Sautéed Swiss Chard Stalks with Olive Oil, Garlic and Parsley
This recipe was originally found on cookstr.com and was written by Marcella Hazan
Recipe
Yield: For 4 servings
Ingredients
2½ cups Swiss chard stalks, cut into pieces 1½ inches long
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1½ teaspoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
Directions
1. Wash the chard stalks in cold water. (See note below about using the chard leaves.) Bring 3 quarts water to a boil, drop in the stalks, and cook at a moderate boil until they feel tender when prodded with a fork, approximately 30 minutes, depending on the stalks. Drain and set aside.
2. Put the olive oil and garlic in a sauté pan, turn on the heat to medium. Cook and stir the garlic until it becomes very lightly colored, then add the boiled stalks, the parsley, salt, and pepper. Turn the heat up to medium high, tossing and turning the stalks to coat them well. Cook for about 5 minutes, then transfer the contents of the pan to a warm plate and serve at once.
Notes
Using chard leaves: This is an excellent recipe to keep in mind if you have used chard leaves in pasta, soup, or a cooked salad. You can keep the trimmed stalks in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days. Or, if it is the leaves that are going to be left over after doing this dish, try to use them within 24 hours. The leaves can be used in pasta dough to dye it green, or together with cheese, for the filling is a variety of stuffed pastas. The leaves are also good in soup, delicious boiled and served with olive oil and lemon juice, or sautéed with olive oil and garlic.
