What I once regarded as an "exotic" vegetable, Swiss Chard in now a staple in my diet. Almost every week, I buy a bunch or two of of these large, lovely, dark green leaves. Often, I pick out a bunch bearing stems of different colors: golden, red, white, and purple. I discovered chard for myself when I wanted to try a new pasta dish. Looking through one of Alice Water's Chez Panisse cookbooks, there was a simple Linguine (I think) with Swiss Chard. I was hooked and now cook this mineral-rich, leafy, green vegetable.
Last night, I sauteed a bunch with yellow stems for my dinner. Chard is slightly tedious to prepare for cooking (cleaning and removing the stems), but is well worth the extra few minutes!
SAUTEED SWISS CHARD
1 bunch Swiss Chard
Olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 gloves garlic, peeled
Salt and pepper
Rinse the chard thoroughly under cold water, making sure all the dirt is removed (especially if you procured it from your farmers' market). On a cutting board, using a sharp knife, remove the stems from the leaves. Put the leaves in a salad spinner and rinse again, just to make sure all the dirt has been removed. Chop the stems. Add olive oil to a large saute pan. When hot, add the chopped stems and onion. Using a garlic press, add the garlic and saute until softened. Meanwhile, chop the chard (I roll a handful of leaves together, then cut through into a rough chiffonade). Add to the pan, stir to mix, add salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pan and let the chard steam for about 5 minutes, or until tender.
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