Dinner Tonight: Swiss Chard and Caramelized Onion Quesadillas

5/5/2014

"Sauteed greens make awesome quesadilla fillings," writes Susie Middleton in Fresh From the Farm. "I especially like this combination of earthy Swiss chard and sweet caramelized onions with a little kick from Pepper Jack cheese."

 

Swiss Chard and Caramelized Onion Quesadillas

Slightly adapted from Susie Middleton's Fresh From the Farm: A Year of Recipes and Stories, published by The Taunton Press.

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon + 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced

kosher salt

1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

4 cups thinly sliced Swiss chard leaves

4 6" flour tortillas

2 cups coarsely grated Pepper Jack cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, optional

Heat the oven to 200F if you want to keep each quesadilla warm as you make it.

In a small bowl, combine the sherry vinegar and honey.

In a 10" skillet, melt the butter with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic, stir, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the Swiss chard and a pinch of salt to the pan and toss with tongs until wilted. Remove the pan from the heat and drizzle the vinegar-honey mixture on top, tossing well. Transfer the chard-onion mixture to a plate to cool a bit and wipe out the pan.

Return the pan to medium heat and add 1 teaspoon olive oil. When the pan is hot, add one tortilla to the pan. Sprinkle a small amount (one-eighth) of the cheese over one half of the tortilla. Cover that with a quarter of the chard-onion mixture and a sprinkling of cilantro (if using). Top with a bit more (another eighth) of the cheese. Fold the empty half of the tortilla over onto the full side and press down lightly with the back of a spatula. When the bottom of the tortilla has lightly browned, 45 seconds to 1 minute, turn the quesadilla over and cook until the other side is browned and the cheese is melty, another 45 seconds to 1 minute.

Transfer the quesadilla to a wooden cutting board and let cool for a minute or two before cutting into wedges. (Alternatively, you can hold the quesadillas in the warm oven as you make them, then cut them before serving.) Let the pan cool for a couple minutes. Return to the heat and repeat with the remaining filling and ingredients.

Makes 4 quesadillas, 12 slices total.