My Favourite Bacon Recipe for Charcutepalooza

Well, now I know how to cook potatoes just the way my sweetie Jonathan likes 'em. They have to be local and organic to start with, parboiled, then cooked with garlic, large chunks of onion and – the kicker – homemade bacon. I don't think he noticed the Swiss chard, which was for me the main point of the exercise. But he did tell me that tonight's dinner featured the best potatoes I've ever cooked (in more than a dozen years together!)

Above you see my bacon, brined for eight days, waiting to go into the oven for a short roast at 200°F. Below, you see it after cooking: nice solid slabs.

We had bacon two ways tonight. I fried up a few rashers of the maple bacon with a couple of eggs over hard for Jonathan. I did blanch the bacon first for 60 seconds because it seemed a bit salty to me. However, I hardly eat any salt at all, so I may not be a fair judge. After it was blanched and fried, Jonathan ate all his. At first he agreed that it might be too salty. Later I heard him mumble something like "Maybe I'm just getting used to it" between mouthfuls. I did distinctly hear him say: "You did got the crunchy part just right."

I had half a rasher of the maple bacon (who could resist?), but the main part of my meal was a recipe I was given verbally at the community vegetable garden last summer, which featured some of the bacon flavoured with garlic and pepper.

Sorry for the poor image, but my old camera only takes decent photos in daylight now.

Swiss Chard with Potatoes

Serves 2-3

• 6 medium potatoes
• Olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 medium onions, chopped into chunks
• 2 slices of bacon, choppped into chunks
• 1 big bunch of Swiss chard, washed and chopped into large pieces
• (optional) Salt, black pepper, crushed hot peppers, cumin to taste

1. Wash the potatoes. If you have time, boil them in their skins until they're somewhat soft and let them cool, then chop them into large pieces. If you're short of time, chop them into pieces first, then parboil them. (Peel them only if you think they need it.)
2. In a large pot over medium heat, cook the garlic in a few tablespoons of olive oil for about one minute.
3. Add the onions and bacon, and cook them until the onions are transparent and the bacon has lost its raw look.
4. Add the potatoes and stir to wake them up. Add any spices at this point.
5. Add the Swiss chard, toss the ingredients together and cover. Check and stir occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom, burning or being left undercooked. When it has all heated through and the chard has wilted into the mix, it's ready.

I would serve this as a one-pot meal, but it could also go along with other dishes.