Sweet And Sour Swiss Chard With Dried Currants Food

SWISS CHARD WITH CURRANTS AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Place the raisins or currants in a bowl and pour on hot water to cover. Soak 10 minutes and drain.
• Fill a bowl with ice water. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add the chard. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until just tender. Transfer to the bowl of ice water and let sit for a few minutes. Drain and squeeze out as much water as you can. Chop coarsely.
• Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the chard stems and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until tender. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring, until they begin to color, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, just until the garlic begins to smell fragrant about 1 minute. Add the chopped greens and raisins or currants and toss together until they are well coated with oil and heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve, or allow to cool and serve at room temperature.

SWEET-AND-SOUR SWISS CHARD WITH DRIED CURRANTS

Steps:

• Cook Swiss chard in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well.
• Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add Swiss chard and currants and sauté until heated through, about 3 minutes. Drizzle vinegar over and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.

BRUSCHETTA WITH SWISS CHARD, PINE NUTS AND CURRANTS

Steps:

• Place 1/4 cup currants in small bowl. Add enough warm water to cover currants. Soak 20 minutes. Drain well. Preheat oven to 450°F. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant and pale golden, about 1 minute. Add Swiss chard. Sauté until chard is wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Mix in pine nuts and currants. Season mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
• Arrange bread in single layer on baking sheet. Bake bread until golden, about 5 minutes. Brush remaining 1 tablespoon oil over bread slices. Top with warm chard mixture, dividing equally. Arrange on platter and serve.

BRAISED SWISS CHARD WITH CURRANTS AND FETA

Steps:

• Cut stems and center ribs from chard, discarding any tough parts near base, then cut stems and ribs crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Coarsely chop leaves.
• Cook garlic in oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add chard stems and ribs, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes. Add currants and cook, stirring, until plump, about 1 minute. Add chard leaves and water and increase heat to moderate, then cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until leaves are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in feta.

SWISS CHARD TART WITH GOAT CHEESE, CURRANTS, AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Defrost the puff pastry slightly and unroll it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Use a paring knife to score a 1/4-inch border around the edge of the pastry. Make an egg wash by whisking one egg yolk with 1/2 teaspoon water, and brush the egg wash along the border. (You will not need all of the egg wash.) Chill the puff pastry in the freezer until ready to use.
• Tear the chard into large pieces.
• Heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the shallots, and the thyme. Sauté a few minutes, and add half the Swiss chard. Cook a minute or two, tossing the greens in the oil to help them wilt. Add the second half of the greens, and season with a heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of black pepper. Cook for a few more minutes, stirring frequently, until the greens are tender.
• Spread the greens on a baking sheet or platter to cool. (You may want to put them in the refrigerator, so they cool more quickly.) When they've cooled, squeeze the excess water out with your hands.
• Place the ricotta, remaining egg yolk, and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Purée until smooth, and remove to a mixing bowl. Gently fold in the crème fraîche, and season with a healthy pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Spread the ricotta mixture on the puff pastry inside the scored border. Crumble half the goat cheese over the ricotta, arrange the greens on top, and sprinkle the remaining goat cheese over the tart. If you aren't ready to bake, cover the tart with plastic and chill.
• Bake the tart for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Check underneath the tart to make sure the crust is really cooked through (if you under-bake the tart, it will be soggy).
• Cool a few minutes, and then transfer the tart to a cutting board. Spoon some of the currant-pine nut relish over the tart and serve it on the cutting board at the table. Pass the remaining currant-pine nut relish in a small bowl for anyone who would like a little more.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Toast the pine nuts for about 8 minutes, stirring once or twice, until they're golden brown and smell nutty.
• Heat a small sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Turn down the heat to medium, and add the olive oil, rosemary, and chile. When the rosemary and chile start to sizzle, add the onion and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Turn the heat down to low, and let the onions stew gently for about 10 minutes, until tender. Transfer to a small bowl to cool and discard the rosemary sprig and chile.
• While the onion is cooking, place the currants in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Let the currants soak for 10 minutes, and then drain well.
• Add the balsamic vinegar to the pan the onions were in, and reduce it over medium-high heat to a scant 1 tablespoon. Stir the reduced vinegar into the onion mixture.
• Add the toasted pine nuts, currants, and parsley to the onion mixture, and stir to combine. Taste for balance and seasoning.
• Assemble the tart in the morning, cover, and refrigerate. Bake just before you're ready to serve. You can make the currant-pine nut relish in the morning.