Greens!

Last weekend I bought beautiful rainbow swiss chard and kale at the farmer's market. I've never cooked swiss chard before, but I have cooked beet greens (and stems) back at the beginning of the CSA season when I was inundated with beets. The verdict on swiss chard...tastes like beet greens, i.e. like dirt, in a good way.

Swiss Chard with Almonds and Raisins
Adapted from Epicurious

medium onion, sliced into long strips
extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
1 large bunch of Swiss chard, center ribs discarded and leaves coarsely chopped
1/2 cup? golden raisins
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup? sliced almonds

1. Cook onion with 1/4 teaspoon salt in 2 tablespoons oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring, until softened.
2. Sprinkle with paprika and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
3. Add chard in batches, stirring frequently, until wilted, then add raisins and water.
4. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until chard is tender, about 7 minutes.
5. Season with salt.
6. Cook almonds in remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil in a small heavy skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
* I didn't do this step, out of pure laziness, the recipe also called for coarsely chopped almonds with skins, I used sliced almonds.*
7. Sprinkle almonds over chard.

I originally made the chard to eat with these tasty pork chops that Wednesday Chef talks about. A very paprika-heavy meal. But then I ate the leftovers hot and cold, as a side, a snack, and the main event; I'll eat just about anything with golden raisins.



Tonight I finally got around to the kale. Luckily, this was a bit of a fridge clean-out meal, too. (We'll get to that fridge later...)

Penne with Kale, Tomatoes and Feta1. Cook 1 lb. penne.
2. Toast pine nuts. Don't burn them like I did.
2. Remove center ribs, coarse chop kale.
3. Put kale in pot with hot olive oil and two chopped cloves of garlic. Cook until kale is wilted.
4. Add crushed tomatoes (about 3/4 of the large can size...this dish isn't one for specifics) and cook for a few more minutes (Stir!)
5. Pour kale and tomato mixture on cooked and drained penne. Toss crumbled feta cheese on top.
6. Top with pine nuts.


Here's that fridge....as you can see the freezer's not any better.

And I'll be needing a place to put a 25-lb. turkey in a few days, hmm...