Sautéed chard with Lemon & Hot Pepper
adapted from Chez Panisse Vegetables
Stem the chard, wash and drain the leaves, and cut them into a rough chiffonade (fairly thin strips). Sauté in olive oil, covered, for 5 minutes or so, until the leaves are wilted and tender. Remove the cover and cook away the excess moisture. Season at the last minute with a pinch of red pepper flakes according to taste, and with salt and pepper, and squeeze lemon juice over just before serving.
Chard Tart
adapted from The Joy of Cooking (1997)
This recipe is easier than it initially appears, but it does take more time than other recipes. But it’s worth it. Preheat oven to 425°F. Prepare pastry, by whisking together:
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Stir in with a fork until thoroughly blended:
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup cold milk or water
The dough will be crumbly and difficult to roll, so press it evenly into 11-inch tart pan. Bake until crust is set and lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes, pricking the bottom if it bubbles. Meanwhile, cook in a large skillet over medium-low heat until softened, 10 to 15 minutes:
- olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
Increase heat to medium and add and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes:
- 1 bunch chard leaves
- diced garlic, to taste
Season with:
- salt & pepper, to taste
Combine in a bowl:
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Add chard mixture, then scrape the mixture into prepared tart shell and spread evenly. Reduce oven to 375°. Bake until filling is golden and firm, 25 to 35 minutes. let cool to room temperature before serving.
Baked delicata
This is the easiest way we’ve found to prepare delicata squash. Wash your squash, and then slice it lengthwise in half. Scoop out the seeds, and place the squash cut-side down on a greased pan. Drizzle or brush oil over the skin and lightly salt. Bake at 350° until you can slip a knife into the side with no resistance and the cut side begins to turn brown and caramelized. Serve one half per person warm—no need to add butter or brown sugar, since these squash tend to be sweeter and smoother than acorn or others.
A yummy variation: to make baked delicata into an entire meal, sauté/wilt chard (or other cooking greens) with onions and sausage or bacon if you eat it. When serving the delicata, pour the greens/onion/bacon mixture ‘into’ the seed cavity so that the greens overflow onto the plate. We love the sweet and savory combination of the two together and have been known to eat a whole squash each this way at one meal! Get creative about other possible “fillings” too: rice pilaf, etc.
Cabbage & egg noodles
We first made this dish after reading about it in Saveur magazine. Apparently this simple combination is a traditional Austrian street food, sold from street carts during the cold winters in Vienna. Anyhow, it sounded so delicious that we tried it and loved loved loved it. To some people, it sounds odd at first, but we’ve won over many converts, including both sets of our parents.
Chop up one large onion. In a large, deep pan, sauté in plenty of butter until the onions are translucent. Add sliced cabbage (savoy or traditional) and stir. Add more butter. Cover and let the cabbage steam. Stir occasionally. You’ll want to let this cook longer than you might expect, until the cabbage is soft and tender.
Meanwhile, boil egg noodles. When done, add them to your pan and stir into the cabbage and onions. Add more butter and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let sit on very low heat for another few minutes (softness is the key here).
Serve warm with roasted potatoes, cheese, baked delicata squash, and/or sausage. We guarantee a warm belly after eating this meal. Yum-my!
