Summer Supper
Summer has been flying by here in Manitoba. We couldn’t have asked for a more glorious summer, in terms of weather. Of the three summers that I have spent in Manitoba, this is far and away the best. Sunny, hot, cloudless days for weeks. Best of all? No mosquitos. None. I haven’t put on bug spray once this summer. Even walking at dusk, there is nothing to swat at. If you have never lived in the prairies, you may not realize how miraculous this is. But trust me, it is a miracle.
Our CSA is giving us more fresh produce than we could ever hope for. I mutter under my breath at my tiny apartment size fridge. I’m not so secretly hoping it will die, so that we’ll be given a new one - one that will fit pounds of produce with ease.
This gem of a summery supper comes courtesy of the weekly recipe handout at our farm. It’s a great way to use up lots of chard, although I’m sure any dark, leafy green would do. As always, I made a couple of alterations. The recipe calls for four chicken breasts. I only used two. I also used a bunch of baby onions from the CSA. I suspect it probably would have worked a bit better if I has just used a regular onion as the baby onions weren’t quite as juicy. I also had no lemon zest, but it still had a nice lemon flavor from the lemon juice. Overall, a quick summer meal that is make-again-able. Recipe after the jump.
Chicken with Swiss Chard, Lemon and Rosemary
1 bunch swiss chard
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. (I only used two)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons of fresh rosemary, chopped or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 teaspoons of lemon zest
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
Strip swiss chard leaves from stem; trim ends and chop stems and leaves separately and set aside. Sprinkle half of the salt and pepper on chicken. Heat half of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook chicken, turning once, for about 10 to 12 minutes or until no longer pink inside. Transfer to a plate. Add remaining oil, salt, pepper, garlic and onion to skillet. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until softened.
Stir in swiss chard stems; cook for 2 minutes. Add leaves, rosemary and lemon rind and cook stirring, until just wilted enough to cover pan.
Nestle chicken into pan, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes or until chicken is hot and chard is tender. Sprinkle with lemon juice.
