Lemon Garlic Chard
Chard is a leafy green vegetable abundantly available in the Northern Hemisphere in the spring and summer months. It has slightly bitter leaves, and is high in vitamins and minerals. In American supermarkets, there are two commonly available types of chard—Swiss chard [1] and Rainbow chard [2]. Usually Rainbow chard is harvested from younger plants and therefore has more tender stalks, but this is not always the case. This preparation of chard is a quick stir-fry, with a hit of acid from the lemon to help cut the bitterness.
Ingredients
1 lb chard
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tsp lemon juice
Olive oil
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Begin by washing the chard, and separating the leaves from the stalks. This can be done either by tearing the leaves from the stalks, or slicing the leaf away with a sharp knife. Any particularly thick veins in the leaves should be cut out as well. Discard any particularly woody bits of the stalks, and chop the rest of the stalks into 2 inch pieces. The stalks will take longer to cook than the leaves, and will hit the heat first. Chop the leaves into 2 inch pieces as well, and set aside.
Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the thinly sliced garlic and fry until the garlic is fragrant—about 30 seconds. Add the pieces of stalk to the pan and cook, tossing with the garlic, for 1 minute. Then add the leaves to the pan. Cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring and tossing occasionally, until all of the leaves are wilted, and the stalks are tender. Like other hardy greens, it is difficult to overcook chard, so the window of doneness is fairly large. You can cook the leaves for a few more minutes if you prefer softer leaves.
Turn off the heat, add the lemon juice, and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Toss well and serve.
Substitutions
This method of stir-frying works well for other dark, leafy greens such as beet leaves and kale. A few drops of apple cider or balsamic vinegar works in lieu of the lemon juice.
[1] It’s not clear how the vegetable acquired the descriptor “Swiss,” as it is neither native to Switzerland, nor characterized by a Swiss scientist, nor commonly used in Swiss cuisine, nor often prepared by “swissing” (rolling and pounding to soften—this is how Swiss steak got its name).
[2] Different varieties of chard have different stem colors, including red, orange, yellow, pink, purple, and white. Rainbow chard is not actually a variety, but rather a collection of different varieties.
Recipe
Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 7 min Total Time: 12 min
Difficulty: 1/5
Heat Sources: 1 burner
Equipment: pan
Servings: 4
Ingredients
1 lb chard
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tsp lemon juice
Olive oil
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Separate the chard leaves from the stalks, and chop both leaves and stalks into 2 inch pieces.
2. Heat about a tsp of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. When the oil is up to temperature, add the sliced garlic, and fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Add the stalks to the pan and cook, tossing, for 1 minute.
4. Add the leaves and cook, tossing occasionally, until the leaves are wilted and the stalks are tender, about 5 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat, add the lemon juice, season with salt and black pepper to taste, and serve.
