Tonopah Rob's Vegetable Farm

Here’s a recipe using fresh fennel, green garlic, chard, and lemon for those of you looking for something to use the fennel I currently have available. This combination of ingredients makes for a fantastic healthy side dish. I found the recipe at FineCooking with credit going to Nancy Oakes. I have modified it slightly.

• 3 lbs Swiss chard 
• Salt
• 3 to 4 thinly sliced fennel bulbs, plus 1/2 cup chopped fronds
• 2 medium lemons
• 6 Tbs. olive oil
• 6 medium cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced or green garlic to your liking
• Black pepper
• 1/2 cup freshly shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano (shave with a vegetable peeler) – I skipped this, didn’t have any!

Cut off chard stalks but keep them as we will use them. Thinly slice the stalks and set aside. Chop the chard leaves into large pieces. Keep stalks and leaves separate. Remove the stems of the fennel and thinly slice the bulbs. You can also use the stems if they are tender, bite into one to figure it out. Chop the fronds into pieces.

In a large pot, bring salted water to boil over high heat. Add the sliced fennel and chard stalks, cook for 3 minutes. Add the chard leaves and cook for 3 more minutes. Drain in colander and set aside.

Grate the zest from the lemons and set aside. Cut the top and bottom ends off the lemons, with the lemon standing on end cut the peel off, try to remove all the white pith. Cut the lemon segments from the membranes and set aside.

Heat the olive oil and garlic in the pot you boiled the water in over medium heat. As the garlic begins to sizzle, add the fennel fronds and the lemon segments, cook stirring often for about a minute. Add the chard/fennel mix and cook until hot. Stir in lemon zest, add salt and pepper to taste. If you have the parmigiano, sprinkle on the chard after dishing up this tasty treat.