Pets…
My feline friend has a new habit: he likes to GNAW on our TV cables with his razor sharp fangs, until I BOLT out of bed to release his Majesty into the early morning wilderness (a.k.a my hood). I think he has a new lady friend…
It sounds like an obnoxious human chewing with their mouth open.
And once I’m up, I’m up.
Also up: my sourdough starter.
If you hang around this space, you know that I’m a total bread nerd.
If you’re new to this space (hello and welcome!) I bake bread.
Sourdough is all about timing. Some days your starter will take forever to bubble, and on other days it’s raging. On my way back from honoring his Majesty’s request, I poked my head into the kitchen and was beckoned by my activated starter. It was all puffed and bubbly, practically spilling over onto the counter.
Time to make the dough.
And in the morning, I baked this loaf…
And while waiting for it to cool down…
I ran out to pick up my CSA veggies from Golden Earthworm Organic Farm.
We received a huge bunch of rainbow swiss chard, baby arugula, different kinds of lettuce and strawberries. Leafy swiss chard takes up too much room in my fridge and has a tendency to wilt quickly, so I decided to use that first.
I made sautéed rainbow chard with lemon, garlic and olive oil.
The colorful stems are perfectly edible and what I do, is sauté them first while I shred the greens. They take longer to cook. Then, I add the leaves, cover and cook/braise/whatever for about 5 minutes or so until tender. I drizzle with lots of olive oil, lemon and parmesan cheese to finish.
Chunks of sourdough are used to mop up the juice.
It’s non-negotiable.
So, thank you (cat) for dragging my sleep-deprived you-know-what out of bed… and thank you (sourdough starter) for actually enabling my sorry you-know-what… and finally, to you (rainbow chard) for being a mighty fine accomplice.
Because I can live on simple food like this.
What have you been cooking lately? Have any annoying pets? xo
PS- Here is the recipe for sourdough, if you’re interested.
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simple sautéed rainbow chard with sourdough
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bunch rainbow chard, stems reserved
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced paper thin
- coarse salt & freshly ground pepper
- 1 lemon
- wedge of parmesan cheese for grating
- Thick slices of sourdough bread
Instructions
- Grab a large 12-inch skillet and warm the olive oil over low heat.
- Rinse the swiss chard under cold water to remove any dirt and shake dry; it’s OK if the leaves are a little wet. They will ‘steam’ once cooked. Dice the colorful stems into 1/2-pieces.
- Toss the stems into the pan and sauté until crisp tender, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, thinly slice or shred the swiss chard leaves.
- Add the sliced garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Don’t burn the garlic; it will taste bitter.
- Add the swiss chard, in one big pile, using tongs to toss and turn the leaves as you go. Place the lid on top and cook until tender, about 5-6 minutes. Check on it after a couple of minutes or so to see how it’s doing. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove the lid and crank up the heat. If there is any residual liquid in the pan, it will begin to evaporate.
- Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon and drizzle with extra olive oil. Don’t skimp.
- Pile the greens into bowls and top with grated parmesan cheese and extra lemon on the side. Serve with bread.
Comments
Rita Macdonald says
Making your sourdough for beginners right now! Fingers crossed X. I am going to saute some kale to go with my sourdough bread as I don’t have any chard.
Emilie Raffa says
Sounds delicious. Enjoy Rita!
Pam Green says
My cat wakes me up at the crack of dawn by purring like a freight train right next to my head. Haha! I love swiss chard and am always looking for simple ways to prepare it. Such a colorful veggie!
Emilie says
Isn’t swiss chard fun and colorful? I just received another bunch this week… what to do, what to do…
PS- purring like a freight train, too funny ;) xoxo
Torn Clark @fantasticoven says
A fresh and healthy salad is one of the best ways to start your day! Home-made bread is what makes it even more special. Glad you shared this recipe, Emilie, I will most definitely try it out very soon.
Emilie says
Cheers! I hope you enjoy!
Lisa J says
I love, love, love this recipe. So simple and so good! Thanks for sharing!
francesca says
That is some seriously gorgeous color. I feel like everything we’ve been eating lately has been beige – our house is undergoing renovations and everyone’s a bit restless (souschef cat, included). looking forward to this kind of stuff soon!
Becky says
I just got home from a weekend away and my dog has been the cutest snuggle-pot ever! But she always tries to get second dinner out of us by pretending to not have been given first dinner :)
Anna says
omg this is so perfect!! looks devine <3
https://aspoonfulofnature.wordpress.com/
Emilie says
Thank you Anna! <3
JJ - 84thand3rd says
Perfect! I made them last summer and topped them with spiced seeds but parmesan sounds gorgeous. I have a sourdough starter that I feed all the time, I really need to start making proper bread with it!
