Monday, January 14, 2013

Creamed Swiss Chard with Back Bacon--A Lovely Leftover to Have

When my first child was around 6 weeks old, my in-laws came to visit and meet their first grandkid.  They took us out to a steak place.  A Very Fancy steak place.  The kind of clubby, dark wood, tuxedo-shirted server place where you can't see much less hear other people in the restaurant.  The kind of place where the steak has its own price, and the side dishes each have their own price and the prices are . . . well let's just say my in-laws took us out for dinner. And the food was delicious and the company was convivial.

I will not tell you how, because he was our first, we were unbuckling the giant rear-facing carseat and lugging that giant monstrosity into the fancy steak place. (No, not the kind that snaps into/out from a base with a handle so that you can sling the sleeping baby, still buckled, over your arm like a basket.  The other kind of rear-facing car seat that can eventually be turned around and used as a front-facing car seat. We were dumb.  First kid.)   Let's just say that I felt exceedingly out of my element.  And the food was delicious and the company was convivial.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/01/creamed-swiss-chard-with-back-bacon.html

I had creamed spinach as my side because, even though I was ravenous all the time, I couldn't see paying that much money for a baked potato.  Baked potatoes I can do at home.  But creamed spinach . . . that was something I hadn't made before.  I always like to order things I don't try at home.

I love creamed spinach.  My mom used to make a cheater version with a box of frozen spinach and a can of cream of mushroom soup that was da bomb.  If creamed spinach could be da bomb to a kid.  Well, the taste memory of it is da bomb to me--it wasn't too rich like most creamed spinach I eat these days.

It surprises me that, as much as I grow Swiss chard and get Swiss chard from my farm share, therefore I've got piles of Swiss chard waiting to be used at any given time, I never thought about making creamed Swiss chard.

But for some reason--um, I'm blogging about how I feed the family from the farm share, that's the reason ;) --I decided to try my hand at creamed Swiss chard.  I got inspired by this recipe but veered off course a tiny bit to use what I had on hand.  As usual.

The recipe is pretty easy to make-I worked it so that I cooked everything in one saucepan, which kept the dishes down.  We ate it alongside a flank steak and rice because I remembered that fancy steak dinner.  We don't normally eat steak.  The interesting thing to me was what I did with the leftovers.  I'll blog about that in another post, but let me just say 'mock lasagna' and leave it at that. Well, I'll tease you at the end.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/01/creamed-swiss-chard-with-back-bacon.html
This is Back Bacon.  If you're familiar with the Bob and Doug McKenzie 12 Days of Christmas song, for the fourth day the item was "4 pounds of Back Bacon".  I used the bulk of the package for a recipe that hasn't appeared here yet, and probably explained what I'd learned about bacon on that post.  Continuity, continuity . . . .

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/01/creamed-swiss-chard-with-back-bacon.html

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/01/creamed-swiss-chard-with-back-bacon.html




http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/01/creamed-swiss-chard-with-back-bacon.html

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/01/creamed-swiss-chard-with-back-bacon.html
I'm ready for my onion, now.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/01/creamed-swiss-chard-with-back-bacon.html
I was thinking I'd never get this pot clean.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/01/creamed-swiss-chard-with-back-bacon.html
Then poof, a little liquid and some whisking and it's all turned into seasoned white sauce!

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/01/creamed-swiss-chard-with-back-bacon.html

Creamed Swiss Chard with Back Bacon

1 large bunch Swiss chard (I had about 10 18-24 inch long stalks, should that be 1 bunch large chard?)
1 piece back bacon, diced
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 clove roasted garlic (see here how I put up my garlic)
2 Tablespoons butter (I used a buttery blend)
2 Tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup half and half 
salt, pepper, and nutmeg

