.jpg?e0c879 "Rainbow Chard via A Thought For Food - www.athoughtforfood.net")
It’s rare that Eric and I buy produce outside of what we get in our CSA box. It can usually hold us over pretty well from one week to the next. And having done this for a few years now, it’s hard to pick up conventionally grown veggies at the supermarket. The quality just doesn’t compare.
We’ve purchased rainbow chard from the store a few times and, to be honest, I’ve been disappointed with the color. I usually get shades of red, maybe a little orange. But not the spectrum of colors we’ve been promised.
My wish was recently granted when a bouquet of chard arrived in our home via our CSA. There they were… not just red (or, I should say, various shades of reds) but orange, pink, green. A rainbow.
.jpg?e0c879 "Rainbow Chard with Pine Nuts via A Thought For Food - www.athoughtforfood.net")
If you haven’t realized already, I like pine nuts. I like to throw them on everything. Sometimes toasted, though often not. We always have a container around and, very quickly, they disappear. It’s a shame they’re so darn expensive. I have to just remember… we only live once. If I want pine nuts, I’m gonna have them!
And this dish just begs for them. The chard’s earthiness and the sweet cranberries need something to tie them together. That’s what the pine nuts do… that subtle milky flavor that they embody brings it all together. At least, that’s what I tell myself as I sprinkle another handful on top.
.jpg?e0c879 "Rainbow Chard with Pine Nuts Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies via A Thought For Food - www.athoughtforfood.net")
Rainbow Chard with Dried Cranberries and Pine Nuts
serves 4 as a side
Ingredients
1 large bunch rainbow chard, washed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, cut in half lengthwise and then cut into long strips lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup pine nuts
salt and black pepper
Directions
Roughly chop the stems and leaves of the rainbow chard into desired sized pieces.
In a pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic to the pan, season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and saute until the onion becomes slightly translucent, approximately 4-5 minutes. Add the chard and mix together with the onion and garlic. Let cook for 5 minutes, or until the chard has softened. Season with another sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Turn off heat, toss in the dried cranberries and pine nuts. If necessary, season with more salt and pepper.
growing up swiss chard was the only green I would eat, we grew it on our small farm, but back then we only had green. I’m with you on buying rainbow at a grocer, I have never seen the colours that your chard has, I’m glad your such a talented photographer so I could enjoy your rainbow chard through your images.
What a colorful dish this is; and I wished we have this rainbow chard here too! This is my first time hearing of it, but I am loving the sound of cranberries being added to it too!:D
I’m such a sucker for swiss chard of all varieties, but rainbow is by far my favorite. Those vibrant colors are eye candy for my soul. I love the simplicity of this dish! All of the flavors coming together to compliment each other perfectly.
I love rainbow chard and always look forward to it in the summertime when it’s readily available from the farmer’s market. This preparation is one that I will definitely try.
I love everything about this!
I am totally mesmerized by your beautiful pics of the rainbow chard…love the addition of pine nuts & dried cranberries in the recipe!
I adore chard…especially the pretty colored rainbow variety. Your salad is fresh and light. Nothing wrong with an extra handful of delicious pinoli;)
Yum, yum, yum! I love chard. And I love those ingredient shots. Is that a new tabletop I see?!
I’ve just discovered your blog this past week – what a gorgeous space. Your photos are so beautiful. And this recipe looks so delicious! I have some swiss chard in my fridge – I’ll have to try it out today!
I love it when food looks as good as it tastes — this is such a pretty dish!! I’ve never tried Chard, but I think I would really like this
– - I’ll have to give it a shot
I love everything about this dish! Sign me up!
So colorful and crisp looking!
We grow our own Swiss chard and you’re right, the colors of store bought never compare to the homegrown. And I’ve been known to snack on pine nuts the way normal people eat almonds. Its a problem.
Oh, this looks amazing! I love rainbow chard, and only discovered it last year through my CSA. Wonderful recipe, bookmarked!
Adding nuts and dried fruit is one of my favorite preparations of greens. Lovely
Lovely! And not to be a downer, but the reason that pine nuts are so expensive is because there’s a disease epidemic in North America and it’s severely killing off many of the pine trees that produce pine nuts. Most of them come from China now. I love pine nuts but I hardly ever buy them anymore. That said, they’re the perfect nut to go with chard!
I love cooking chard with onions and garlic. I also add a little red pepper flake for heat. Cranberries and pine nuts are a nice addition. I’ll have to try that next time.
Confession: I’ve never had chard. I should huh? Recipe looks fantastic Brian!
This dish is so darn pretty and I love how healthy it is, too. I live for the time that we can plant our own garden and frequent our favorite farm stands for the best produce.
I was just thinking that I wanted to make something with chard this weekend. This is lovely. I think I will use this recipe.
Absolutely lovely. Vibrant and fresh and healthy. Exactly what I need!
I’m crazy for pine nuts as well, they make everything better don’t they?
I can never get enough of these leafy greens! this looks exquisite. Thanks for sharing!
I’m with you on the pine nuts. One expensive staple I choose not to live without. I also love chard but never thought to pop them in there. Until tonight. Thanks!
oh my God… this looks gorgeous! and i bet this dish is major delicious, the greens, cranberry great to combine and the pine nuts complete it.
cheers
What a wonderful way to enjoy the rainbow chard, and beautiful too!
These photos are beautiful, and I love this recipe–I cook chard so often that I am constantly looking for new things to do with it. Buzzed!
I have to admit–I haven’t bought rainbow chard in a very long while but you have just put it back on my shopping radar. I have also never thought to add dried cranberries to sautéed veggies but I’m really liking the idea with pine nuts. You are right to enjoy the foods you like.
I never know what to do with chard, but this is a great recipe. And I always have pine nuts around!
It’s easy to eat your greens when they are this lovely!!
Mnnn!. . . I LOVES me some chard, unless it’s that guy named Richard.
Piñon ≠ pinyon?
I love swiss chard and my family doesn’t. I think this rainbow variation just might turn that around.
The colors nearly jump off the plate. Delicious!
Rainbow chard makes me happy, how could it not, it’s absolutely gorgeous! Love how you prepared it here. I’ll have to remember this!
This sounds so delicious and simple! And the photos are beautiful. I grow Swiss Chard in my back yard and its true, the colors are so much more brilliant. I keep meaning to get my camera out and take some pictures. You captured that flourescent purple perfectly!