Emilie says
Ooo! That spiced seeds sounds intriguing. Perfect for crunch? I bet there was an egg involved too… ;)
vivian says
I will definitely be making myself a big batch of chard and toasted sourdough. Maybe even push it over the top with a fried egg topping! Thanks for the inspiration. As for the cat issue, we have had so many cat waker-uppers over the years, that it’s hard to keep track. The one that probably sticks in my mind the most, though, is the kitty who used to lick my eyelids as soon as the sun came up. Pretty hard to ignore.
Emilie says
Welcome Vivian! I do hope you give it a try. The dish is very simple, but satisfying in flavor. I ove the sound of a fried egg on top. Yum.
And your cat?! Oh, my goodness- any creature that licks your eyelids to get you out of bed is one smart feline.
Jessie Snyder | Faring Well says
Haha I love your writing! And this dish, so simple but so good! You are the sourdough queen holy schnikes I need to take lessons from you.
Emilie says
Thank you Jessie! I will bake with you anytime ;)
Julie - Lovely Little Kitchen says
No annoying pets at our house, but I do have a very “snuggly” 4 year old who crawls into bed with me waaaay too early. And that bread… My goodness, you make bread look like art! Gorgeous!
Emilie says
That’s my night EVERY night (plus the cat). They just don’t make beds big enough xo
Traci | Vanilla And Bean says
Oh Em, being woken up pre-maturely, even if one is grateful for it, can be a pain. We dealt with this for years with our late Claire Cat. Now we wish we heard her every night. Feline intelligence is a thing of beauty, even if it’s sometimes annoying! But yes, once your up, your up. I’m with ya!
Sourdough…. yes! My starter is going, and I’ve baked, but it’s back in the fridge, resting. I need to pick up some bread flour and I’ll be set again! Your loaf is stunning… your score always just beautiful and as a mop, perfection. Chard is always in my fridge during late Spring and throughout Summer. It’s in my smoothie every morning. I adore it’s mild flavor and vibrant green. I often forget how delicious it is with just a bit of cooking. It IS a satisfying veggie. Thank you, Emilie, for making my day brighter and inspiring me! xx Have a beautiful rest of your week!
Emilie says
This is so very true. What seems like an annoyance is only trivial in the grand scheme of things, especially when they’re no longer with us :( Ugh. I hope you guys are holding up ok.
Bread as a mop? Ha ha… love it. My sentiments exactly! PS- I’ll have to try some swiss chard in my smoothies next time. I bet I could get the kids to try some too- they like green drinks with apple. Thanks for the tip, Traci! xo
Nancy | Plus Ate Six says
I’ve never knowingly eaten chard and definitely haven’t cooked it. I imagine it tastes like spinach or kale. How beautiful is it though and I bet you get a huge amount of satisfaction from sitting down and eating that bowl with your bread in the sunlight.
Kalee@ The Crowded Table says
The recipe seems simple, and it’s stunning!!! I’ve been wanting to make sourdough for awhile, so I think I’m finally going to give it a try. I can’t wait to try it with this swiss chard, it looks wonderful!
Emilie says
Welcome Kalee! Thank you! Oh, once you started with sourdough it’s incredibly hard to stop. It’s great fun once you find your groove. I wrote a tutorial here if it’s of any interest: https://www.theclevercarrot.com/2014/01/sourdough-bread-a-beginners-guide/
Have fun with the recipe and happy baking :)
Elaine @ foodbod says
What a fabulous loaf, and such gorgeous chard! The colours are stunning :)
And to answer your question of what I’ve been cooking recently…you already know ;) xx
Emilie says
Thank you Elaine! I do know what you’re cooking already- fantastic.
Elaine @ foodbod says
;)
Laney (Ortensia Blu) says
Oh that bread Emilie!!! Wish I had it last night to go with your Mediterranean Baked Chicken that we had last night – you know it’s one of my favorites:)
Emilie says
I do! You know what- would you want to test that recipe for me for the book? I’m in the process of gathering recipe testers together and since you already like that one I was thinking… I’ll email you (back) with more details ;) xoxo
Laney (Ortensia Blu) says
Of course!
