What? Yes, of course I eat vegetables. A girl can't live off brownies, cupcakes, and cake pops!
Or, can she?
Truth be told, I love vegetables. I even use the words gorgeous and beautiful to describe produce.
Beautiful tomatoes. Gorgeous blueberries. These are words of affection, not given lightly.
That is some beautiful, colorful, yes, gorgeous rainbow chard.
I used to believe that I hated chard. I once had a dish at a fancy schmancy restaurant here in the area. It was macaroni and cheese served on a bed of swiss chard. How could I go wrong? um...it was very wrong. The chard tasted way too bitter and really just ruined my whole meal. And really, how can you forgive something that ruins mac and cheese for you? Swiss chard was dead to me.
Then..we received a bunch of rainbow chard in our organic delivery. Could I even let this vegetable in my house? In my fridge? I'll try anything twice.
Some internet research led me to Epicurious and a recipe for rainbow chard with butter. Butter makes everything better. This dish was no exception. The chard is buttery and delicious. Throw in some leeks and the stems and you have a beautiful side dish. I love it because it keeps its beautiful color even after cooking. It's a vegetable high in Vitamins K, A, and C. Also rich in protein and fiber, but you won't notice all that darn healthy stuff.
Seared rainbow chard with leeks.
from Epicurious
Delicious and buttery, this colorful dish will complete any meal.
4 servings
25 minutes total prep time (most of this is spent prepping your chard)
2 1 lb bunches of rainbow chard
3 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large leek, use only the white and green parts, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch-thick slices
salt to taste
Cut stems from chard and chop them into 1/4 inch slices. Combine these stems with your leeks and set aside.
You might need to remove the rough, coarse stems of the rib. Cut them out and discard.
Stack your remaining chard leaves and roll into a cylinder.
Cut these cylinders crosswise into 1-inch-thick strips.
Heat butter and oil in a heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides. Add the chard stems and leeks with some salt and pepper. Cook until slightly soft, about 4 minutes.
Add chard leaves and continue to saute, stirring frequently until wilted.
Serve immediately.
You'll have a nice colorful vegetable. Worthy of the highest compliment.
Beautiful.
Gorgeous.
Delicious.
Looks like a nice side dish for my cupcake dinner.
