I went to the Roanoke City Farmer's Market a few weeks back and my favorite farmer, Jack Ferguson (space 46), who recently celebrated his 89th birthday, had great looking chard in three varieties--red, white, and rainbow (which includes yellow and pink, as pictured above from Brit site JungleSeeds.com).
I steamed it up the red plain for book group, but I wish I had taken the time to find and adapt this recipe from Epicurious.com for chard drizzled with balsamic syrup. The original recipe included lamb chops, but I'd like it w. garbonzos, as below. Hopefully, there will be another opportunity to get Jack's kale.
For balsamic syrup
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1/8 teaspoon black peppercorns
For chard
1 pound Swiss chard
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon water
Make syrup:
Simmer syrup ingredients in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart stainless steel pan over moderate heat until just syrupy and reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 8 minutes. Pour through a sieve into a small bowl, discarding rosemary and peppercorns.
Sauté chard:
Cut stems and center ribs from chard, discarding any tough portions, then cut stems and ribs crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Stack chard leaves and roll into cylinders. Cut cylinders crosswise to make 1-inch-wide strips.
Cook onion and garlic in oil in a cast iron skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Add chard stems and ribs, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until stems are just tender, about 6 minutes. Add 2 cups of already cooked garzbanzo beans.
Meanwhile steam leaves until tender, about 5 minutes and then add to skillet and toss. Remove to platter and serve mixture drizzled with balsamic syrup.
