Christmas

Red Chard with Festive Spices

by:
October  7, 2014
4.7
3 Ratings
Red Chard with Festive Spices
Photo by Alpha Smoot
  • Serves 4 as a side dish
Author Notes

The flavor of dill is oddly festive for me because my family snacks on a simple baked dilly artichoke dip with buttery Ritz crackers while cooking supper on Thanksgiving and Christmas. The flavors of dill and caraway seed in this dish give it a moody late-fall and winter essence (think Oktoberfest meets Christmas!), and the red and green coloring adds to its holiday spirit. Enjoy! —Emily | Cinnamon&Citrus

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: Emily is a self-declared lifetime member of the Clean Plate Club.
WHAT: A side dish that tastes -- and looks -- like the holidays. It’s a food and décor 2-for-1.
HOW: Sauté caraway seeds until fragrant, then add chopped onion, celery, and chard stems to the mix. Deglaze the pan with sherry, add the chard leaves until they’re wilted, then coat everything with a cream and dill. Finish with a grate of nutmeg.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Cream can weigh down a dish of delicate vegetables, but here, it makes the chard leaves velvety while mellowing the flavors of dill and caraway. And where a lot of recipes cast aside the chard stems, here, they’re the source of crunch and color. —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 large bunch of red-veined Swiss Chard
  • 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 ribs celery, diced
  • 1/4 cup sherry (or white wine)
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 1.5 tablespoons dried dill
  • 1/8 teaspoon (scant) freshly grated nutmeg
Directions
  1. Prepare the chard by washing and drying it well. Then strip the leaves from the tough stems and chop them roughly. Dice the stems and reserve.
  2. In a heavy bottomed pan with a lid over medium-high heat, toast the caraway seeds in olive oil until fragrant, about one minute.
  3. Add the butter to the pan, and when it's melted, sauté the onion, celery, and chard stems with a pinch of salt and pepper until soft and translucent (but not brown), 5 to 7 minutes.
  4. Deglaze the pan with sherry and add the chard leaves, tossing to coat. Cover the pan and wilt the chard leaves, about 5 minutes.
  5. Whip together the cream, sour cream, and dill with a big pinch of salt and a few grinds of fresh cracked black pepper. When the chard has begun to wilt, stir in your cream mixture and reduce the heat to low. Grate the fresh nutmeg over your greens, and warm through, about 2 to 3 minutes.
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13 Reviews

Hemz7781
Hemz7781 November 12, 2014
Can this be made in advance? If so, for how long?
 
Emily |.
Emily |. November 12, 2014
I have not tried to make this in advance since it is relatively quick. If I did, I think I would just make one day in advance but leave out the sour cream/cream mixture. Then would reheat gently on the stovetop (perhaps w a splash of stock, or an extra splash of wine) before adding the cream. If you try I'd love to know how it works out!
 
lapadia
lapadia October 29, 2014
Congrats on your festive looking runner up, Emily! :)
 
QueenSashy
QueenSashy October 24, 2014
What an inspiring recipe! Chard, spices and cream, yay, yay, yay!
 
Emily |.
Emily |. October 25, 2014
Thanks so much for the kind words!
 
Emily |.
Emily |. October 25, 2014
Oh! And I just realized you are the master behind spice merchant couscous. Which I convinced my husband was traditional couscous. Amazing trick and recipe!
 
QueenSashy
QueenSashy October 25, 2014
:)
 
Bevi
Bevi October 23, 2014
This looks delicious Emily! Congrats!
 
Emily |.
Emily |. October 25, 2014
Same to you, Bevi! Love the look of your recipe. My husband has instructions to return my bag of bulk bin pistachios (he took them I work as a massive snack!) so I can try it out.
 
healthierkitchen
healthierkitchen October 23, 2014
Interesting flavors, Emily! Luckily I have some chard growing out back!
 
Emily |.
Emily |. October 25, 2014
Thank you! Glad to help you put it to good use. And cheers to you for growing your own (I am a plant killer, unfortunately).
 
EmilyC
EmilyC October 23, 2014
Congrats on being a finalist! The dill and caraway are such nice touches.
 
Emily |.
Emily |. October 25, 2014
Thanks, Emily! I'm flattered, I have tried and loved so many of your recipes. Your pork tacos are in the regular rotation at our house.