Swiss Chard & Baked Polenta

This dish from Vermont Valley Community Farm (in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin) can be made with green, red or rainbow chard. The sauteed chard is flavored with garlic scapes, which are the flower stalks of garlic plants. The scapes are clipped off to encourage the garlic bulbs to grow bigger and are often found in farmer's markets in the spring. COOK'S NOTE: Cut up the Swiss chard first before washing. It's easier to wash the smaller pieces than the huge leaves and stems. Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes Hands-on time: 50 minutes

Ingredients: 3 cups water or broth 1 cup yellow cornmeal Salt 4 ounces feta or goat cheese, crumbled 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 to 4 garlic scapes, garlic cloves or scallions, chopped 1 bunch (14 to 15 stalks) Swiss chard, coarsely chopped (about 14 cups) 1/2 teaspoon oregano Pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan. 2. In a small bowl, stir 1-1/2 cups of the water into the cornmeal. In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining 1-1/2 cups water and 1/4 teaspoon of salt (use 1/2 teaspoon if you're using goat cheese instead of feta). Bring the water to a boil. Slowly stir in the cornmeal mixture. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is very thick and you can stand a wooden spoon up in the mixture, 20 to 25 minutes. 3. Remove from the heat. Beat in the cheese. Beat in the eggs until well combined. Pour the polenta mixture into the baking pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until lightly browned on top. 4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic or scallions and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add half the chard and sprinkle with the oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Add the remaining chard and more salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir the chard occasionally to get the uncooked chard to the bottom of the pan. 5. Taste and season with more oregano, salt and pepper if needed (keep in mind that the polenta is salty, too). Serve the Swiss chard on top of, or alongside, the baked polenta. Makes 6 servings Each serving has: 197 calories, 8.5 g fat (3.7 g saturated), 8 g protein, 23 g carbohydrates (3.1 g fiber), 87 mg cholesterol, 511 mg sodium. Good source of: beta-carotene, riboflavin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, magnesium, selenium.