Falling On Chard Times

I know I’m from the South, but unlike B, I don’t like collards or turnips greens. I know it is almost blasphemy here. So it makes me feel like I may have redeemed myself: I think I have finally found my greens.

B has been growing some Swiss chard. It is our first experience with the vegetable and we are impressed. We had never eaten it and certainly never grown it. He started with seed at the end of December. The plain brown envelope has handwritten on it “Fordhook,”  which seems to be the variety.

We have eaten it three times now and decided to share it here.

The leaves are large. This is the full-size colander I sent out for the harvest: rather a joke, don’t you think?

First B washes the leaves and then cuts the stems into about 1/2 inch pieces and drops them into rapidly boiling, salted water to boil for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, he  chops the greens.

These are added to the boiling pot to cook another 4 or 5 minutes. There is no strong odor.

My contribution to the dish is the flavoring oil. The first time, we just used some left-over bread-dipping oil. Since, I have mixed my own. Omitted from the picture is some salt. You don’t need much of the oil mix for a lot of greens.

After the greens are drained, they are pressed to extract more water.

They are returned to the pan, mixed with the oil and warmed.

The mild, mild flavor is enhanced by the herbs and oil, but not overwhelming.

Tonight we served them with blackened chicken, pureed winter squash with maple syrup and a biscuit.

My kind of greens!