Creamed Swiss Chard
Taken from Local Dirt by Andrea Bemis.
Trim the tough inner ribs from the Swiss chard leaves and save them for another use. Roughly chop the leaves.
Bring a medium-sized pot with 1 inch of salted water to a boil, and cook the chard in two batches, stirring constantly, until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain the leaves in a colander and rinse under cold running water until cool. Squeeze the chard a small handful at a time to remove as much moisture as possible.
In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes until light golden. Add the onion and cook until it is translucent, 2 to 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Pour in 1 cup of the milk, whisking constantly, and cook until the mixture thickens into a sauce, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, the nutmeg, and the crushed red pepper flakes. If the sauce is too thick, add the remaining 1/4 cup of milk, whisking it until you reach the desired thickness.
Add the wilted chard, stirring gently to combine.
Sprinkle with the cheese and serve immediately.
Ingredients
Directions
Trim the tough inner ribs from the Swiss chard leaves and save them for another use. Roughly chop the leaves.
Bring a medium-sized pot with 1 inch of salted water to a boil, and cook the chard in two batches, stirring constantly, until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain the leaves in a colander and rinse under cold running water until cool. Squeeze the chard a small handful at a time to remove as much moisture as possible.
In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes until light golden. Add the onion and cook until it is translucent, 2 to 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Pour in 1 cup of the milk, whisking constantly, and cook until the mixture thickens into a sauce, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, the nutmeg, and the crushed red pepper flakes. If the sauce is too thick, add the remaining 1/4 cup of milk, whisking it until you reach the desired thickness.
Add the wilted chard, stirring gently to combine.
Sprinkle with the cheese and serve immediately.
