Chard

Alfredo with Fresh Greens

Kim Rosenwinkel shared this recipe along with this note:
“I made this alfredo dish last night to try to get my kids to eat cooked greens. I used beet greens, but I think it would work with any other greens (kale, spinach, etc.) The greens were plentiful, but adequately disguised so everybody ate it (hee hee!).”

1 lb cooked spaghetti
1 1⁄2 cup 1% cottage cheese (fat free doesn’t melt right)
1⁄2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. olive oil
about 6 garlic scapes, finely chopped
about 6 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
a hefty bunch of fresh herbs to make 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cup finely chopped (packed) (I was out so I used about 1 1⁄2 Tablespoons dried)
1 large bunch of fresh greens, finely chopped

Heat olive oil in skillet on medium heat. Add scapes and onions; sauté until aromatic. Add herbs; stir and sauté until soft. Add greens; sauté until wilted and done the way you like them. For my kids, I cooked them down as much as possible; I would normally like a little more body.

Meanwhile, blend the cottage cheese in a blender until creamy and consistent. Add Parmesan cheese to cottage cheese. Add cheese mixture to vegetable skillet. Cook on low heat until cheese melts.

Cook and drain pasta. Add pasta to cheese and vegetable mixture and toss. Serve hot. Watch with glee as the kids eat their greens!

Braised Chard with Cilantro

serves 4 (Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone by Deborah Madison: 1997)
This recipe is a great way to use any greens building up in your fridge!
Ingredients:
– bunch chard and other greens (beet, spinach) about 2 pounds, stemmed and sliced into 1 inch ribbons ?
– chard stems, trimmed and diced ?
– 1 onion, finely diced ?
– 1⁄2 cup chopped cilantro
– 1/3 cup olive oil ?
– 1 tsp paprika ?
– 1 garlic clove pounded with 1 tsp. salt (or try with diced scrapes?) ?
– Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in a wide, heavy pot with a few pinches of salt.
2. Add 1⁄4 cup water, cover tightly and cook over low heat for 45 minutes. Check once or twice to make sure there is enough moisture. If anything is sticking add a few Tbsp. of water.
3. When done, taste for salt and season with pepper. The chard should be silky and very fragrant. Serve with rice if desired.

Braised Swiss Chard with Currants and Feta

1 (1-pound) bunch Swiss chard
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons dried currants
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 ounces feta, crumbled (1/3 cup)

Cut stems and center ribs from chard, discarding any tough parts near base, then cut stems and ribs crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Coarsely chop leaves.
Cook garlic in oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add chard stems and ribs, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes. Add currants and cook, stirring, until plump, about 1 minute. Add chard leaves and water and increase heat to moderate, then cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until leaves are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in feta. Serves 4.

Chard Salad with Garlic Dressing

(Spring Hill Community Farm Cookbook, Celebrating 20 Years of Food & Community) Patty noted in the cookbook that this recipe was replicated from a chard salad she had at W.A. Frost’s in St. Paul. I think tomatoes
and cucumbers from this week’s bag will make a nice addition to a mid-summer chard salad. Leftover dressing might be delicious drizzled over roasted/cooked potatoes or beets.

Wash chard, cut out thick steams, cut into bite size pieces.

Dressing:
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed to a paste
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
3⁄4 cup vegetable oil
1⁄2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1⁄4 cup lemon juice
1⁄2 cup milk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon salt

Put garlic, oil, vinegar, basil, salt, Parmesan, and pepper in a blender; process 2-3 seconds. With the blender still running, slowly add milk, processing until dressing is thick and smooth. Pour over chard. Covered and refrigerated, this dress will keep one week. Makes 1-1/2 cups.

George Greens

Any greens you want (chard, kale, spinach, beet, turnip greens) washed and coarsely chopped and rib removed if necessary.
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2-4 cloves garlic, to taste (use 3-4 scapes, cutting them in 1” pieces)
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (crush those red chili peppers we sent!)
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in a pot large enough to hold the greens. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for a minute or two. Turn up the heat and add the greens. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until the greens have softened. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook uncovered until greens are cooked to your liking. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Mike’s version of Swiss Chard (Beet Greens) Oshitashi

Mike is suggesting using the beet greens or a combo of the beet greens and Chard.
Servings:4

Ingredients
1 pound Swiss chard – or beet greens!
2 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce Fish sauce
3-4 garlic scapes, chopped
Olive oil
Directions:
Cut stems from the greens, cut into 1” pieces.
Heat 1 Tbs olive oil in a fry pan. Cook over low heat until tender, about 5 minutes.
Toss in garlic scapes towards the end of the 5 minutes.
Add cleaned and chopped greens, about 1 Tbs water and a splash of fish sauce. Cover and cook until greens are tender, 2-3 minutes.
Drizzle soy sauce over the cooked greens. Serve immediately.

Milanese Style Chard

1 bunch Swiss chard pinch of Nutmeg
2 tablespoons olive oil ¼ cup chopped prosciutto or ham
1 garlic clove, minced 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
6 green onions, thinly sliced salt & pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley optional garnish: 2 tablespoons
¼ cup chopped fresh basil toasted pine nuts or chopped walnuts

Trim chard, discarding tough stems, and coarsely chop. In a large, keep skillet, heat olive oil, add garlic and green onions, and saute 2-3 minutes until softened and fragrant. Add chard, parsley, basil, nutmeg and prosciutto or ham; mix well. Cover and cook 3-5 minutes over medium heat until tender and wilted. Mix in Parmesan cheese and add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with nuts, if desired.
Makes 4-6 servings.

