Author Notes
I made this for the first time after having the Swiss chard stems at Al Di La in Brooklyn—I tried to recreate something similar to what I had eaten. They use the Swiss chard leaves in their gnudi and make a side with the stems that I liked even better. I use both the stems and the leaves in my version, since I generally have not used the leaves for something else. —Meatballs&Milkshakes
Test Kitchen Notes
This was liked by the adults and the kids in my family, but for different reasons. The kids liked the sweetness of the chard leaves, but the adults enjoyed the stems better. The honey really clings to the leaves, but not as much to the stems, which become almost perfectly tender and tangy-sweet. I would make this again, experimenting with different types of honey and vinegar to see how the flavor mix changes. It's a simple, straightforward recipe that pairs well with a simple supper of a fried egg or a grilled steak. —avimom
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Chard Agrodolce
Ingredients
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1 bunch
rainbow chard or Swiss chard, stems and leaves separated, with stems chopped into 2- to 3-inch pieces and leaves chopped into thirds
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1 tablespoon
extra-virgin olive oil
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Pinch salt
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1/4 cup
chicken stock
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1/4 cup
white wine
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2 tablespoons
white wine vinegar
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2 tablespoons
honey
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2 tablespoons
toasted pine nuts (optional)
Directions
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Sauté the chard stems in the olive oil and a little salt until they start to break down, about 6 to 8 minutes.
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Add the stock and wine and let them cook down for about 5 to 6 minutes, then add the chard leaves. Once they have wilted, add the vinegar and honey.
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Let it cook down until the liquid has mostly evaporated and the chard is soft. You can add some toasted pine nuts over the top if you want some added crunch.
I'm an ex-finance, nonprofit fundraiser by day and a (mostly) Italian cook and blogger by night. I love having friends over for dinner and my favorite evenings are when we spend them at home together cooking dinner and chatting. I'm an avid cooking show fan, and my favorite eating cities are New York, San Francisco, Paris, and Rome.
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