Friday, June 10, 2011

MAIN - Stuffed Swiss Chard

it's swiss chard, and it's stuffed. it's stuffed with beef, lamb, tomatoes, rice, and parsley. it feels all very healthy and hearty, because it is.

Here's how you do it, illustrated in photos.

* first make your filling. in a bowl combine 1 lb of beef, 1 lb of lamb, a can of whole tomatoes, a cup of rice, and a handful of chopped parsley, plus salt and pepper. now roll up your sleeves and get in there with your bare hands like your grandma would. squish and mix and masticate and articulate until it's all nice and consistent.

* second make some chicken broth. get it hot on the stove. you don't need much.

* then prep the swiss chard. remove the stems, but you don't need to remove the whole rib. your ingredients are done.

* now get the roll on. put a little of the filling in the chard, and roll and tuck the sides like you're making mini-burritos or eggrolls. it's important to get a good seal... make sure there are no gaps for the filling to fall out.

* as you work, stack the stuffed chard in a pot. when you've done them all, put a few slices of lemon on top. that's just good flavor.

* pour over some of the broth (just maybe an inch worth to cover the bottom), and put the covered pot over a simmer heat for about 45 minutes or longer. the longer the better... just don't overdo it otherwise the chard will fall apart and it'll be a mess. check the broth periodically, add more if needed.

serve with lots of bread.