Heat a large saucepan nearly 1/2 full of water over medium-high heat.  Separate chard stems from the leaves.  Chop the stems into bite-sized pieces and add to the water.  Cover and simmer for 5 minutes while you slice the chard leaves into thin ribbons.  Add the leaves to the pot and simmer another couple of minutes, until bright green and tender.  Drain and leave in colander to dry.
In the same saucepan, over medium heat, sauté bacon a few minutes then add onion and continue until the bacon is crisp and the onion is softened.  While the bacon is cooking, thinly slice the roasted garlic. Add the garlic the bacon-onion mixture and then set the mixture aside.
In the same saucepan, again over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the flour and whisk it together.  At this point you're thinking that you'll never get the saucepan clean.  Add the half and half, whisk, and watch all that browned bit goodness become incorporated into your sauce as it thickens.  Add a couple of passes of nutmeg over the microplane grater (or a healthy pinch), a healthy pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper.  Whisk to combine spices.  Squeeze the chard in the colander until no moisture is released (I just use my hand).  Add the chard and the bacon mixture to the saucepan.  Stir to combine.
Serve--but don't worry if there are leftovers.  I've got some suggestions . . .

This post joined the party at the Farm Girl Blog Fest and Food On Friday
http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/01/creamed-swiss-chard-with-back-bacon.html
Yes, the leftover creamed chard went into this!

17 comments:

  1. I love chard! Filing this one away under "things to make when our garden grows next summer." :)

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    1. Beth,
      I love chard too! I'm not sure what's happened to the chard in my garden. It has been infused with super powers or something, because it will. not. die. It emerged from the blizzard blanket a few days ago perky as can be. (Well, the little leaves did, the older leaves are destined for pigs/compost/worm bin).
      Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. Wow, that looks wonderful! I may try this with my beet greens. :) I haven't made any creamed greens ever. They won't know what hit them.

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    1. Brilliant idea, as usual! I think creamed beet greens would be great for a pink-themed Valentine's day side dish since I'm pretty sure the stems will turn everything pink.

      Let me know how it turns out!

      Thanks!

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  3. Ha ha - funny back story! I hope your in-laws are reading! I'm very keen on creamed greens too but haven't gotten past spinach.

    PS Back bacon?

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    1. Alanna,
      With your Canadian background I am surprised you didn't know about back bacon from birth. [I know about it from Bob and Doug McKenzie.]
      The sticker caught my eye, so I decided to give it a go and I'm glad I did. Tasty bit of meat, that. I updated to include a photo for you all to see.

      Delete
  4. Yum! I have a similar chard recipe (sans bacon, of course) that is crave-worthy. Leftovers also make a great pasta sauce.

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    1. Lauren,
      I went a bit overboard with my leftovers, up tomorrow, but I think creamed chard over pasta sounds delicious.
      Thanks!

      Delete
  5. I love the idea of creamed swiss chard. I I am thinking creamed bok choy. Loved reading your story. By the way, is back bacon different than regular bacon, like hormel or oscar meyer?

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    1. Marlene,
      Creamed bok choy sounds delicious to me. Alanna posted a bok choy salad with "pillows" of some dairy product (cream?) tossed with sliced leaves on A Veggie Venture and it was very tasty, so I am sure creamed bok choy would be also good.

      I've updated the photos to include a picture of the back bacon I used. It was in the grocery store, near the bacon, but it's a much meatier/less streaky cut of pork, from the back of the hog not the belly.

      Thanks for stopping by!

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    2. Thanks for including the picture of back bacon. I wonder if we have that in California. I just usually use center cut bacon. But boy does that back bacon look good.

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  6. i have used chards in sandwiches and salads but this is a nice variation....your pictures have made me hungry...lol.

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    Replies
    1. I have never eaten chard in a sandwich--that's a terrific idea!
      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  7. You continue to impress me....from creamed spinach to creamed swiss chard to lasagna. Amazing. By the way, I had to look up the word convivial, and now I can't wait to use it in a sentence.

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    1. Meghan,
      I'm just trying to feed the family with the food in the fridge! I impressed myself the other week--I used the word "nascent" correctly in a sentence. I had to look it up to make sure it meant what I was trying to convey, but that's the word that popped into my brain so I ran with it.
      I should get one of those word-of-the-day calendars and 'learn me something'.

      Thanks!

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  8. We absolutely love Swiss chard, but I can't imagine creaming it. Will have to give this a go. Visiting from the Farm Girl Blog Fest.

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    1. Carol,
      How do you like to fix chard? I grew up with it and love it with a splash of vinegar to finish, but I'm always looking for new ideas. Chard is the one non-herb flourishing in my winter garden.

      Thanks for stopping by!

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