Emilie says
Hooray! I’ll be in touch! xoxo
Donna Castellano says
Bread and greens. That’s all one really needs to eat isn’t it? Well, maybe olive oil. LOL! But seriously, if it weren’t for having to cook for the kids, my husband and I could survive on it and be very, very happy! As for the annoying pet problems… why yes I have those too! I’ve got two King Charles Spaniels who’ve slept in our bedroom since they were puppies. BUT the thing is…they snore AND lick themselves to death in the middle of the night! UGH! I finally decided after five years and many nights of interrupted sleep that it was time to kick them out into another room! haha! Don’t know why I waited so long! So much more peaceful now. : )
Emilie says
Yes, absolutely. Everything you just said- bread, greens, olive oil… and wine! You can’t forget that ;)
OMG- and your dogs. I died laughing. Snoring? It’s like having another kid in your bed ;)
Christine says
I love easy sautés of veggies, so so good! and your bread looks fantastic – you certainly seem to have a special touch with sourdough! xo
Emilie says
Hello Christine! Thank you so much. I love an easy sauté too, especially when I have lots of greens that I don’t know what to do with. They wilt down so quickly. Just a little garlic, lemon and olive oil and I’m good to go. :)
mimi says
Gorgeous. I hope your kitty is okay!!!
Emilie says
Oh, he’s just fine. He always is- thank you for asking Mimi! x0
Tory says
i wish i was as good as you! my cat woke me up at 5:30 this morning but i just went back to bed and slept through two of my alarms. oops! i still need to try that sourdough…
Emilie says
Oh see, my cat will actually rip our TV out of the wall if I dare to ignore him. You’re one of the lucky ones ;)
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
Oh my goodness, my feline lady likes to gnaw on the exact same things – it’s so annoying!! A big pile of greens would definitely make me happy.
Emilie says
Hi Katrina! Maybe our cats should date. It’ll keep them out of our hair ;)
Patti says
Everything you post makes me salivate. I am going to run to the farmer’s market, right now, to buy rainbow chard and some fresh bread. I wish I could make my own bread. A few more of your perfectly photographed loaves and I might try! Have a good week.
Emilie says
Haha… good! I want to hear all about it- only a couple more weeks to go ;) xo
Kelly @ Inspired Edibles says
Have I ever told you how much I love the way you curl your paper in photos? ~ those perfect, seemingly effortless touches never fail to delight my eye ❤️. I am convinced that cats are the smartest animals inhabiting the planet. They know exactly how to mobilize humans to achieve their desired ends — they go after the non-negotiables and win every.time. Rainbow chard has got to be one of the greatest natural wonders – those colours! Beautiful Emilie.
Emilie says
No, but you can tell me again ;) You probably won’t believe me, but that curl is organic! I think I just pushed the parchment paper up against the mint glass and that was the end result. But thank you sweet Kelly, you always make me smile.
Yes, cats rule the world. They really do. And I’m such a sucker for them!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby cakes) says
Your sourdough bread looks unbelievable. I am so in love with it. I will have dreams about it tonight seriously not kidding at all.
Emilie says
And I will be dreaming about your cookbook and what I’m going to bake first… so happy that I’ll have it before the holidays ;)
Jacqueline Spark says
Sounds delicious and so pretty with the Rainbow Chard, not sure I’ve seen that before. I can actually smell this cooking as it did when my Italian grandmother would fix this . Sounds delicious with the bread .. Also as a sandwich. Thanks for the inspiration for my next market visit!
Emilie says
Welcome Jacqueline! Yes, it seems as though the red and white chards are the easiest to find at the grocery store. Although, if you have a farmers market nearby I’m sure you will be able to spot some rainbow chard- t’is the season! Glad to hear this recipe brought you back to your grandmother’s kitchen. I know that feeling all too well :) xo
Lisa says
I had intended to use my swiss chard similarly but I forgot I had it and now I’m sure its a puddle in a bag in the refrigerator. I do want that bread right now. I have been unsuccessful with sourdough starter in the past but you’re making me want to try it again.
Emilie says
Totally been there. That’s why I decided to use my swiss chard first- I knew it was going to be one of the first ones to go! Why does it wilt so quickly? Now that I think of it, I have a great recipe that uses up a lot of swiss chard… it’s similar to a fritter. Maybe I will post that in the next couple of weeks or so.
Thanks for stopping by Lisa, and I hope you were still able to enjoy your chard!
annie@ciaochowbambina says
Oh my! Can food get any prettier? I think not! This is what I am craving; right now! Thank you for sharing!
Emilie says
Hello sweet Annie! I do love my greens ;) Thank you and enjoy! xo