a piquant mayonnaise sauce, while at the same time doing justice to the mollusks' understated seafood flavor by combining them with a substantial amount of limu and just a hint of fish sauce.  I think this one will become a permanent addition to my poke repertoire.  Enjoy!   

• 1 cup limu (ogo seaweed), chopped
• ¼ lb. small mussels
• 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
• 2 tsp. Tabasco-brand hot pepper sauce
• 1 tsp. Cholulu-brand hot sauce
• ¼ tsp. coarsely ground sea salt (or to taste)
• ¼ tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 tsp. fresh cilantro, diced
• 6 raw macadamia nuts, minced
• 1 tsp. rice vinegar
• ½ tsp. sesame oil
• ½ tsp. Vietnamese fish sauce

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and toss together.  Serve either immediately or after chilling for 15 min. in the refrigerator.