Food

  Today's tip of the week is SWISS CHARD.

You can tell it's Spring, going into Summer when the Swiss Chard gets this big; it's almost like monster Swiss Chard. Locally grown and the flavor is fantastic, but you have to select it and store it right.

When you select Swiss Chard this time of year, you want to make sure it's nice and green, that's so important; the greener the better all the way through.

The white of the Swiss Chard just like this; look how white this is. If it is this white, that means it is fresh, and the veins through the leaves have to be nice and white too.

When you bring the Swiss Chard home—oh… look how beautiful this bunch is, I haven't seen one this nice in a long time. When you bring it home, what you want to do is simply store it in the refrigerator. Now it's OK to store it in the plastic bag, but open up the plastic bag so it can breathe. Shelf life at the very most 2 – 3 days; any longer than that, forget it.

Swiss Chard is great in raviolis. Swiss Chard is great steamed and sautéed with other vegetables like tomatoes, and salt and pepper.

The flavor and nutritional value is great, loaded with vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and calcium; it's a cooking green, and it's great for us.

Swiss Chard, if you see it at the market, especially looking like this, how could you not buy it? It is beautiful. I'm buylng this one right now, taking it home and making ravioli.

Swiss Chard and Grilled Polenta
Serves 6

1¼ cups cornmeal
3 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 quart skim milk
Butter-flavored cooking spray
1 bunch Swiss chard, about 1 pound
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
6 ounces wild or domestic mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup dry red wine

One 28-ounce can plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 teaspoons tomato paste
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1½ tablespoon fresh sage or 2 teaspoons dried
¾ grated Parmesan cheese

1. Prepare polenta by combining cornmeal, 2 teaspoons salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and milk in a microwaveable, 2-quart casserole. Cook at full power in a microwave oven, uncovered for 12 minutes, stirring once. Let stand 3 minutes. Spray an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with butter-flavored cooking spray and pour polenta into it, spreading out evenly. Put in the refrigerator to cool. When completely cooled, cut into 6 equal pieces.

2. Meanwhile, separate chard stems from leaves. Stack and roll leaves, cigar-style, and cut into ½ inch strips. Cut stems crosswise into ⅜ inch-wide crescents. Wash in lots of cool water. Drain.

3. Put oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add onion and mushrooms and cook, stirring, until onion and mushrooms begin to soften. Add garlic, cook a few minutes more, and then add wine, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, add chard, and season well with remaining salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes. Add parsley and sage during the last 5 minutes. Preheat broiler.

4. Spray a small baking sheet with butter-flavored cooking spray. Distribute polenta pieces evenly and spray the tops. Broil about 5 minutes on each side or until nicely browned.

5. To serve, put a piece of polenta on each of 6 plates (preferably soup plates), top with chard, and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan.

Cooking Tip
Polenta, soft or firm, is so much easier to make when it is microwaved. If you're one of the few who doesn't have a microwave oven, you can make polenta on top of the stove by adding the cornmeal to a saucepan of boiling salted water or milk in a stream. Stir with a wooden spoon until it comes away from the sides of the pan, about 20 minutes.