Cookbook Challenge: Week 23, Leaf
Recipe: Silverbeet frittata
From: The Cook’s Companion
Second recipe: Chard with olive oil & lemon
From: Nigel Slater’s Tender
The theme for this week’s Cookbook Challenge is “leaf” and I’ve decided to showcase silverbeet (chard). I think silverbeet is a seriously beautiful vegetable, with its snowy white stems and large dark green, ribbed leaves. And the rainbow versions are even more stunning, with their red, yellow, purple or orange stems. When Bro and I were younger, a friend who lived near us used to give mum silverbeet throughout winter. She must have grown buckets of the stuff, because we seemed to receive it constantly. So much in fact, that after we moved houses, we didn’t (couldn’t?) eat silverbeet again for years!
I don’t blame my mother for not cooking silverbeet again for ages. While I think it’s a fantastic vegetable there’s only so much I can think to do with it. And a bunch goes a rather long way – I made two recipes out of my bunch of silverbeet. The first recipe was a silverbeet frittata from the Cook’s Companion. I made us a large frittata for lunch, and a wee mini one for photos – aww look! Isn’t it cute? Yes, that is a mini frying pan, and it was perfect for an individual sized frittata. The frittata was lovely, the earthiness of the silverbeet working really well with the egg and particularly the cheese. It was a very satisfying lunch, which we ate with fresh tomatoes.
The second recipe was a simple one – boiled silverbeet with garlic and lemon juice. I couldn’t resist adding a big knob of butter to the pan when cooking the garlic and I’m glad I did. It made a tangy, buttery, garlicky sauce for the silverbeet and was a nice side dish for dinner tonight. (I also added some to the top of the frittata as a garnish).
So silverbeet – are you a lover or hater? And does anyone have any brilliant ideas on cooking it?
See previous Cookbook Challenge posts here
Update: see the round up at My Food Trail.
Silverbeet frittata
Adapted from the Cook’s Companion
Serves 4
400g silverbeet
olive oil
onion, peeled and finely diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced
freshly ground black pepper
salt
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
Handful of grated mozzarella (I just added this in because I had some in the fridge)
6 eggs, lightly beaten
Separate the silverbeet leaves from the stems. Trim the ends off the stems and cut into 1cm pieces and rinse thoroughly. Give the leaves a good rinse, then roll them up and slice.
In a 22-24cm frying pan, saute the stems, diced onion and garlic in oil over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the leaves, covering the pan until the leaves are wilted, and then saute for several more minutes. Tip the stems and leaves into a colander and allow to drain. After it has cooled a bit, give the silverbeet a squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible.
Into a large bowl, add the egg, pepper, a bit of salt, cheese and drained silverbeet and mix well. Wipe the frying pan with kitchen paper and place on a high heat with a good glug of oil. When the pan is hot, tip in the egg mixture and lower the heat to medium.
Let the egg mixture cook until the top is just moist, running a spatula around the sides and under the frittata as it cooks to make sure it doesn’t stick.
Slide the pan under a preheated grill for a minute to cook the top, then loosen with a spatula and slide on to a warmed plate. Cut into thick wedges and serve.
First, cook the veg (if you don’t, they will release their juices into the frittata, which will be too watery). Cut the stems from the Swiss chard and roughly chop. Cook in a large pot of simmering salted water for 10 minutes. Wash the leaves well, roughly chop, and add to the pot. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes until wilted.
Drain well and cool, then squeeze out any excess water. Beat the eggs, egg yolks, cream, parmesan, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a bowl. Heat the butter and oil in a non-stick fry pan, and pour in the eggs. Arrange the drained greens in the pan, jiggling them so they settle into the egg.
Cook over moderate heat until the eggs have set on the bottom and are lightly golden. Heat the grill, wrap the fry pan handle with kitchen foil and place under the grill for a few minutes until lightly golden and just-set in the middle. If it’s still runny, cover the pan and give it another couple of minutes over moderate heat. Cut into big wedges and serve.
Chard with olive oil & lemon
Adapted from: Nigel Slater’s Tender
450g white stemmed chard / silverbeet
3 garlic cloves, peeled & sliced finely
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
knob of butter
a lemon, cut in half
Separate the stems from the leaves and wash thoroughly in cold water.
