Summer is the start of my favorite season of eating. The farmers markets are beckoning me with bountiful displays of produce, the pea plants are fragrant with blossoms, and our King Hill Farm CSA has started.
I love the shift from eating root vegetables to just-picked, local food. We are especially enjoying a good supply of fresh greens; ruffled leaves of kale, baby spinach, bok choy, bright lights swiss chard, and tender beet greens. Sautéed greens are a quick and nutritious addition to any meal.
Braising, a cooking technique in which the food is first cooked in a small amount of fat and then simmered in liquid is an excellent way to prepare greens. Braised greens retain many of the phytochemicals that help the body maintain good health; including boosting the immune system and repairing damaged DNA.
Inspired by some garlic sausages from Bagaduce Farm, I braised swiss chard in the cooking liquid from the sausages. It was a melt-in-your-mouth experience. The chard was just tender, not mushy and boiled, and full of spicy, garlic flavor. We felt quite fortunate and satisfied as we completed the meal with a loaf of crusty bread, goat cheese, and local beer.
Braised Swiss Chard with Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 pound swiss chard
- 1 pound sausages (chicken, turkey or pork)
Instructions
- Wash and roughly chop the Swiss chard. Chop the large stems separately. Simmer the sausages in large sauté pan with about an inch of water until they are about half-cooked. Add the chopped Swiss chard and continue to simmer until the chard is cooked. Allow the water to boil off. Briefly brown the sausages and the chard, and serve.
- Makes four servings.