Kim's Swiss Chard

2-1/2 pounds Swiss chard
1/2 pound slab bacon, cut into small dices
2 medium red onions, halved and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup Serrano Chile Vinegar (recipe below)

Tear Swiss chard leaves from thick white stalks. Discard the stalks and coarsely chop leaves.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until golden brown and fat has rendered. Remove bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon. Add onions and cook in the rendered fat until soft. Add garlic and cook an additional minute.

Add the Swiss chard leaves, season with salt and pepper and stir to coat the leaves. 

Cook until leaves have completely wilted. Add the bacon back into the pan.

Add Serrano Chile Vinegar and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Serve with additional vinegar on the side. 

Serrano Chile Vinegar

10 serrano chiles
2 cups white wine vinegar
Kosher salt

Using a paring knife, make a slit in each chile and place in a pint-sized jar or bottle with a shaker top. 

Bring vinegar and salt to a boil and cook until salt has completely dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. 

Pour vinegar over chiles. Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least two days.

Store remaining chiles and vinegar in refrigerator. 

About Chard

"Chard is, in fact, considered to be one of the healthiest vegetables available and a valuable addition to a healthy diet (not unlike other green leafy vegetables)...The word "Swiss" was used to distinguish chard from French spinach varieties by 19th century seed catalog publishers. The chard is very popular among Mediterranean cooks. The first varieties have been traced back to Sicily.

Swiss chard is high in vitamins A, K and C, with a 175 g serving containing 214%, 716%, and 53%, respectively, of the recommended daily value. It is also rich in minerals, dietary fiber and protein. All parts of the chard plant contain oxalic acid." ~Wikipedia

This is a fancy and fattening way to eat a plateful of chard. It's delicious though! ha! Once in a while, we can splurge and add a pound of bacon, right? For the low-fat version, cut chard into large strips. Chop thick stems but if they are tough, discard them. With red chard, the stems are extra-delicious so don't throw them away. Cut or dice and put stem pieces in the bottom of a pot with about a cup of water. Add the leaves on top and cook over medium heat until wilted. 

Red chard is delicious if just before serving, you throw in little diced cubes of cream cheese and let them melt.