Because chard is bitter and the taste is strong, it goes best with equally strong complementing flavors or combination of flavors (on the same principle as color wheels) - or with flavors that tame the bitterness but don't eliminate it. Sour things like lemon and vinegar are good choices or neutral, mild foods like tofu or ricotta or pasta. And of course, sweet things that may also be tart such as sour cherries, pomegranate seeds or dried cranberries. I've tried a lot of combinations. Here's a couple for you Lisa - and anyone else that wants to try them.
Simple One:
Thoroughly wash leaves. Chiffonade cut the leaves including the large center vein. Slice 1 jalapeño or serrano chili, including seeds and veins, into rings. Crush 3 or 4 cloves of new garlic. Place fry pan on low flame. Add 3 tablespoons of very fruity olive oil and crushed garlic. Sauté for 1 minutes. Add chili and continue cooking on low for another minute. Add cut leaves and continue cooking until leaves just wilt. Add 3 grinds of black pepper, half a teaspoon of salt. Place in serving dish and squeeze the juice of half a lemon on top.
Simple Two:
Remove large center vein from leaf and reserve for another use (maybe add to stock). Chiffonade cut the leaves. Crush 1-2 clove of new garlic. Place fry pan on low flame. Add 2 tablespoons light olive oil, 1 large tablespoon unsalted butter and crushed garlic. Sauté for 1 minutes. Add cut leaves and continue cooking until leaves just wilt. Remove leaves from pan. Add another large tablespoon of butter to pan. Add 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup of grated parmesan. Toast for a minutes until golden. Add 3 grinds of black pepper, half a teaspoon of salt and a pinch of peperoncino flakes. Place leaves in serving dish and cover with toasted crumbs. Grate lemon rind on top.
Harder:
Remove large center rib from leaf. Reserve. Chiffonade cut the leaves and add them to a non metallic bowl. Add a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of lemon juice. Using your hands massage the leaves (like kale) until the greens easily bend - about 15 minutes. Place leaves in a sieve and rinse off the salt and lemon juice. Put aside. Chop reserved rib and a small bunch of fresh chives. Add to chard leaves. In a small frying pan toast 1/4 cup of pine nuts or hazelnuts, careful not to over-brown them. In a separate saucepan add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar and a pinch of salt. Heat dressing until it is warm but not hot. Add toasted nuts and 1/4 cup of sour dried fruit (cherries, cranberries, etc.) to the oil. Remove from heat and let cool 1 minute. Add dressing to a salad bowl. Add salad greens and plenty of ground pepper. Toss. Eat.
Harder Yet:
Thoroughly wash chard leaves. Rough chop chard including center rib. Rough chop 2 medium leeks. Dice 1 serrano chili including seeds and veins. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to heavy gauge pot. On medium heat sauté leek and serrano chili until leeks are translucent but not brown. Reduce heat to medium. Add two whole cloves of new garlic. Add chard and cook until leaves are wilted. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and black pepper. Add 8 cups of filtered water. Turn heat up to medium. Peel and chop 6 large potatoes. Add to pot. Cover and simmer for twenty minutes. Remove pot from stove and blend soup with a wand blender until all ingredients are incorporated. Place fine strainer over large bowl. Push soup through the strainer using a wooden spoon. Discard pulp. Return strained liquid to pot. Turn flame onto low. Add 2/3 cup heavy cream (10%), 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, juice of 1 lemon. Taste for salt and pepper. Soup will be quite thin. If you want a thicker soup, heat liquid without cream. When soup is hot, remove from flame. Whip cream to half volume and fold into liquid and serve immediately.
Enjoy! בתיאבון
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