Rainbow Chard
The high tunnel has been producing for us all winter, in spite of the extreme arctic conditions. One of the last crops standing is chard. (At some point this vegetable will reach the celebrity status that kale has in the past couple of years. We’ve always been ahead of the curve.)
Our favorite meal with chard comes from an Italian cookbook. It’s simple, fast and adaptable. It’s basically spaghetti with a topping sautéed vegetables, with chard as the main ingredient. I’m assuming you know how to prepare pasta so I’ll skip that part.
Here’s what you need:
A bunch of chard (any kind but red or rainbow make a pretty mix)
An onion, of course, medium to large.
Garlic – one of our mega cloves will do.
Another random vegetable (or two) like peppers or kohlrabi or oriental eggplant or summer squash. Be creative.
Olive oil – use indiscriminately, preferably about a quarter cup.
White wine (not red).
An herb. My favorite for this dish is sweet marjoram (the oregano of northern Italy). Thyme, parsley, basil, summer savory are also good.
Shrimp or fresh sausage. (Cook the sausage separately if you use it.)
Parmesan cheese
Sautee the chopped vegetables and herbs, except for the chard in some olive oil. Add wine slowly as needed. When they are nearly done add the chard. As it wilts add the shrimp and cover with a lid until shrimp is done and the chard completely cooked.
That’s it. Serve on the pasta with a little grated cheese. This meal takes less that a half hour.
