Author Notes
My weekly CSA box seems to have chard or kale every week at this time of year, and my Meyer lemon tree is loaded with fruit. Meanwhile, more and more people have food issues, as expressed perfectly by Roz Chast’s brilliant Thanksgiving week cartoon which featured a table-full of people, each with a designation (vegan, on a cleanse, macrobiotic, kosher, picky gourmet, allergic to wheat, etc.) While not totally local (the olives and the shallots come from out of town) this recipe seems to be acceptable, even to my friend who cannot eat anything “from the nightshade family.” It makes a good side dish with a roast, or a wheat-free vegan option when served over polenta. —abbyarnold
Ingredients
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2
bunches of red chard
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2 tablespoons
olive oil
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2
shallots, chopped fine
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1
Meyer lemon, zested and juiced
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20
kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped
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salt and pepper
Directions
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Cut the leaves off the stems all the way up the “spine” of each chard leaf; you’ll have two long leaves and one very long stem from each piece of chard. Chop the stems into ½ inch chunks and sauté them in the olive oil in a dutch oven, deepish sauté pan, or wok.
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After about 10 minutes, when they are getting soft, stir in the chopped shallots. Slice the chard leaves across in one-inch strips, and add them to the sauté. Sprinkle a tiny bit of salt along with pepper, and add ¼ cup of lemon juice. Stir the whole thing. Turn down the heat to lowish, cover, and cook for about 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure it is all getting cooked thoroughly.
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When the chard is no longer tough, and more in the realm of melty, stir in the olives and the lemon zest, and remove from the heat. Serve ASAP!
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