Swiss chard with corn and tortellini

Swiss chard is a favorite in this house, being easy to grow and easy to prepare. While the ones we have growing here are only a few inches tall, more mature specimens were recently found at the local megamart and caught my eye. Swiss chard is closely related to beets and resembles them except that chard does not have an enlarged root. The greens of both are very edible and can be cooked in the exact same way.

Obviously you want greens that are vibrant and not wilty, nor have stems that have seriously browned. Lightly wilted ones can be crisped in lukewarm water after lightly trimming off the ends of the stems. A good 30-minute dunk will bring them back quite a bit.

Preparation is easy. My favorite way is to prepare a large pot with an inch or so of water. I have one of those collapsible steamer baskets, which I open up and place in the water. Heat to boiling then add the chard. In the photo I left the leaves whole as it looks good for the picture, but not so much for eating. Trim the leaves to large bite-sized pieces, as they will wilt in the steam and be easier to eat. You can cover the pot to move along the steaming process. Doneness is determined by how well cooked you like your leaves.

I also wanted some corn on the cob. It's not in season right now, so the prices are not as good. The specimens I found were of a white-eared variety that turned out to be very sweet, even though they had a bit of a longer stay in my refrigerator than I anticipated. I normally serve mine with a little bit of butter, but these were so sweet I managed to eat it plain.

Tortellini is available in both fresh and dried varieties along with a variety of fillings. My recent purchase of a fresh package included a three-cheese blend. The package contained 20 ounces of product, which was a bit too much for a meal, so I set aside the unneeded amount and placed it in a zip-top bag in the freezer, in case I wasn't able to get back to it in a timely manner. I followed the directions for cooking it, but to save on dirty dishes, I steamed by chard on top of the cooking tortellini. I like to freshly shred my cheese, versus buying pre-shredded, as sometimes companies add a little extra something to the cheese to keep it from sticking together. No thanks. For small amounts to shred, I'll just grab the box shredding device and use some elbow grease. For larger amounts, I'll grab the food processor, which has a handy shredding blade, which makes quick work of any shredding task.

SAVORY SWISS CHARD

• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Pinch of salt
• 2 bunches Swiss chard, stems trimmed, leaves cut into 1/2-inch-wide pieces
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Melt butter and oil in heavy large pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and salt. Sauté until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add chard; stir to coat. Cover and cook until tender (stirring occasionally) about 7 minutes. Sprinkle on lemon juice. Adjust seasonings before serving right away.

CORN ON THE COB

In a medium-sized pot, bring enough water to boil to cover the amount of corn you want to cook. For corn that may not be as sweet as you'd like, add a pinch or three of sugar to the water. Cover and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, turn off the heat and leave, covered, for about 10 more minutes, less for fewer ears, more for more ears. Remove ears and serve as desired.

TORTELLINI IN CHEESE SAUCE

• 1 package tortellini
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces Swiss cheese, freshly shredded
• Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare tortellini according to package directions. For fresh, that means bringing it to a boil in a reasonable amount of water so as to cook the pasta through. Dried will take a bit longer. Doneness depends on how well-cooked you want it. If you undercook it a bit, it may absorb some of the water from the cheese sauce. Drain in a colander. In a saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer. Watch the pot! Cream can boil over in an instant. Allow to reduce by a third, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low and add the cheese, gently stirring until it is melted. Remove from the heat. Gently fold in the tortellini to fully coat them with the sauce. Adjust seasonings before serving.