Shredded Swiss Chard Salad

A recipe from Dirk’s Mom:

My mother would be smirking…I’ve never hidden my dislike of Swiss Chard or walnuts, both favorites of hers. When Blue Sky Vegetable Co.’s Swiss Chard was described as ‘buttery’, an article praised its sturdiness for salads, and the recipe included prosciutto and blue cheese, I thought it might be worth a try. As it turns out, it was so delicious, I’m making it again this week. The strong flavors of the chard, blue cheese, prosciutto, and walnuts balance each other. Hope you like it too.

Ingredients:

 1 bunch (about 12 ounces) Swiss chard, any color

 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

 2 tablespoons fig preserves (see notes)

 1 small shallot, minced

 2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard

 ½ teaspoon table salt

 ½ teaspoon pepper

 ½ cup shredded fresh basil

 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, torn or cut into bite-size pieces, divided

 ½ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped coarse, divided

 2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (½ cup), divided

Method:

 Stem Swiss chard, cutting out any stems thicker than ¼ inch from middle of chard leaves. Halve leaves lengthwise, then stack them on cutting board and slice crosswise ¼ inch thick.

Whisk oil, vinegar, fig preserves, shallot, mustard, salt, and pepper together in large bowl.

Add chard, basil, half of prosciutto, half of walnuts, and half of blue cheese and toss to combine.

Transfer salad to platter or individual serving plates and top with remaining prosciutto, walnuts, and blue cheese. Serve.

Notes and Options:

Fig Preserves are becoming more available. If you don’t want an entire jar, try one of the

sample size jars available at World Market.

What is a “Small Shallot”? These are the small, cured type, not the green type. Start with one that is 1-2 ounces.

Any type of blue cheese will work. I used Roquefort Cheese.

Prosciutto is more widely available now. Even Aldi’s has it.