Swiss Chard Everything

Last fall was my first experience gardening and I had a few successes and many failures. I tried many techniques; composting, baking soil, mixing espresso with top soil, sowing seeds indoors, ceramic pots, plastic pots, and vertical gardening. One large ceramic pot produced good crops despite poor drainage. As fall turned to winter I grew weary of watering, but my swiss chard planted in the ceramic pot thrived despite me. I had an abundance of swiss chard, so I began to add it to many dishes.

My latest experiment is an egg strata with bacon, swiss chard and smoked gouda. I use this Brunch Strata recipe from allrecipes.com as a base and modify it depending on the mood. Although I don’t cook like Julia Childs, I strive to chop onions like Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia.

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped Yellow Onion

3-4 leaves Swiss Chard chopped; separate stalks

8 slices applewood smoked bacon

2 tablespoons olive oil

11 large eggs

1/4 cup and 3 tablespoons half-and-half

3 slices hearty wheat bread

6 ounces smoked Gouda, edges removed and sliced into thin chunks

dash of salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
In a large skillet, saute the onions in oil about 5 minutes, until slightly tender. Add the Swiss Chard stalks and saute for one minute. Lay the remaining Swiss Chard over the onions, allowing steam to form. Turn the Swiss Chard into the onions, cover and saute until tender. Drain and pat dry; set aside.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon until crispy and pat dry. Chop into bite size pieces.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and half-and-half until smooth. Stir in the onions, Swiss Chard, bacon, gouda, salt and pepper. Toast the wheat bread; tear into pieces and fold into the egg mixture.
Pour into a large greased casserole baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6.