CREAMED SWISS CHARD

I love creamed spinach.  Whether it’s served with poached eggs, or a NY strip, or just as an entrée on it’s own, if it’s on the menu, I’ll usually order it.  But I’ve never made it-I mean, come on—it’s CREAM, right? I don’t use that kind of stuff at home (unless it’s for a confection).  My go-to spinach recipe involves sautéing the spinach with raisins and pine nuts, and sometimes throwing in olives and garlic as well.  It’s delicious, it’s nutritious, and afterwards, I can justify a little dessert.  Creamed spinach, on the other hand, is one of those delicacies I have chosen to leave to the kitchens of the professionals, where I don’t have to see the gallons of cream elevating the pretty green leaves from it’s iron, calcium and antioxidant rich glory into luxurious, creamy deliciousness.

But enough about spinach.  This is a post about chard.  I bought it at the farmer’s market, and was scrolling through blogs and websites looking for a good chard recipe.  I found plenty that mimicked my go-to spinach dish of pine nuts and raisins, but I wanted to treat my chard right.  I wanted to give it it’s own unique place in my culinary repertoire.  And then I came across a recipe for creamed chard, and it was all over.   And it turned out, the recipe wasn’t that sinful after all.  So afterwards, I had dessert.

Creamed Swiss Chard

(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

• 1 bunch (about 1 lb) Swiss chard
• ½ cup red onion, diced
• 3 tblsp butter
• 3 tblsp all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups milk (I used 1%)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Wash chard but do not dry it. Cut off thick stems (and save for another use).  Tear leaves into pieces which are about 1 inch square.  Place the wet leaves in a dry 10” sauté pan and sauté over medium law heat until wilted, about 6 minutes.

Remove chard from pan, and place it in a colander lined with paper towels or cheesecloth.  Squeeze the excess water from the leaves and set aside.

Wipe out the sauté pan and melt the butter in it. Add the diced onions and sauté over medium heat for about 6 minutes, until they are softened and translucent. Heat the milk in a small saucepan over moderate heat, stirring to avoid scalding the milk.

Add the flour into the onion and butter and stir to create a roux. Continue stirring for about three minutes. Add the warm milk in a slow stream, stirring continuously to prevent lumps.   Continue stirring as you simmer the roux until thickened, about three or four minutes. (If the roux is too thick, you can add additional (warmed) milk to thin it out.)

Stir in the chard, add salt and pepper to taste, and cook, stirring, until heated through.

-LMB