Polenta w/ Garlicky Greens | Swiss Chard Frittata | Greens & Eggs

Storage

Store bunched greens in a plastic bag in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

Freezing

Blanch pre-washed (and chopped, if desired) greens in boiling water for 1 minute.  Plunge into an ice water bath to cool. Drain and wring out as much water as possible. Form into convenient serving-size balls. Wrap balls in plastic wrap and freeze in quart or gallon-size freezer bags.

Washing Greens

Fill a large bowl or dishpan with cold water.  Add greens and swirl around vigorously. All the dirt and sand will sink to the bottom.  Lift greens out of basin and into a salad spinner or colander.  Spin greens to dry or drain as best you can and dry on towels. 

Recipes

Polenta with Garlicky Greens

• 2 cups medium grind cornmeal
• salt
• 3 lbs. chard (2 bunches)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 6 medium garlic cloves, slivered
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

First, make the polenta. Bring 8 cups water to a boil, add 2 tsp salt, and turn heat down to medium. Slowly whisk in cornmeal to prevent any lumps. Continue whisking ask polenta returns to a boil and whisk until thickened, about 1-2 minutes more. Reduce the heat to low and cook covered 35-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes with a wooden spoon.

Next, remove the ribs from the chard (save for grilling separately, if you like) and wash the leaves. Saute onions in oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the greens to the pan and stir to coat the leaves with oil.Cover and cook 5-7 mimutes, stirring 2-3 times, until tender. Remove the cover and boil off most of the liquid.

When the polenta has finished cooking, stir in the butter and season with salt. Divide the polenta in bowls and top with greens. Sprinkle with parmesan if you like.

Fritatta with Swiss Chard and Roasted Garlic

• 4 cups washed, stemmed swiss chard
• 2 medium heads garlic (8 cloves)
• 6 large eggs
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• salt and pepper
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400. Slice the top off the garlic head to expose the tops of the cloves and drizzle with olive oil. wrap the head in foil and bake 20 minutes, or until soft. Squeeze the garlic out of its skins into a medium sized bowl.

Boil the swiss chard in salted water until just tender, about 3 minutes. Rinse with cold water, drain and finely chop. 

Preheat the broiler. Add eggs, chard, cheese, salt and peper to the bowl with the garlic and beat with a fork. Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet and add the egg mixture to the pan. Cook over medium-low heat, occasionally sliding a spatula around the edges of the pan to let the uncooked egg run to the sides. Continue cooking until fritatta is set but still runny on top. Place the pan directly under the broiler and cook until golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Invert onto a cutting board or platter and cut into wedges. Serve hot or at room temperature. 

Greens and Eggs

One of the best cookbooks of 2009 was "The Pleasures of Cooking for One" by Judith Jones. I gave a copy to my mother and enjoyed perusing it during our Christmas visit. Here's one of the recipes that stuck with me.

• 1 frozen ball of greens or 1 fresh bunch (use chard, kale, beet greens, spinach, etc.)
• 2 Tbsp Olive oil
• 2 eggs
• Salt & Pepper
• Toast

Heat the oil in a small wok or frying pan. Add the greens and saute for 5 minutes, adding a few drops of water if necessary and a pinch of salt. Make two little pockets in the greens and break an egg in each, sprinkling with salt & pepper. Cover the pan with a lid and increase heat to high for 30 seconds to generate some steam. Immediately reduce heat to low and steam for 6-7 minutes or until the eggs are set. Avoid peeking if possible. Serve on toast for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.