Recipe developed and contributed by Maureen Gualtieri
As the weather gets more Fall-like, we bring in the last of the season’s bounty, and this month, that involves lots of leafy greens! Summer staple Swiss chard gets a snug coat of luscious cream sauce in this recipe, and a flavour boost from DFC’s Maple Chili mustard. The sweetness of the maple syrup plays off the earthy bitterness of the greens, and the spice balances the sauce’s milky mouthfeel. Enjoy this recipe as a side to your favourite cool-weather dishes, and spare a thought for all those hardy plants taking a well deserved rest, until next year!
Creamed Chard
(Yield: 4 side servings)
2 bunches (550g) Swiss chard
1 medium (200g) onion, diced
1 c (240ml) whole milk
2 tbsp (30g) unsalted butter, divided
1 tbsp (8g) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp (15ml) DFC’s Maple Chili mustard
salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Pick a large sauté pan that has enough depth to fit your sliced-up chard, and pop it on a medium-low flame. While it preheats, wash your chard leaves thoroughly and trim. Break them down by slicing the stems quite thin, and the leaves more chunkily. Don’t worry about drying the leaves; extra water will help with the cooking process!
Melt 1 tbsp of your butter in the hot pan, and immediately tip in your diced onion. Sauté until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add chard and a pinch of salt, and stir with a spatula or tongs to start cycling all the chard towards the bottom of the pan. Cover and cycle periodically until the chard leaves are soft but the stems still have a nice crunch, about 10 minutes. Lift the cooked chard out of the pan and let each spatula- or tong-ful drain, then place in a bowl. Discard any water in the bottom of the pan, wipe it out, and return it to the heat.
Drop the last 1 tbsp of butter into the pan and melt. Add flour and stir it into the butter constantly, until it bubbles up and starts smelling deliciously like shortbread, 3 – 5 minutes. Slowly add your milk, whisking well after each addition to break down any lumps. When all milk is in the pan and you have a smooth sauce, add salt, pepper, and DFC’s Maple Chili mustard, and whisk to combine. Drop the heat to very low.
Add your greens back into the pan and toss until coated with the cream sauce. Taste, adjust seasoning, and serve piping hot. Enjoy as a side to roasted meats or squash-based pasta!
