Swiss Chard Quesadillas

I am currently away in Mexico, so I have scheduled several new posts to get published in my absence.  Since I just shared a new recipe for Swiss chard, I thought of re-posting this one for quesadillas; it calls for Swiss chard, and also serves as a comparison between the beginning of the harvest (June in my area) and the end, in the fall (shown in the previous post.)  Of course, if baby leaves are not available, a bunch of regular Swiss chard works great, too.

Partial text from June 18, 2018:

… I noticed that the Swiss chard and epazote seedlings had grown enough that I could harvest a few leaves of each. Epazote (Dysphania ambrosioides) is a traditional Mexican and Central American herb, known as wormseed in English.  I bought a seed packet from West Coast Seeds™ a few years ago, spread some in a sunny patch, and I have had them self-seed and come back every late May ever since.  There are so many Mexican dishes that call for epazote (almost as many as the ones calling for cilantro), that I realized just how stellar herbs can be in defining a dish … For more on how to grow epazote, visit my From Seed to Table page and scroll down to the herbs files.

Swiss Chard Quesadillas – Quesadillas de Acelga

Printable recipe: Swiss Chard Quesadillas

Ingredients

8 corn tortillas
1 tbsp vegetable oil + a bit for the iron skillet
1 bunch baby Swiss chard
1 bunch epazote
½ white onion
1 jalapeño pepper (or 2 serrano peppers)
½ lb sliced Mexican Manchego, Oaxaca, or Chihuahua cheese (Monterey Jack, Mozzarella or Havarti will work, as well)

Remove stems from Swiss chard, and chop tops and stems separately; remove stems from epazote and discard, slice leaves into ribbons; peel and chop onions; remove and discard stem and seeds from pepper, chop.  In a frying pan, warm up oil over medium heat. Add vegetables in order, stirring in between: onions, swiss chard stems and jalapeños. When onions are translucent, season with a pinch of salt, then incorporate Swiss chard and epazote leaves, cooking for just a few more seconds until the greens wilt (do not overcook):

Meanwhile, warm up tortillas as directed in the package (I microwaved them on a plate for 45 seconds), and warm up a slightly greased iron skillet.  When veggies are ready, scoop some into each tortilla an top with about 1 oz. of cheese before folding in half:

 

 

 

Pan fry in batches in the hot iron skillet, just until the cheese melts, and serve immediately: