Swiss Chard Recipes...

In my co-op right now, I am getting tons of greens and am a little tired of just sauteeing them in EVOO and garlic, so here are some recipes I found on-line to try:

1) 1 1/2 cups lentils2 1/2 lbs fresh Swiss Chard1/2 cup olive oil3/4 cup chopped onion3 to 4 garlic clovesSalt1 Stalk celery, chopped3/4 cup lemon juice1 teaspoon flourChopped chives for garnish
Wash and pick over the lentils. Cover them with fresh cold water, and cook, covered, until tender. Wash the Swiss Chard leaves and chop them. Add these and a cup of water to the lentils. Continue cooking until the Swiss chard is done, adding more water if necessary. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the chopped onion. Crush the garlic cloves with salt, and add these and the chopped celery to the onion. Continue cooking until the vegetables are tender and blended. Add to the lentil mixture. Mix the lemon juice with the flour and stir it into the soup. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the soup is rather thick. Taste for seasoning. Serve chilled with chopped chives in soup bowls, and pass crusty French or Italian bread to sop up the juices.


2) I am of Italian lineage and our family recipe calls for an important step whenever cooking swiss chard. Always par-boil the swiss chard to remove any bitterness first and to tenderize them. A terrific recipe we have is to (after par-boiling) saute with garlic and olive oil and add a can of tomato sauce (not prepared sauce like Prego or any of that stuff). The small cans of actual sauce that you find near the canned tomatoes. This is a most delicious way to serve as a side dish.


3) My favorite swiss chard recipe is actually for the stems - chop and then steam (or boil) until tender; drain. Toss with a dressing of Tahine, olive oil, garlic, salt and lemon juice.


4) The most gorgeous thing that one can do with Chard is to prepare the leaves and stems as indicated in other posts, and then to sautee the chard with garlic, onion, a bit of chicken stock, fresh or canned tomatoes, to which is added a browned, spicy sausage, like chorizo or Hungarian sausage. Adjust seasonings to taste with sea salt, fresh black pepper, and ground pepper flakes, and top with a tiny shaving of parmesean.

5) Do the following:1. Boil until tender2. Chop into small pieces3. Mix Tahini (sesame seed paste) or in a pinch and out of tahini, use peanut butter, lemon juice, a piece of crushed garlic and a little water, salt and pepper. This should be a pourable sauce. Proportions are up to you. I use about 1 large spoon of tahini to 1/2 spoon of lemon juice. This will be VERY THICK. Add water by the spoonful, and stir until the right consistency. Pour this mixture over the cooked, chopped stems. Eat on pita bread or tortillia rolled up. Very tasty. 4. Keep cooked stems in freezer and add to soups, stews, stir frys, mix in rice dishes, and I know you will think of another way.

6) A simple Lebanese recipe for swiss chard. Sauté chopped swiss shard with smashed garlic and cilantro in olive oil for five minutes add a cup of cooked black eyed-bean then cook on low heat, eat it with pita bread...I prefer this dish cold out of the fridge.