Savory pie highlights versatile Swiss chard
Swiss chard is my go-to summer, fall and winter vegetable not only because it is delicious but because it is so versatile. The large quilted deep green leaves just beg to be stuffed while the smaller leaves are perfect for stir-fry, dishes and soups. My favorite variety is called Bright Lights because the stems are a bouquet of multi colors from yellow to white to red and pink. The stems are edible too so the whole plant is planet friendly with no waste!
Swiss chard leaves need very little cooking time and the worst thing to do to it is to boil it. Being mostly water to begin with, it should be added raw to a saute or to a stirfry, bubbling soups and stews. It is a great filling for stuffed pasta or mixed with cheese and eggs for a healthy morning breakfast. It is a great addon to salads and a few leaves wedged in a sandwich isn’t bad either.
The nice thing about Swiss chard is its year-round availability so it can stand up to any type of cooking.
Swiss chard is celebrated and elevated in this beautiful savory open-face “pie”
SWISS CHARD PIE
For the filling:
4 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. butter
2 large onions, thinly sliced 1 t. brown sugar
2 T. balsamic vinegar
N lb. chunk pancetta, diced 8 c. torn into pieces Swiss
chard leaves, rinsed
K t. hot red pepper flakes (optional)
L c. minced tarragon Salt and pepper to taste
1 c. diced Swiss chard
stems, washed
1 c. diced Swiss cheese,
mozzarella or fontina
For the tart dough:
1O c. unbleached allpurpose flour
2 t. baking powder
2 t. sugar
K t. baking soda
K t. fine sea salt
6 T. cold, unsalted butter cut into bits
O c. buttermilk
Wilt the Swiss chard leaves in a large saute pan with just the water clinging to the leaves. Drain in a colander and squeeze out as much water as possible from the leaves. You should have about 1K cups. On a cutting board, coarsely chop the leaves and set aside.
In a large saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and all the butter. Stir in the onions and cook them slowly over low heat until they soften and begin to caramelize. Stir in the brown sugar and the vinegar, and cook until the onions are glazed looking. Transfer to a large bowl.
In the same pan, heat the remaining olive oil and add the pancetta. Cook until the pancetta begins to give off its fat and begins to brown. Stir in the red pepper flakes and the Swiss chard stems and cook for about 4 minutes stirring frequently. Stir in the tarragon, salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to the bowl with the onions. Cool to room temperature. Add chard leaves and the cheese, and mix in. Filling can be made two days ahead and refrigerated.
To make the tart dough, in a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, salt and butter, and blend with a fork or pastry blender until the mixture resembles oatmeal flakes. Stir in the buttermilk and combine with a spoon or your hands until a rough ball of dough is formed. Do not over work the dough; it will be soft and sticky.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours. Or make the dough the day before. When ready to use, roll the dough into a 14inch diameter on a large sheet of lightly floured parchment paper. Place the dough on the parchment paper on a baking sheet.
Spread the filling evenly over the dough to within 1K inch of the edges. Bring the edges of the dough up around the filling to form a rustic open face pie.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake the pie for 2530 minutes or until nicely browned. Serve hot or warm cut into wedges. Serves 6.