Lettuce Patch Gardens Sustainably grown artisan vegetables Colorado Springs, Colorado

Sauteed Swiss Chard with Olive Oil and Garlic

Swiss chard has relatively tough leaves that are softened by sautéing and because of its deep earthy flavor, it goes especially well with olive oil and garlic.

20 ounces of Swiss chard

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

salt and freshly ground pepper

Wash the Swiss chard in a large bowl of cold water, lift the leaves out of the water and drain in a colander. Repeat the washing and draining until there is no sand or grit left in the bottom of the bowl. If the insides of the stems are gritty, scrub them gently with a small brush.

If the Swiss Chard is fully mature – the stems are wider than ¼ inch – cut the leaves away from the stems. Cut the stems in half lengthwise, and then slice them into approximate ¼-inch dice. Cut the Swiss chard leaves across into ½-inch wide strips. (This is easiest if you stack and roll up the leaves and then slice the roll. (If you’re using baby chard, don’t bother separating the leaves and stems; just cut the leaves and stems together into ½-inch-wide strips.

Heat the olive oil in a 12- or 15-inch sauté pan over medium heat with the garlic and sauté gently for 2 minutes. Be careful to not brown the garlic, or it will be bitter.

If you’re using tender leaves with their stems, turn the heat up high and stir the leaves in the oil for 2 to 4 minutes or until the leaves are completely limp.

If you’ve cut out the stems, add the diced Swiss chard stems to the garlic mixture and stir every couple of minutes for 6 to 10 minutes, or until the cubes become translucent and tender. Turn the heat up to high and stir in the leaves. If there’s not enough room for all the leaves in the pan, add only half the leaves and wait a minute before adding the rest. Stir the leaves for 4 to 6 minutes—the exact time will depend on the age of the leaves—until the leaves soften.

Season the leaves with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

From Vegetables by James Peterson

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