It was hard to pick just one recipe from Tender. But given the winter season, the ingredients (chickpeas, chard and garlic) that we’ve recently featured in our magazine, and the smart simplicity of this dish, we chose this one to share.

 

Serves 4 to 6

Garbanzo Beans

1 cup or more garbanzo beans, drained (canned are fine)
5 garlic cloves, peeled
1 sweet onion or 2 large shallots, sliced thin
2 bay leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil to coat

Swiss chard

2 bunches of Swiss chard
2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
Juice and grated zest of 1 small lemon
Salt and pepper
Toasted almonds, for garnish (optional)
Feta or aged goat cheese, for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

To prepare the garbanzo beans, combine all the ingredients in a shallow baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake until the garlic is fork-tender, approximately 30 minutes. This can bedone ahead of time. Just leave everything in the baking dish until you are ready to use it; or you can refrigerate it to use another day.

To prepare the chard, nip off the bottom of the stalks or woody ends. Slice the stems into small bite-size pieces with a sharp knife up to the leaf. Tear the leaves into larger bite-size pieces. Wash in cold water. Drain and dry off with paper towels to avoid splattering when the greens hit the oil.

Heat a sauté pan over low heat, then add the olive oil. Add the crushed garlic and brown to perfume the oil. Remove and discard the garlic. Add the Swiss chard and cook for a few minutes, just until wilted. Add the lemon juice and zest, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the pan.

While you’re wilting the chard, if the beans are chilled, warm them in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.

Combine the wilted chard mixture with the garbanzo bean mixture. Season to taste with more salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaves and transfer to a white platter. To add a bit more texture and taste, garnish with toasted almonds and a sprinkling of feta or aged goat cheese.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Read more about Northwest cuisine in “A Feast of Good Things”