We are in yet another heat wave here, so during the day, a meal of this sort feels untimely. Fortunately the heat fades with the sun, and by dinner time I'm ready for something warming. I found this recipe a few weeks ago in the chard section of the New York Times "Recipes for Health" collection, and finally got my act together to make it this evening. It is healthy and straightforward, if not fast, with the added virtue of being (mostly) frugal--appropriate for these lean times. The rind is a small luxury, but one that I recommend indulging in: it adds wonderful depth of flavor to a dish that might otherwise be a bit flat, and I almost always have a spare rind lurking in the cheese drawer anyway. If you don't have chard on hand, I assume that other cooking greens (maybe even collards!) would be just fine. If you do use another type of greens, be sure to adjust the the timing--you wouldn't want your beans and potatoes to go mushy before the greens cooked down properly.

* As I was about to publish this post, the Suitor came in and suggested that I use a title along the lines of "The Suitor Helped!" And in fact, he did. He was home sick today, and when I realized that I had forgotten to set the beans to soaking before I left for work, he was a dear and did it for me. So yes, in a rare and wondrous departure from the usual way of things, the Suitor actually helped me cook dinner.

Chard, Potato, and White Bean Ragout

From: New York Times, October 10, 2008

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

This comforting stew makes a hearty meal when served with a salad and crusty bread

Ingredients

1. 1 cup dried white beans, soaked for 6 hours or overnight in 1 quart water
2. A bouquet garni made with 1 bay leaf, a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme, and a Parmesan rind, tied together with kitchen string
3. Salt
4. 1 generous bunch red chard (3/4 to 1 pound)
5. 2 tablespoons olive oil
6. 1 medium onion, chopped
7. 2 to 4 garlic cloves (to taste), sliced
8. 1 pound waxy boiling potatoes, such as Yukon gold, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch dice
9. 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
10. Freshly ground pepper
11. 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
12. Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Directions

1. Drain the beans and combine with 1 quart of fresh water in a casserole or Dutch oven. Bring to a simmer. Skim off any foam, then add the bouquet garni. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 1 hour. Add 1 teaspoon salt.
2. Meanwhile, stem and clean the red chard leaves in 2 changes of water. Rinse the stems and dice. Set aside. Cut the leaves in ribbons, or coarsely chop, and set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the onion and chard stems. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and continue to cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the potatoes and stir together, then transfer to the pot with the beans.
5. Bring back to a simmer, cover and simmer 30 minutes, or until the potatoes and beans are tender. Salt to taste.
6. Add the chard and thyme leaves to the pot, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. The chard should be very tender.
7. Stir in freshly ground pepper to taste and the parsley. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve, passing the Parmesan to sprinkle on the top.

Notes

1. Advance preparation: The dish will keep for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator. If you are making it ahead, make it through Step 3 and proceed with Step 4 shortly before serving, so that the color of the chard doesn’t fade too much.