Ah, good ol’ swiss chard.  Yes, it has been growing in the garden all spring, summer, and now fall.  I got so tired of it by early summer, I pulled all but 2 of the plants and have been lopping them off every now and then.  But, there is no killing swiss chard (at least in my garden).  But now that all my other, more interesting, plants have wound down, it is nice to have it there to use again.

I am actually curious as to how long into the year the plants will keep coming back.  My garden is fairly sad looking right now.  I cleared out all the non-producing plants, so all that is left is:  Swiss chard, lima beans, jalapenos, some kale I am hoping to revive, 1 tomato plant, and the jerusalem artichokes, garlic and strawberries waiting for next spring. It is so ‘not pretty’ that I will not include any pictures of it.

But, back to the chard.  I decided to try something different…a swiss chard cottage cheese puff.What a great group of ingredients went into this…The dish was surprisingly flavorful and filling. The 1 quart casserole easily fed the 4 of us.

Swiss Chard Cottage Cheese Puff

adapted from Rodale’s Basic Natural Foods Cookbook

2 tsp canola oil

1 clove garlic, minced (from the garden)

1/2 cup sliced scallions

1 stalk celery, sliced

4 cups chopped Swiss Chard leaves, stems removed (from the garden)

1 cup cottage cheese

3 Tbsp whole wheat flour

2 eggs (from Highland Orchards)

1/4 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese

4 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic, scallions and celery and saute until very tender.Add swiss chard and a few tablespoons of water.  Steam, tightly covered for 3 or 4 minutes, until chard is wilted and tender.Remove from heat and puree in a blender.Combine mixture with the cottage cheese, flour, eggs, and cheddar and beat until light and fluffy.Preheat oven to 350F.

Coat a 1-quart casserole with cooking spray.   Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp parmesan. Pour in mixture and sprinkle top with remaining 2 Tbsp parmesan.Place casserole in a pan and pour hot water into the bottom of the pan until water reaches halfway up the sides of the casserole dish.Bake for 1 hour or until puffed and golden brown. Serve immediately.  Enjoy!  Serves 4.