Pasta with Chard

serves 4-6 (Moosewood Restaurant Favorites; 2013)
Use ziti or another chunky pasta and about 11/2 lbs. chard (and beet/kohlrabi greens? or any other leftover greens). While the pasta water comes to a boil, cut chard stems into 1⁄2 inch slices and chop the leaves. Sauté the stems first for a minute or two then add some garlic (or minced scrapes) and chopped leaves. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the leaves are wilted but still brightly colored. Season with salt and pepper and add a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like. Top the cooked and drained pasta with chard and grated Pecorino Romano, Parmesan, Asiago cheese or crumbled ricotta salata. Add toasted, chopped walnuts if preferred or try sautéing chopped turnips with the chard stems.

Risotto with Greens

No greens will be wasted! If you are not sure how to use your greens, make this for dinner! Double the recipe!

1 small onion, finely chopped
2 T. olive oil
1 c. risotto, uncooked
1/2-3/4 lb. fresh greens, trimmed and torn (spinach, collards, kale, chard, mustards, turnip greens, beet greens, etc.)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 (14-1/2 oz.) cans chicken or vegetable broth
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Sauté onion in olive oil in a small stock pan. Add risotto and sauté until golden. Add greens and garlic; sauté until greens are wilted. Stir in broth slowly (one can at a time). Cook, covered, on low heat until most of the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Add black pepper, stirring well. Add cheese, if desired, and blend well before serving.

Sauteed Swiss Chard with Garlic and Lemon

serves 4 (adapted from bonappetit.com)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1⁄2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed and cut into 2-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Directions:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and half of Swiss chard, season with salt and pepper, and cook, tossing often, until wilted, about 4 minutes. Add lemon juice and remaining chard and cook, tossing, just until all chard is wilted, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper. (I will make this recipe this week but will sauté sliced summer squash and/or zucchini after the garlic and prior to adding the chard which may require more oil and lemon juice. Then add fresh herbs from this week’s bag at the finish.)

Swiss Chard Sauté

serves 4 (Saint Paul Farmers Market Produce Cookbook; 1999)
Ingredients:
• 2 tsp. vegetable oil
• 2 tsp. garlic, minced
• ½ cup leeks, sliced (any onion will work)
• 1 cup chard stems, sliced
• 1 Tbsp. broth
• 4 cups chard, coarsely chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet; add garlic, leeks, and chard stems. Sauté, stirring for about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add broth and chard leaves. Season with salt & pepper to taste, stirring to combine ingredients.
3. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 3-5 minutes or until the chard is tender.

Swiss Chard with Roasted Garlic

serves 6 (denisonfarm.com)

  • Roasted Garlic:

  • 10 large garlic cloves, halved

  • 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

  • ½ tsp. dried oregano

  • ½ tsp. salt

  • ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 ½ lbs. swiss chard, washed & dried

  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil

  • 2 Tbsp. finely chopped white onion

  • 2 serrano chilies, stemmed seeded, and finely chopped (or use red pepper flakes; omit if you prefer no spice)

  • 2 medium tomatoes, cored and finely chopped

  • 1 tsp. salt

  • 1 cup water

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Make a double layer of aluminum foil about 6 x 6 inches square. Place the garlic in the center and bring up the sides a little to form a cup. Drizzle over the olive oil and add the oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring the sides all the way up and twist together to make a firm seal. Place in the oven and roast for 20 to 25 minutes. The garlic should be tender and golden but not dark brown. Open the top so the garlic will stop cooking and set aside.

  2. Remove the leaves from the stalks of chard, finely chop the stalks and roughly shred the leaves. Set aside.

  3. In a large heavy skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and chilies and stir for about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, then add the chard ribs and leaves, salt, and water. Cover the pan and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, add the roasted garlic cloves, and increase the heat to high. Stirring occasionally, cook until the chard is tender but not watery, 8 to 10 minutes more. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately.

Warm Chard (or Kale) with Balsamic

(harmonyvalleyfarm.com) If using kale, discard the stems and steam the leaves until desired tenderness.

  • 1 bunch chard (or kale)

  • 1 – 2 tomatoes, chopped

  • 1 – 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

  • Freshly ground pepper or salt

Wash chard, trim off leaves, and chop.  Chop stems.  Sauté tomatoes and stems 1 – 5 minutes.  Add balsamic and leaves and cover to steam until tender to your preference (5-15 minutes).  Season to taste.

 Wilted Greens with Ricotta Salata

sent along by Mary Mitchell

2 bunches Swiss chard, or kale or one bunch each
(I’m thinking you could use spinach here as well but you might want to add the spinach half-way through the cooking since it cooks faster than the kale.)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced.
4 garlic cloves, minced (scapes would be great)
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces ricotta salata cheese or feta can be used.

Wash the greens, but do not dry.  Trim the large stems and coarsely chop.  Set aside.
Warm 3 tbsp of olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and saute for 4 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute for 4 minutes longer.  Add the greens, chicken broth, soy sauce, and pepper.  Cook, stirring often, until the greens have wilted and become tender about 7-10 minutes.
Transfer the cooked greens to a serving plate and crumble the ricotta salata or feta cheese over the top.