Swiss Chard with Braised Leeks and Garlic

March 21, 2011

By Riki Shore
This recipe was inspired by the wonderful Greens Cookbook by Deborah Madison and Edward Espe Brown. I take quite a bit of liberty with the ingredients, substituting onion or shallot for the leeks, chicken broth or water for the wine, and spinach or kale for the chard. It’s terrific on its own, or stir in crumbled spicy sausage, chopped bacon, or chopped green olives before serving.

Wash well and slice into 1 inch pieces, reserving ribs for another use:

1 bunch of swiss or rainbow chard leaves

Trim the root ends and dark green stalks, then slice thinly:

2 leeks

Heat over medium in a saucepan:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Add leeks and saute gently until soft, 2 – 3 minutes. Add:

1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Stir to combine, cooking for about 30 seconds. Then add:

1/4 cup dry white wine

Stir once, then cover the pan and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 10 minutes, until everything is very soft. Check occasionally to ensure that nothing is burning, and add a splash more wine if necessary.

Add prepared chard to the pan and cook, covered, at least 5 minutes. Stir everything to combine and continue cooking, covered, until chard is very soft. Uncover and allow to cook only long enough to evaporate any excess cooking liquid.

Remove everything to a bowl and stir in:

1 ounce plain chevre

Serve immediately, or combine with crumbled sausage, bacon, or olives. This also makes a wonderful omelet filling.