Cook the Book: Creamy Grits and Chard

Ingredients

• 0.5 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
• 0.3 teaspoon ground pepper plus more to taste
• 2 pounds swiss chard dry rinsed well canned (spinach, watercress, or very young kale can also be used)
• 4 leaves swiss chard dried washed stemmed cut into fine ribbons
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 
• 4 large garlic clove sliced thin
• 1 cup grits whole white yellow ( or )
• 4 tablespoons olive oil 
• 0.3 teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste fine
• 2 tablespoons butter unsalted

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• sauce pan
• sieve
• tongs

Directions

1. Place grits in a bowl and cover with water. Stir once and let sit. When the hulls and chaff rise to the top, skim them off with a fine tea strainer.
2. Drain the grits in a fine-meshstrainer and rinse under cold water.
3. Put 3 cups water in a saucepan over medium heat. When it simmers, add the grits, and turn the heat to very low. Cook, stirring occasionally and adding water by the tablespoon as necessary, for 45 minutes, until the grits are tender.
4. Add 1 tablespoon water, cover, remove from heat, and let sit for 5 minutes.
5. Return to the heat, and beat in the butter a little at a time. Season with the salt and black pepper. Keep warm, stirring occasionally.
6. To make the chard: While the grits are cooking, cut the chard stems into ½-inch slices and cut the leaves crosswise into ½-inch ribbons.
7. Warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
8. Add the garlic and cook until it begins to turn gold. Stir in half the cayenne.
9. Add the chard stems and toss to coat well. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes.
10. When the stems begin to grow tender, raise the heat to high and add the leaves. Season with the salt and the remaining cayenne pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the leaves are tender. add the vinegar and more salt and cayenne, if desired. toss to mix.
11. Remove from heat.
12. To serve, spoon the grits onto a warmed platter and make a well in the center of the grits. Use tongs to remove the greens from the pan, squeezing out as much of the liquid as possible, and place them in a ring around the grits. Return the skillet to high heat, bring the juices to a boil and stir in the remaining olive oil. Spoon the juice into the center well in the grits.
13. Sprinkle with the chard and serve immediately.