food talk

i think my current favorite vegetable is swiss chard. it's soooo yummy. the first time i had it was when i was working at the ritz-carlton and i can't remember why but i was eating at the restaurant, navio. i remember i had the lamb with fingerling potatoes and swiss chard. sooooo gooooooood. that was my first experience with swiss chard, and knowing the executive chef, i asked how he prepares it. "oh, it's so easy" he says and he was right! one bunch will feed 2 people. it's like spinach, it wilts down to nothing. i buy the green variety, but have yet to try the red or rainbow. rinse the bunch(es) in cold water. hold it by the stem, so the leaves are downward, and with your knife, just slice along the rib and discard the rib. i like to cut mine into smaller but still very leafy pieces. throw them into a hot sautee pan with a bit of olive oil and cook til wilted. add salt, pepper and minced garlic, and voila! that's it! swiss chard has a great flavor all on its own, so you don't have to do much to it. i could eat a whole bowl of swiss chard. mmm...

i made it last night with pan seared pork chops that i topped with some leftover chimichurri sauce from mark bittman's the minimalist cooks dinner:

3/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp finely chopped garlic
2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp salt

whisk together in small bowl to blend. let stand at room temp 1-2 hours to blend flavors. great on pork, lamb chops, steak, or chicken. delicious!

and thanks to e's recommendation, just got all about braising and can't wait to start braising! but i need to get a larger french oven first. and might pick up a braiser while i'm at it. :) whee! i love new kitchen toys!