What To Do With The Bounty

      Chard. Chard, chard, chard. I haven't given it much credit. I was never terribly impressed with its muddy taste (I’d rather eat a beet), eating it raw would make my teeth feel funny and, if cooked, collards maintained their status as preferred green. 

       But it sure gets points for being so gorgeous.

       Perhaps its beauty has kept my eyes open for a winning recipe – the pinks and purples in their stems are too stunning to go to waste. And it's bountiful in the summer – people are always asking for tips around this time of year when chard shows up in CSA boxes, farmers’ markets and roadside vegetable stands.

       Leave it to Ottolenghi to be the one who provides. (I implore you to seek his inspiring counsel in your kitchen. He has a weekly column in the Guardian, five restaurants in London, and three vivacious cookbooks. I very warmly recall meals and Sunday pastries from his shop in Islington two winters ago.) His flavors are bold and proud and his presentation brazen.

       In this recipe, he casts blanched swiss chard as the leading character and supports it with a nutty cheese a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper,  crunchy bread crumbs and toasted nuts. The accompanying sauce brightens the dish with tart sorrel and yogurt. I like to serve the cakes on a bed of salad greens but would bet money that it'd be a decadent sandwich on a honey-glazed roll.

       It makes a lovely lunch for two.

Swiss Chard Cakes w/ Sorrel Sauce

adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi

Bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Add 1/8 c of salt to the water once it boils.

For the cakes:

6 c  (about 1 bunch) swiss chard, de-stemmed and roughly chopped (stems chopped into 1/2 inch coins)

1/2 c toasted walnuts, chopped (bake at 325F for 15  minutes)

1/2 c bread crumbs  or crumbled crackers *

1 T olive oil

1 cup roughly chopped or grated Manchego

2 cloves garlic, smashed and diced

1 egg, lightly beaten

3/4 t sea salt

1 t freshly ground black pepper

1/3 c oil, for frying (a mixture of olive and canola)

For the sauce:

1 cup sorrel leaves, washed and roughly chopped **

2 cups Greek yogurt (please, no fat-free)

1 garlic clove

1 t dijon mustard

3/4 t sea salt

Process

      The sauce is nice to make first so to allow the flavors to mingle. Put all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour into a sauce bowl and place aside.

       Submerge the swiss chard stems into the boiling salted water and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the chard leaves and let cook for another 4 minutes (until very tender - they'll nearly melt on your tongue). Pour into a strainer and let cool until you can handle them without saying "Ow".

      Gently squeeze dry (you don't want to crush or mash them) and put into a large mixing bowl. Fold in the other ingredients until combined.  If the mixture is too wet, feel free to add more bread crumbs. Taste and make any adjustments. Form into 1/2 inch patties. 

      Heat the cooking oil over medium-high and fry the cakes for about two minutes on each side, or until they brown and begin to get crisp. Transfer to a paper towel or newspaper to absorb excess oil. 

      Serve soon and don't forget the sauce!

Yields: enough for 2 

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

* toss cubed bread in olive oil and salt, to taste. Bake at 375F until toasted, with a bit of give when touched (like, not too toasted). Pulverize in a food processor.

** Sorrel is a lemony spinach-like leaf that comes in the spring and a bit into the summer. If it's nowhere to be found, basil or spinach and a 1/2 t of lemon juice can be substituted.

Writing and Styling by Adria Lee / Photography by Samantha Abrams of Emmy's Organics