KValley
07-14-2001, 08:42 AM
I was searching for something unusual to do with some remaining swiss chard; and Rainier cherries were 79c a pound at the fruit stand- never would have thought to put the two together! Here's a recipes from Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven that is absolutely delicious.
I hope this catches you all in time before you head out to the Farmers' Market this morning!
Bitter Greens with Sweet Onions and Sour Cherries
I love the taste of sour or tart fruit in savory dishes, especially in this very unusual one, where the flavors of the greens, onions, and cherries are all equally strong. The result is surprisingly balanced and smooth.
My favorite combination of greens for this dish is collards, red mustard, arugula, and kale. The amount of greens listed might seem enormous, but don't forget that they will cook way down.
1 cup fresh sour cherries, pitted (or canned unsweetened sour cherries, drained)
2 to 3 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 cups sliced onion (a sweet variety, like Vidalia or Maui, if available)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large bunches fresh greens, stemmed if necessary, and coarsely chopped (about 12 cups)
1 cup dried sour cherries (optional)
Place the fresh or canned cherries in a small bowl and springle them with sugar. Let sit for about 10 minutes.
Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and saute over high heat for about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to medium, cover the pan, and let the onion cook until very tender (about 10 more minutes).
Begin adding the greens in batches (as much as will fit), sprinkling each addition with about 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir and cover between additions, letting the greens cook down about 5 minutes each time, to make room for the next batch.
When all the greens are added and have wilted, stir in the sour cherries and cook for just about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle the dried cherries on top, if desired. Serve hot or warm, being sure to include some fo the delicious cooking liquid with each serving.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Preparation time: 40 minutes (15 minutes of work)
Unsweetened sour cherries from a can work beautifully here, but if you have access to fresh sour cherries (and you have a good pitting gadget), by all means use them
You can also used dried sour cherries, soaked for 15 minutes in hot water, and drained
This dish gives off a lot of cooking liquid, but it is too pretty and delicious to let evaporate. So just include some with each serving, especially of you are pairing this dish with pasta or rice.
A Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages went so well with this dish- it was bright and fruity and brought out the sweetness of the onions, matched the fresh cherry flavor, and softened the bite of the bitter greens.
I hope this catches you all in time before you head out to the Farmers' Market this morning!
Bitter Greens with Sweet Onions and Sour Cherries
I love the taste of sour or tart fruit in savory dishes, especially in this very unusual one, where the flavors of the greens, onions, and cherries are all equally strong. The result is surprisingly balanced and smooth.
My favorite combination of greens for this dish is collards, red mustard, arugula, and kale. The amount of greens listed might seem enormous, but don't forget that they will cook way down.
1 cup fresh sour cherries, pitted (or canned unsweetened sour cherries, drained)
2 to 3 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 cups sliced onion (a sweet variety, like Vidalia or Maui, if available)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large bunches fresh greens, stemmed if necessary, and coarsely chopped (about 12 cups)
1 cup dried sour cherries (optional)
Place the fresh or canned cherries in a small bowl and springle them with sugar. Let sit for about 10 minutes.
Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and saute over high heat for about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to medium, cover the pan, and let the onion cook until very tender (about 10 more minutes).
Begin adding the greens in batches (as much as will fit), sprinkling each addition with about 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir and cover between additions, letting the greens cook down about 5 minutes each time, to make room for the next batch.
When all the greens are added and have wilted, stir in the sour cherries and cook for just about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle the dried cherries on top, if desired. Serve hot or warm, being sure to include some fo the delicious cooking liquid with each serving.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Preparation time: 40 minutes (15 minutes of work)
Unsweetened sour cherries from a can work beautifully here, but if you have access to fresh sour cherries (and you have a good pitting gadget), by all means use them
You can also used dried sour cherries, soaked for 15 minutes in hot water, and drained
This dish gives off a lot of cooking liquid, but it is too pretty and delicious to let evaporate. So just include some with each serving, especially of you are pairing this dish with pasta or rice.
A Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages went so well with this dish- it was bright and fruity and brought out the sweetness of the onions, matched the fresh cherry flavor, and softened the bite of the bitter greens.