Swiss Chard, garlic, and lemon

Angela Shelf Medearis, The Kitchen Diva, promotes healthy seasonal cooking whenever possible. Buying produce from local farmers, or growing your own, she says, provides fresh, full flavors no matter what dish you prepare. Her most recent cookbook, The Kitchen Diva’s Diabetic Cookbook, 150 Healthy, delicious recipes for Diabetics and Those Who Dine with Them attempts to eliminate the divide between eating “therapeutically” and eating because it’s just good.

Mixed Greens with Garlic and Lemon

Makes 4 servings

You can make this mixed greens recipe your own!  I used Kale in my cookbook, but the Swiss chard and the watermelon radishes at the Sunset Valley Farmer’s Market were so beautiful, I couldn’t resist buying some.  I had a few cups of coleslaw (without any dressing on it) leftover from a previous meal, so I threw that into the pot, too. Boggy Creek Farms has fabulous smoke-roasted tomatoes that are also delicious with the mixed greens!

•  1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large bunches Swiss chard (about 2 pounds total), cleaned, stemmed, and chopped, stems reserved
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2cup reduced-sodium chicken broth or water
• 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 small head green cabbage, finely shredded
• 2 small watermelon radishes, chopped (optional)
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon seasoned rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a large nonstick skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the Swiss chard stems, the onion, and carrot, and cook until the onion is translucent, and the stems soften about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the broth or water and soy sauce, stirring to combine. Increase the heat to high and bring the sauce to a boil.

Decrease the heat to medium-low, add the Swiss chard, cabbage, and radishes, if desired, and toss to mix, cover, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until the greens are tender. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegar, and black pepper. Remove from the heat and serve.

TIP:

1. Store unwashed fresh greens in a plastic bag, removing as much of the air from the bag as possible, for up to 5 days. The longer they are stored, the bitterer the flavor becomes. Do not wash greens before storing because exposure to water encourages spoilage.
2.  To clean fresh greens, discard any leaves that are wilted, brown, yellowing, or damaged. Immerse the greens in a sink full of water and wash well to remove sand, grit, and any debris. Lift out, drain, rinse and repeat until the water is clean.
3. To stem, make a V-shaped cut where the stem meets the leaf.  Use the stems the way you would use celery and cook them with the onions. Stack the leaves and coarsely chop them into 3- to 4-inch ribbons, or roll several leaves together into a cigar shape and slice into thin ribbons.