Archive for April, 2010


03 Apr The Answer to Spring Days and Winter Nights?

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For the past few weeks, the weather hasn’t been able to decide if it’s really spring or still winter. We’re in t-shirts one day, and bundled up against a bitting cold rain the next; one day my body craves raw, fresh greens, and the next it wants warm, steamy comfort food. Last night I found a bridge between the seasons with this Swiss Chard and Sardine Gratin. (Look for more info on why dark leafy greens are so great in the … let’s make it the April newsletter, and the benefits of fish, particularly as a source of omega-3 fatty acids … umm… well, in another post, soon — bottom line is that there’s a lot of nutritional good going on in this gratin.) The chard is lightly cooked, so it retains a fresh, vibrant taste, and whole thing is baked with a sprinkle of breadcrumbs, which adds a little heft and a satisfying crunch to the dish. I also think it has a lot of potential for variation — for example, I can envision adding a dash of nutmeg or red pepper flakes, or even a sprinkle of nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese to increase the “comfort” factor.

Swiss Chard and Sardine Gratin

2 3.5oz cans sardines (boneless, in water or olive oil)

2-3 bunches Swiss chard

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 t fresh thyme (1/2 t dried thyme)

1/2 C milk (I used almond milk)

1/4 C bread crumbs

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil a 2-quart baking dish. Drain sardines (if packed in olive oil, save olive oil).

Okay, before you say anything, I know, I KNOW this first bit seems excessive (why not just add chopped chard to the onions later to wilt?), but I think doing the chard and onions separately keeps everything tasting fresh, not overcooked.

Clean chard well (for bigger, more mature leaves, strip from stem; for younger leaves, just cut off stems at leaves). While leaves are still wet toss into a hot (I mean HOT) large saute pan (no oil or anything, just let the water from the leaves steam the chard) and cook until wilted (covering for a minute will help, especially if leaves are pretty mature). Don’t crowd the pan; do it in batches if you need. Set chard aside.

Turn down heat on pan to medium. Add two turns olive oil and saute onions until soft (~5mins). While onions are cooking, chop chard. Add thyme, garlic and a pinch of salt. Stir in chopped chard until mixed well with onions. Add milk and stir until all liquid is gone. Remove from heat. Salt and pepper to taste.

Spread one layer of chard mixture on bottom of gratin dish. Top with layer of sardines. Spread remaining chard on top. Finish with breadcrumbs, spread evenly, and a drizzle of olive oil (use oil from sardine can here, if you have it). Bake for 15 minutes.

Leftovers this morning with scrambled eggs… SO. GOOD.