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and add the stems. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, or until they are soft and still retain some bite. Remove the stems from the water and leave to drain in a colander.
Bring the water back to the boil and add the leaves – they will only take 1-2 minutes to cook. Remove the leaves from the water and drain in a colander.
Pour the olive oil and butter into a pan on low heat. Add the garlic and cook gently – don’t let it colour. Tip in the drained silverbeet leaves and stems and fold them over in the warm oil and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and squeeze half of the lemon over the silverbeet. Serve immediately with the other half of the lemon on the side.
Vee - A Melbourne Munchkin.
April 27, 2010 @ 8:58 am
I don't think I even know what silverbeet or chard tastes like! Good job on the frittata though, I never seem to be able to balance the cooking to get just the right moistness within!
Maria@TheGourmetChallenge
April 27, 2010 @ 1:52 pm
Oh that pan is so so cute!! I wanna see a single egg in it, that would be extra cute!!
I LOVE silverbeet, and spinach….actually anything with leafy greeness. Somehow they make my teeth feel funny and I can't help but adore it. To be honest, I always cook mine quickly in a little garlic and olive oil and then squeeze fresh lemon over the top…yum! Havent tried silverbeet in a fritatta yet.
Ange
April 27, 2010 @ 3:46 pm
I grew some rainbow chard for the first time recently & so have been very creative in using it. I've found my favourite ways so far have been in pie form, ie filo, chard, ricotta, etc or in hearty winter vegetable soups. Your 2 dishes sound lovely, esp the silverbeet, garlic, butter combo, simple yet delicious
Hannah
April 27, 2010 @ 4:39 pm
I think I actually just "eeped" out loud at the gorgeousness of your little frypan and mini frittata. And keep in mind I'm at the National Library – a place of public quietness. Oops!
I've rarely cooked with silverbeet, adn don't think I've ever even come across the rainbow kind. I clearly need to get me out to some farmers markets!
Conor @ HoldtheBeef
April 27, 2010 @ 10:50 pm
Super cute indeed!
You didn't move houses to escape the silverbeet lady did you?
Oh and well done on adding the knob of butter. It was begging for it 🙂
Ali-K
April 30, 2010 @ 4:19 pm
I'm on the fence with silverbeet. I honestly don't mind it but, like brussell sprouts, the child within me keeps telling me to screw up my nose.
chitchatchomp@yahoo.com.au
May 1, 2010 @ 9:37 pm
I love silverbeet! Big fan! Even though my mum would boil the crap out of it until it was a big bowl of mush. Love the look of your frittata too!
Agnes
May 2, 2010 @ 4:46 pm
Vee: Silverbeet tastes quite similar to spinach. And I always think of it as tasting "healthy". Must be all the green!. 🙂
Maria: I'll take a photo of the pan with one egg in it for you next time 😉
Ange: I really like using silverbeet in pies too. Yum!
Hannah: Don't tell anyone in case I get kicked out of the foodie club, but I bought the silverbeet at a…. supermarket….. (ahem) SHHHHHH. But I must qualify that statement by telling you that I very rarely buy fruit & veg at the supermarket.
Conor: hehee, yes I think that was one reason for moving house – so we didn't have to get silverbeet foisted on us anymore!
Ali-K: ahhh, speaking of brussel sprouts… I have tried to like brussel sprouts but they're just foul! Even loads of butter and bacon can't save them.
chitchatchomp: oh dear, a big bowl of mushy silverbeet doesn't sound very appetizing! I'm glad you're still a fan though. 🙂
Ali-K
May 3, 2010 @ 6:26 pm
Ha ha, you're totally kicked out of the foodie club, Agnes! Don't we all buy fruit from the supermarket sometimes? Life can occasionally (often) move past way to quick, before you know it, it's 8.30pm Tuesday, you still haven't bought fruit for the week and everywhere else is shut.
Agnes
May 4, 2010 @ 9:30 pm
Ali-K: Hehee, careful you'll get us both kicked out of the foodie club! 😉 You're so right though about having to buy fruit & veg at the supermarket sometimes – not everyone has time to go to markets! But recently I've started getting my fruit & veg delivered each fortnight, which has been FANTASTIC. 😀