05 April 2017

The Book of Greens: Swiss Chard Polenta

Chef Jenn Louis’ The Book of Greens is the book for any home cook who is stuck in a “three-green rut”—who wants to cook healthy, delicious, vegetable-focused meals, but is tired of predictable salads with kale, lettuce, cabbage, and the other usual suspects. Louis has compiled more than 150 recipes, from snacks to soups to mains (and even breakfast and dessert) that will inspire you to reach for new greens at the farmers’ market, or use your old standbys in totally fresh ways.

Organized alphabetically by green, each entry features information on seasonality, nutrition, and prep and storage tips, along with recipes like Grilled Cabbage with Miso and Lime, Radish Greens and Mango Smoothie, and Pasta Dough with Tomato Leaves.

This recipe for Swiss Chard with polenta is versatile – try it with braised or roasted meats, mushrooms and rosemary or a poached egg, as pictured above.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 4 c plus 1 c chilled chicken stock, divided
  • 1 cup polenta
  • 1 bunch Swiss Chard leaves, about 6 ounces of stemless leaves
  • 1 oz unsalted butter
  • 2T olive oil
  • 2 oz fontina val d’ aosta, grated
  • Salt, to taste

Method

  1. Place 4 cups of the chilled chicken stock and 1 cup polenta in a medium pot.
  2. Place over medium heat and stir until polenta simmers. Reduce heat to low and stir occasionally until polenta grains are cooked and tender with a very thick consistency, about 30-45 minutes.
  3. While polenta is cooking, cook greens until tender in a large pot of seasoned simmering water, about 2-3 minutes.
  4. Remove leaves from water using a slotted spoon or tongs and immediately place greens in a large bowl of ice water to chill quickly. Using hands wring out greens until mostly dry and chill in refrigerator.
  5. When polenta is almost done, puree greens with the remaining cold stock in a blender until finely pureed. Reduce heat to low and add butter, olive oil and fontina to polenta. Stir to combine.
  6. Add greens mixture to polenta, season with salt and gently warm over low heat. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Tips:

  • It is important to puree very chilled greens with cold stock to keep color bright