Italian Swiss Chard Tart
Topped with breadcrumbs and Grana-style cheese, this tart from chef Mario Batali captures the deep, rich flavor of Swiss chard.
Ingredients:
2 pounds Swiss chard, washed and dried
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
3 large eggs
1 cup grated Grana cheese
1 cup breadcrumbs
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add 2 tablespoons salt. Roughly chop the Swiss chard, discarding the tough stems. Add the Swiss chard to the boiling water and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until soft and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and the parsley. Let cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let cool.
3. Meanwhile, break the eggs into a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add 3 tablespoons of the cheese and, using a whisk, mix until the ingredients are well-blended. Add the egg mixture to the cooled Swiss chard and toss to combine.
4. Using the remaining olive oil to lightly grease a shallow 9-inch round or oval baking dish. Dust the bottom of the baking dish with 1/2 cup bread crumbs. Carefully place the Swiss chard and egg mixture into the pan. Dust with the remaining cheese and then the remaining bread crumbs. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 1 hour. Serve hot or room temperature.
Bucatini Pasta with Sautéed Red Swiss Chard & Shiitake Mushrooms
Finished with garlic confit and a grating of Grana-style cheese, this wintery pasta is incredibly cozy and satisfying.
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh bucatini pasta, or other fresh pasta of your choice
2 cups Shiitake mushrooms, washed and thinly sliced
1 bunch red Swiss chard, leaves separated from tough stems and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons butter, divided
¼ cup F&L garlic confit
¼ cup Grana-style cheese, grated
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, then add the pasta. Cook until the bucatini is al dente, about 5-6 minutes. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain pasta.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and butter in the skillet. Once warm, add the mushrooms and Swiss chard, tossing to coat with oil and butter. Season with salt and pepper, then cover and sweat until mushrooms are tender and Swiss chard is just wilted, about 4-5 minutes.
3. Add drained pasta to the skillet with the vegetables, then toss everything together with the rest of the olive oil, butter and garlic confit. (If pasta seems a little dry, mix in reserved pasta water.) Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve with a healthy grating of Grana-style cheese and enjoy!
Rainbow Swiss Chard with Lemon Citronette
A light, lemony dressing adds bright appeal to tender Swiss chard.
Ingredients:
1 large bunch rainbow Swiss chard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
½ cup grapeseed or olive oil
Dash of cayenne or red pepper flakes (optional)
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Rinse Swiss chard and pat dry with a paper towel. Trim tough stem ends as needed.
2. Cook stems in a pot of salted boiling water for about 4-6 minutes, until tender, then immediately plunge into an ice bath to preserve color. Let cool.
3. For the dressing, stir the Meyer lemon juice, sugar and your choice of spice together in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in oil and whisk until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Once stems are cool and dry, drizzle with lemon citronette to taste. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
Bietola Swiss Chard Gratin
Creamy with just a hint of mustard, this rustic gratin makes for a lovely side dish.
Ingredients:
1 pound Bietola Swiss chard, with both stems and leaves intact
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1¾ cup heavy cream
Grated Parmesan
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Butter, for baking dish
Method:
1. Heat the oven to 350°. Cut the chard leaves from the stems. Chop the stems into short lengths, then cook briefly in boiling, lightly salted water until crisply tender. Remove the stems. Drop the leaves in the boiling water briefly, until they relax. Drain, let cool, and wring out the leaves. Spread the stems and leaves in a buttered shallow ovenproof dish.
2. Put the mustard in a bowl and stir in the cream and a grinding of salt and black pepper. Pour the seasoned cream over the stems and leaves, cover with grated Parmesan, and bake, 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is bubbly and golden brown.
Rainbow Swiss Chard with Parmesan
Nutty parmesan and rich butter add nuanced flavor to Swiss chard in this easy stovetop recipe from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters.
