For some time, I’ve been considering a home produce delivery, as the Bay Area has a large selection of vendors for this purpose–from private farms to co-op vendors who source several farms and deliver, there’s a wealth of good, organic produce in these parts. I had put off starting the shipments because I was torn between several vendors, but as an impulse buy a few days ago I signed up with Farm Fresh To You. (Ok, so really, I haddn’t been thinking about the produce deliveries since October and I was reading an article in the Chronicle about Tyler Florence in which he mentions HIS delivery of Farm Fresh To You…) Today, I received my first shipment.

I was pleased. The box sat in the shade on our stoop and I grabbed it on my way in the door, eager to dig in and see what goodies I had from the sesasonal selection. Almost everything in my box bore the Capay farms seal even though I’d opted to receive mixed produce, not only from their own farm. I received many beautiful things–including the largest and most symmetrical butternut squash that has quite possibly ever existed–but will today talk about the beautiful rainbow chard. I’ve never cooked rainbow chard.

1 bundle rainbow chard
1/4 yellow onion
4 garlic cloves
zest of 1 orange
olive oil
salt & pepper

Wash your chard and seperate the leaves from the stalks. Remove the very bottom part of the stalks if they’re especially brittle or large, then chop the stalks in 1/2-1 inch peices (smaller at the thick end larger at the thin.)

Heat a skillet or large pan to high heat and add some olive oil–don’t reach the smoking point.

Chop your onion finely and add it to the hot oil. Chop your garlic and add it a little later, reducing the heat to medium. Add salt & pepper. Once the onions are colored and translucent or soft but not shriveled (that’s too much), add your chard stalks. Let them soften for 10-15 minutes on medium heat, tossing occasionally. Add the zest of 1/2 the orange. Once softened, chop your chard leaves in 1 1/2-2 inch ribbons and add them to the pan, reducing the heat to medium low. Add the rest of the orange zest.

Let the mixture soften and reduce and once the leaves are fully cooked but not BROWN, you’re done! Serve it up. I served it with quinoa, which you can find instructions for on this site.

Wine: You can pair this with a meaty or smoky red, perhaps a Spanish one.