The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

As spring green colors are finally popping up in our yard, I found myself craving tender green flavors. Rainbow chard braised with aromatics in stock and wine, is a favorite side dish that I love to prepare throughout the year. Here, the addition of potato gnocchi and sweet peas turns the braised greens into a delightful main course. For serving, a dollop of ricotta cheese adds a luscious creaminess, while fresh lemon zest and juice adds brightness.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 leeks, white and light green parts, sliced into thin half-moons

1 pound chard (about 2 bunches), stems thinly sliced and leaves coarsely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

¾ cup dry white wine

3 cups chicken stock

1 pound potato gnocchi, see notes

2 cups peas, fresh or frozen

2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped

Zest of one lemon

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Grated Parmesan, for serving

Lemon wedges, for serving

Fresh whole-milk ricotta, for serving (optional)

Directions:

In a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch-oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and the chard stems, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. As they cook, the vegetables will release a lot of moisture and then begin to lightly brown. Stir in the garlic, thyme, and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Sauté until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Next, add the wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Pour in the stock and another pinch of salt, then bring to a simmer.

Stir in the gnocchi and chard leaves. Reduce heat to maintain a steady, gentle simmer. Cook, partially covered, until the chard is tender, about 15 minutes. Next, add the peas and tarragon, and continue to cook, partially covered, until the gnocchi is very tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the lemon zest and crushed pepper flakes. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as needed.

Serve in bowls topped with parsley, Parmesan and a squeeze of lemon juice. If using, also serve with a dollop of ricotta on top.

Notes:

For this recipe, look for rainbow chard or red stemmed chard. Wash the chard and then remove the leafy part from the stems. Thinly slice the chard stems and coarsely chop or tear the leaves. The stems are cooked first with the leeks, and the leaves are added to braise in the stock.

You can find shelf-stable potato gnocchi in grocery stores next to dried pasta. They are a wonderful pantry staple for quick weeknight meals. Sometimes you can also find frozen fresh gnocchi in some specialty markets, just make sure they are not frozen in a sauce. If you are feeling ambitious, making homemade gnocchi is a satisfying and fairly simple recipe usually made with potatoes, flour, egg, and salt. Currently, I am testing a couple and might include a recipe in a future column.

You could easily substitute vegetable stock to make this an elegant vegetarian meal. Alternatively, you could add some browned pancetta or crumbled sausage to make a meatier version. I would brown the meat first, remove with a slotted spoon and then use the drippings to cook the leeks and stems. Depending on the amount of the drippings, you might need to still add some butter to the pan. Then return the meat at the same time as the chard leaves.

Enjoy.