Creamy Swiss Chard Pasta

The great thing about Meatless March, I think, is that is offers a path for individuals to immediately and unilaterally reduce their environmental impact. You don't need to learn any new skills (cooking is helpful, but feel free to go to a restaurant and order a vegetarian dish). You don't need to wait for a government official to change a law or policy, or for a retailer to start offering a particular item. All you need to do is eat less meat, and you're making a difference.

Gratuitous photo of crocuses in my garden. Spring is coming!

I'm pleased when I find other solutions that similarly give me a quick environmental win, and I almost can't believe what I did yesterday: I darned a sock! Just like, I don't know, Ma Ingalls or something! (Any Little House on the Prairie fans out there?) Or Father McKenzie! (Beatles, anyone? My pseudo-band covered "Eleanor Rigby" for our terrible first album back in '07).

The sock had a hole in the toe. All my life, I have been blithely throwing away socks with holes, but I have been reading a lot about "disposable" fashion's environmental impact, so I thought I'd give darning a try. I stuffed a ball inside the toe to give it shape, and clumsily stitched up the hole. 

I used green thread because no one will ever see it in my shoe. Now that sock has a little extra life before it eventually goes to the landfill.

Back in the kitchen, meanwhile, I whipped up "Creamy Swiss Chard Pasta With Leeks, Tarragon and Lemon Zest" (NYT Cooking) for dinner last night. This was good, but not exceptional. I felt that a better sauce/pasta ratio would have been achieved with 8-12 oz pasta rather than a full pound. 

I used 2T of nutritional yeast; that seemed like plenty. And I used half-and-half rather than cream because I happened to have some in my fridge. I left off the tarragon.

It reheated nicely for lunch today.