About 5 years ago, we joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) while living in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago. Every other week of that summer, I would pick up a box of locally grown produce for our family to enjoy. The boxes contained different things each week, some familiar to us, some not. It was always a treat to see what would come and what we would do with it! Swiss chard was frequently in the boxes that summer. It was one of those things that I had heard of but didn’t really know what to do with at the time.

Now that I have a fairly big garden of my own, I grow my own Swiss chard. It is a member of the beet family with large, flat, crinkled green leaves with thick, fleshy stalks and ribs. The taste is rich, complex and robust. Swiss chard is popular in Italian and French cooking. It is in season from June to October and is quite popular in the South where it is commonly referred to as “greens”. Swiss chard can be made in many of the same ways you would prepare fresh spinach. Sauteed with butter, olive oil, white wine, lemon juice and red onion is our favorite way.

Sauteed Swiss Chard with Parmesan Cheese (adapted from allrecipes.com)

Makes 2 cups 

Ingredients:

Swiss chard growing in my garden.

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, (1/2 to 3/4 pound) stems and center ribs cut out and chopped, leaves coarsely chopped separately
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• salt to taste (optional)

Directions:

Wash the Swiss chard leaves. Cut the leaf from the stems all the way along the center rib, keeping the stems separate from the leaves.

Cut the stems & center ribs from the leafy portion of the Swiss chard.

Chop the stems and the leaves, still keeping them separate. Rinse the stems well then rinse the leaves well.

Rinsing the stems and leaves again after chopping removes any residual grit.

Melt the butter and the olive oil together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic and onion, and cook for until they are fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Saute the onion & garlic in the butter & olive oil.

Add the chopped chard stems and the white wine. Simmer until the stems begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

Saute the stems first in the white wine. The stems need more time to cook through.

Stir in the chard leaves and cook until wilted.

Add the leaves to the saute pan.

Stir in the lemon juice and Parmesan cheese, seasoning to taste with salt if needed.

Parmesan tops it off!

A bit of Southern goodness here in the North!  ~Linda

A wonderful accompaniment to steak, fish, chicken or pork.

Sauteed Swiss Chard with Parmesan Cheese (adapted from allrecipes.com)

Makes 2 cups 

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, (1/2 to 3/4 pound) stems and center ribs cut out and chopped, leaves coarsely chopped separately
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• salt to taste (optional)

Directions:

Wash the Swiss chard leaves. Cut the leaf from the stems all the way along the center rib, keeping the stems separate from the leaves.

Chop the stems and the leaves, still keeping them separate. Rinse the stems well then rinse the leaves well.

Melt the butter and the olive oil together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic and onion, and cook for until they are fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the chopped chard stems and the white wine. Simmer until the stems begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the chard leaves and cook until wilted.

Stir in the lemon juice and Parmesan cheese, seasoning to taste with salt if needed.