Although I have creamed other veggies using this recipe (i.e. spinach, beet greens, and pearl onions), Swiss chard is still my favorite. (Of course it is! It’s the most expensive. Duh!) But regardless of what veggie I use, this preparation turns it into a dish fit for a king, or even one step higher – Mr. C. (It’s incredibly lucky for me that Mr. C. does not read my blog, because if he ever read all the things I tell you about him, he might never speak to me again. He truly does not like being the center of attention.) But putting his feelings aside, I truly do take pleasure in fixing food that I know he is going to enjoy. It’s one of the many joys of being married to such a wonderful man. (This is where you start feeling nauseous or go ahhhhhhh, isn’t that sweet?) Regardless, you are all going to be glad I shared this recipe with you. And no it’s not a new recipe (I’ve been making it for over 30 years), or apt to win me a place in the Julia Child hall of fame (although that would be nice), it’s just one of those recipes that I feel every good cook should have in their repertoire.

• 2 T. butter
• 1 large or 2 small shallots, very thinly sliced
• 1 T. flour
• ½ tsp. ground nutmeg (dried or freshly grated)
• ½ tsp. kosher salt or to taste
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 c. milk (preferably whole milk)
• 1 large or 2 small bunches Swiss chard, ribs removed, leaves roughly chopped

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add shallots and cook only until translucent. There should be no brown on the shallots. Whisk in the flour, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and cook for about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and simmer gently until the mixture is thick. Meanwhile, steam the Swiss chard until tender. When the sauce has thickened nicely, add chard and serve immediately.

Note: If you are using spinach or beet greens, use the same amount as the Swiss chard. If you are creaming pearl onions, use 2 small bags from the freezer case.