Winter Wild Rice Casserole
- 1 bunch Swiss chard
- 1 egg
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup ricotta
- ½ cup grated Gruyère
- 2 cups cooked wild rice
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Chopped fresh basil, for garnish
Instructions:
This dark casserole is the perfect dish for a cold night.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Remove the thick stems from the Swiss chard and coarsely chop the leaves. Prepare a bowl of ice water. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the chard for about 1 minute. Immediately transfer the chard to the ice water so that it stops cooking and retains its color. Set it in a strainer and press out the water.
- In a large bowl, whisk the egg until uniform in color and doubled in volume. Add the garlic to the bowl. Add the ricotta, Gruyère, wild rice, brown rice, vinegar, and salt and pepper and stir to combine. Break up the clumps of chard with your fingers and add it to the bowl with the rice mixture. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes into small pieces and add them to the bowl along with any oil that has collected on the cutting board. Stir until everything is combined.
- Grease an 8 by 8-inch baking dish and pour in the rice mixture. Drizzle the olive oil on top and bake in the oven until it is set but the center is still a bit soft, about 20 minutes. The center will continue to set as it sits.
- Once the casserole has cooled slightly, sprinkle it with the chopped basil and serve warm.