Bach'ing it tonight...and Sandy doesn't like chard so imagine the glee in me when I made the rounds through the produce section of our local grocery store late this afternoon to find a nice big bunch of fresh red stalked swiss chard...for less than 2 bucks!
You garden growers don't even have to start the car
Anyway...here's what I conjured up an hour ago and if I do say so myself its worth doing again! I had it as my main meal but it could also serve as a nice robust side if so suited.
1-bunch fresh chard. Remove and reserve the stems. Cut the leaves into smaller pieces and thoroughly wash. Split the stems and cut into 1" long pieces.
3T chopped onion or shallot
2 cloves rough chopped or sliced fresh garlic
2 fresh raw tomatoes; chopped into not too small pieces. I used a couple large fresh Campari tomatoes…its what I had
2-3 medium to large crimini mushrooms. Or even better some type of self foraged mushrooms
3-4 large fresh whole basil leaves
1-2 T unsalted butter
3-4T finely grated parmigiano-reggiano
Red pepper flakes
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Quality extra virgin olive oil
Bring a quart or so of generously salted water to a boil and add the chard stem pieces. Slow boil/simmer these for about 5-minutes until al dente. With a slotted spoon or spider pull the chard stems out and into a strainer in cold water. Add the chard leaves to the salted boiling water and cook for about 2-3 minutes until wilted and again al dente. Par boiling the stems and leaves makes a BIG difference on the outcome of chard…so don't be tempted to skip this step!
Melt the butter in a fry pan until it just starts to get a brown tinge. Add the onion and garlic; turn down the heat to a simmer; salt to taste. Its OK if the onion and garlic mixture gets a little color but don't get it too brown or burn it lest everything will be bitter. And we don't want any bitter chard tonight!
In a separate pan brown the mushroom slices in a little olive oil until well caramelized on both sides; sprinkle with a little sea or kosher salt and reserve. The purpose of cooking the mushrooms separately and adding them to the chard mixture right at the end it to preserve the intense mushroom flavor that would otherwise get diluted if you cooked the mushrooms with the chard from the get-go.
Lightly drain the chard stems and leaves and add to the hot onion and garlic mixture. Toss to coat and then add the chopped tomatoes. Cook the mixture stirring regularly until the tomatoes are about 1/2 broken down. Tear the basil leaves and add to the chard/tomato mixture tossing the pan ingredients to cook. When the mixture is still bright but also just cooked through turn off the stove heat and sprinkle with red pepper flakes to taste. Add the mushrooms atop the chard/tomato/basil/onion/garlic mixture and generously sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese over the top and anoint with the extra virgin olive oil.
Serve with crusty Italian or French bread and a rose, sauvignon blanc, albarino or even a fruity pinot noir.
Recipe option: Instead of anointing with the olive oil try this instead (this is also KILLER atop pasta marinara!!!): Poach an egg yolk for about 1-minute in the left over chard cooking water. Carefully add the yolk to the cooking water (after you've removed the chard) and cook until just skinned over…about 1-minute; remove with a slotted spoon and immediately and right before serving place the poached egg yolk atop the charge mixture (individual plates here…) and then sprinkle the parmesan over the top. Break the egg up and mix into the chard mixture and enjoy, enjoy and enjoy!
You garden growers don't even have to start the car
Anyway...here's what I conjured up an hour ago and if I do say so myself its worth doing again! I had it as my main meal but it could also serve as a nice robust side if so suited.
1-bunch fresh chard. Remove and reserve the stems. Cut the leaves into smaller pieces and thoroughly wash. Split the stems and cut into 1" long pieces.
3T chopped onion or shallot
2 cloves rough chopped or sliced fresh garlic
2 fresh raw tomatoes; chopped into not too small pieces. I used a couple large fresh Campari tomatoes…its what I had
2-3 medium to large crimini mushrooms. Or even better some type of self foraged mushrooms
3-4 large fresh whole basil leaves
1-2 T unsalted butter
3-4T finely grated parmigiano-reggiano
Red pepper flakes
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Quality extra virgin olive oil
Bring a quart or so of generously salted water to a boil and add the chard stem pieces. Slow boil/simmer these for about 5-minutes until al dente. With a slotted spoon or spider pull the chard stems out and into a strainer in cold water. Add the chard leaves to the salted boiling water and cook for about 2-3 minutes until wilted and again al dente. Par boiling the stems and leaves makes a BIG difference on the outcome of chard…so don't be tempted to skip this step!
Melt the butter in a fry pan until it just starts to get a brown tinge. Add the onion and garlic; turn down the heat to a simmer; salt to taste. Its OK if the onion and garlic mixture gets a little color but don't get it too brown or burn it lest everything will be bitter. And we don't want any bitter chard tonight!
In a separate pan brown the mushroom slices in a little olive oil until well caramelized on both sides; sprinkle with a little sea or kosher salt and reserve. The purpose of cooking the mushrooms separately and adding them to the chard mixture right at the end it to preserve the intense mushroom flavor that would otherwise get diluted if you cooked the mushrooms with the chard from the get-go.
Lightly drain the chard stems and leaves and add to the hot onion and garlic mixture. Toss to coat and then add the chopped tomatoes. Cook the mixture stirring regularly until the tomatoes are about 1/2 broken down. Tear the basil leaves and add to the chard/tomato mixture tossing the pan ingredients to cook. When the mixture is still bright but also just cooked through turn off the stove heat and sprinkle with red pepper flakes to taste. Add the mushrooms atop the chard/tomato/basil/onion/garlic mixture and generously sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese over the top and anoint with the extra virgin olive oil.
Serve with crusty Italian or French bread and a rose, sauvignon blanc, albarino or even a fruity pinot noir.
Recipe option: Instead of anointing with the olive oil try this instead (this is also KILLER atop pasta marinara!!!): Poach an egg yolk for about 1-minute in the left over chard cooking water. Carefully add the yolk to the cooking water (after you've removed the chard
) and cook until just skinned over…about 1-minute; remove with a slotted spoon and immediately and right before serving place the poached egg yolk atop the charge mixture (individual plates here…) and then sprinkle the parmesan over the top. Break the egg up and mix into the chard mixture and enjoy, enjoy and enjoy!
