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| Swiss Chard Bundles with Sweet Potatoes & Bacon |
| Early prairie gardens featured vegetables with good keeping qualities like sweet potatoes and pumpkins and crops that could be grown in cooler spring and fall weather, like swiss chard. Apple-smoked bacon ham from Nueske's in Wisconsin can provide a truly regional flavor. Ingredients 1 large sweet potato 1 large baking potato 8 large or 16 small Swiss Chard leaves [1 to 2 bunches] 1 cup diced hickory-smoked bacon [4 ounces] 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped [1 cup] 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage coarse salt freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil Method Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Scrub the potatoes thoroughly with a brush, pat dry. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork. Bake until tender, about 70 to 80 minutes. Set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water and place it nearby. Remove the stalk from each leaf of Swiss chard with a paring knife by running the blade along the sides of the stalk in a V-shaped pattern as you approach the top of the leaf. Many times the leaf will stay intact; however, the leaf may split in two. [Either way will work]. Gently rinse the leaves and blanch them in the boiling water for 15 seconds. Remove the Swiss chard leaves with a slotted spoon or spatula and immediately plunge them into the ice water. Place the Swiss chard leaves flat on a paper towels and pat dry; set aside. Peel the potatoes; discard peel. Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces and place the potatoes in a medium bowl. [Discard peel]. Dry the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Reduce heat to medium. Add the onions and continue cooking for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sage and the chopped potatoes. Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the mixture resembles chunky mashed potatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. You should have about 2 cups of filling; set aside. Butter a 2-quart rectangular baking dish; set aside. Lay out the Swiss chard leaves on a counter top, with the inside of each leaf facing up. [The width of each large leaf should be 6 to 7 inches. If using small leaves, put two small leaves together to make 6 to 7-inch width]. Place about 1/4 cup potato filling on each Swiss chard leaf [or leaves]. Fold in sides of leaf. Starting at the remaining leaves and filling. Brush rolls with olive oil. Bake about 15 minutes more or until the rolls are heated through. |