wilted chard with garlic, lemon, and parmesan

We are starting to get ready to move (more on this soon). Today, this meant that I spent my morning going through cooking magazines (which seem to have started to spontaneously generate - I have no idea how I've collected so many!) to decide which ones would join us in the move and which would be headed towards a recycling bin fate.

One of my habits when I get a new cooking magazine is to stick a post-it note on the front and list the recipes that catch my eye as I'm perusing the mag. It was impossible not to read these lists as I sorted through the piles, so as a sorted, I reminded myself of a whole host of recipes I'd been planning to make but still haven't gotten around to.

This is one of those recipes. I happened to have all of the ingredients on hand, which was a bonus. The recipe is adapted from the January 2009 edition of Gourmet (which, sadly, has gone out of print). My primary modifications were the addition of preserved lemon (not required, but I have one on hand that I'm trying to use up), olives, and red pepper flakes. A vegetarian version that omits the anchovies (but includes the salty olives) would also be tasty. Here's what I did:

Wilted Chard with Garlic, Lemon, and Parmesan

Serves 2

olive oil

2 large cloves of garlic, sliced

1 bunch chard

2 anchovy fillets (optional)

6 oil cured olives, pitted and finely chopped

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. preserved lemon rind, minced

1/4 c. grated parmesan

red pepper flakes

Cut chard leaves from stems and center ribs. Cut leaves and stems into 2-inch pieces, reserving separately.

Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Saute garlic until golden, about 45 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add anchovies to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until they start to break down, about 30 seconds. Add chard stems and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften, 4 to 6 minutes. Add chard leaves by handfuls, turning with tongs and covering pot briefly until greens are wilted. Cook until the leaves and stems are tender, 5 to 8 minutes.

Stir garlic into chard along with lemon juice, preserved lemon, olives and cheese. Serve topped with additional parmesan and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

One year ago: roasted romanesco