Ingredients:
1½ pounds fresh rainbow Swiss chard
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Sea salt
Method:
1. Pull chard leaves from the ribs (save ribs for another purpose); tear leaves into large chunks. Wash the leaves and cook until tender in a large pot of salted water, about 4 minutes or so.
2. Drain the leaves and cool, then squeeze out most of the water out and coarsely chop.
3. Melt the butter in a heavy sauce pan over medium heat. Add the chopped chard and salt to taste. Heat through and add a generous amount of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Serve warm.
Sautéed Swiss Chard with French Yellow Peppers
This colorful mixture is wonderful served over pasta noodles, or topped with a poached duck egg!
Ingredients:
2 large bunches of Swiss chard or other favorite green, torn into 2-inch pieces (about 12 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 French yellow peppers, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
Method:
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook peppers and onions, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes.
2. Add 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 to taste.
Sautéed Swiss Chard with Grana
Nutty Grana cheese and rich butter add nuanced flavor to Swiss chard in this easy stovetop recipe from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters.
Ingredients:
1½ pounds fresh Swiss chard
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup grated Grana-style cheese
Sea salt
Method:
1. Pull chard leaves from the ribs; tear leaves into large chunks. Wash the leaves and cook until tender in a large pot of well-salted water, about 4 minutes or so.
2. Drain the leaves and cool, then squeeze out most of the water out and coarsely chop.
3. Melt the butter in a heavy sauce pan over medium heat. Add the chopped chard and salt to taste. Heat through and add a generous amount of Grana-style cheese. Serve warm.
Braised Chard with Sweet Onions
Gorgeous young red chard takes center stage in this meltingly tender side dish from Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters. Try it simply sautéed with onion and olive oil, or customize your own version by adding minced garlic, freshly-squeezed lemon or pan-fried pancetta.
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh young red or green chard
1 large sweet onion
Olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Separate chard leaves and ribs. Wash, drain and cut leaves into a rough chiffonade.
2. Slice a large sweet onion and start it stewing in some olive oil in a pot large enough to hold all the chard leaves.
3. After the onion softens, add the chard leaves, season with salt and pepper, cover and stew for 20 to 3o minutes, stirring every so often.
Sautéed Beets & Swiss Chard Greens
Cooked in butter and wine, this comforting side dish makes use of both flavorful beets and beet greens.
Ingredients:
4-6 Chioggia beets with greens
1 bunch rainbow Swiss chard
3 tablespoons butter
1 shallot
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons water
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Crumbled goat cheese (optional)
Method:
1. Scrub and peel beets. Remove the greens and chop coarsely. Set the greens aside in a large prep bowl. Slice beets into ¼-inch rounds. Remove the ribs from the Swiss chard and coarsely chop and toss into bowl with the beet greens.
2. In a large sauté pan, melt butter. Sauté shallots. Add beet rounds to the shallot butter mixture. Crack some pepper over the beets and a toss in a pinch of salt. Reduce heat and sauté beets, turning over occasionally to ensure even cooking.
3. Cook for about 15 minutes or until beets begin to glaze and become tender; add greens and chard. Sauté for about 5 minutes, then add wine and cover. Cook until greens are wilted, adding water if necessary. Allow liquid to be mostly absorbed into greens, adjust seasonings. Garnish with fresh-cracked pepper and crumbled goat cheese, if desired.
Braised Rainbow Swiss Chard with Garlic
A wonderful side dish to accompany your fall entrées.
Ingredients:
1 large bunch rainbow Swiss chard, lower ends of stems removed, and then coarsely chopped
½ cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Pinch red pepper flakes
Sea salt
Method:
1. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Cook garlic and onions, stirring often, until fragrant and golden, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in red pepper flakes, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in Swiss chard and 1 teaspoon salt.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add water, and braise, covered, until greens are just tender and water evaporates, about 10 minutes. If greens are ready but there is still water in the pan, raise heat to medium-high, and cook, uncovered, until completely evaporated. Check seasoning, adding salt if necessary, and serve.