Is eating chard, well...hard? Try this pesto recipe! ~mimi b.

It is my daily goal (if not my mission in life), to get my family (and everyone) to eat more veggies.  We do a pretty good job most of the time, but I'm always looking to add new vegetables into the mix.  The whole 'Eat a Rainbow of Foods' really appeals to me.  Not surprising then that I have long wanted to incorporate RAINBOW chard into our repertoire of veg.  Rainbow chard is so gorgeous you almost want to just put it in a vase and call it a day.  So I've tried.  I'd be lying if I didn't say that preparing delicious chard was yes, hard.  Popeye cartoons did wonders for getting the kids to accept spinach, but where is our poster child for chard?!  Read on for the recipe...


This recipe was easy, yummy and nutritious:)  Be prepared tho, this is not your mama's pesto!  If I could do over I would  have not even mentioned the word pesto to the family at all. We had to get through several rounds of how it did not taste like pesto, look like, smell like, etc., etc.   I suggest showing them the beautiful rainbow stalks before cooking, then come up with some creamy, dreamy name together and toss that bad boy with some fresh pasta and get eatin'.  Now that wasn't so hard...

I altered the Epicurious recipe below to include chard instead of collard greens.  I put walnuts in, more balsamic & garlic and used the water from cooking the greens to blend the pesto.  I also omitted the cayenne, only for the sake of my 5 yr old (he sweats when the heat is on).

Rainbow Chard Green Olive Pesto- For lovers, & dreamers & me!

ingredients:

1 3/4 lb chard greens

• 7 large brine-cured green olives (2 1/4 ounces), pitted
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 cup)

Bring a 6- to 8-quart pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, cut stems and center ribs from collard greens and discard. Stir collards into water in batches, then simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer collards with tongs to a colander to drain, gently pressing on greens to extract excess water. (If making pasta, reserve water in pot for cooking pasta.) Coarsely chop collards.

Blend olives and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add collards, water, vinegar, salt, cayenne, and pepper and pulse until finely chopped. With motor running, add oil in a slow stream. Turn off motor, then add cheese and pulse to combine.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Collard-Green-Olive-Pesto-109229#ixzz1lGlESWh9