December 2nd, 2010 by Margie

Our own VH member and driver, Becky Anne Levine Striepe has a beautiful site ( eatdrinkbetter.com) that featured this recipe this week and since we were lucky enough to get Chard yesterday, I thought you might enjoy checking it out.
Soba Noodles with Chard and Oranges
(recipe inspired by Mark Bittman’s ‘Chard with Oranges and Shallots’ fromHow to Cook Everything)
Makes 4 servings.
- 1 pound chard, washed and trimmed
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil
- 4 shallots, thinly sliced
- 4 tablespoons agave nectar
- 2 small oranges, seeded and coarsely chopped with the skin left on
- 4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 12 ounces dried soba noodles
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Cut the stems out of the chard leaves. Chop the leaves into wide ribbons and chop the stems into bite-sized pieces. Keep the leaves and stems separate.
2. Put the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and sugar and cook for a minute, then stir in the orange pieces and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring frequently, until everything is caramelized and the orange skin is almost candied, about 10 minutes. Then stir in the vinegar.
3. Meanwhile, while the orange and shallot mixture is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Cook the noodles until tender but not mushy, about 4 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and reserve.
4. Return the heat of the skillet to medium and add the chard stems to the orange and shallot mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the stems soften, about three minutes. Add the chard leaves, cover the skillet, and turn off the heat. Let the chard steam for three minutes, then stir and re-cover the pan for another two to three minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Toss the soba noodles with the chard mixture. Serve warm.
Image courtesy of looseends via a Creative Commons license.