Braised Swiss Chard and Dried Cherries over Polenta

So, I'm a few weeks into my CSA share (Community Supported Agriculture) and last week I scored some young rainbow Swiss Chard from Elm Tree Organics in Lancaster County, as May is its peak season here in the East. Swiss Chard is a dark leafy green, popular in European dishes and no surprise, is super nutritious - rich in antioxidants, iron, potassium, fiber, the list goes on. When it comes to cooking, here's a great tutorial on how to prep Swiss Chard from CookingLight.com.

Like with other hearty greens, I usually just sauté the chard and toss with pasta (much like this recipe) but I also had just received my May Foodie Penpal package, which included some delicious dried Reiner cherries. A typical Mediterranean recipe is to cook greens with dried fruit like raisins so I started to brainstorm. Polenta is also an Italian staple that is often served with braised or sautéed greens, so I came up with this.

Braised Swiss Chard and Dried Cherries over Polenta

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• Author: by Deanna Segrave-Daly, RD
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Description

Swiss chard is in season in spring - tips on preparing and cooking including recipe for Braised Swiss Chard and Dried Cherries over Polenta.

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Ingredients

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For chard:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 cups Swiss chard, stems removed and chopped
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• ¼ cup water
• ½ cup dried cherries
• 2 teaspoons orange zest

For polenta

• 3 cups water
• ¾ cup corn grits or polenta, uncooked
• ½ cup grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese

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Instructions

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add in garlic and sauté for 30 minutes, stirring often.
4. Add Swiss chard and coriander and mix well and sauté for 2 minutes. Pour in ¼ cup water, reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Braise greens for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add in dried cherries and zest. Cook another 2 minutes, covered. Remove from heat.
6. While greens are cooking, make polenta. Bring 3 cups water to a boil in medium sized pot. In a steady stream, slowly pour in polenta, whisking constantly. Turn heat down to medium low and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring every so often with wooden spoon until thick.
7. Remove from stove and mix in cheese.
8. When serving, ladle polenta into four bowls. Top with warm swiss chard.

I must say it was a very satisfying and hearty vegetarian dish (cheese can be omitted to make it vegan.)

Do you ever cook Swiss Chard? If you are part of a CSA, what did you get in your most recent share?