Recipe(tried): Braised Short Ribs Provencal, Creme Fraiche Mashed Potatoes and Sauteed Swiss Chard

The Short Rib and the Creme Fraiche Mashed Potato recipes are from the Jan. 2002 issue of Bon Appetit magazine. The Swiss Chard recipe is from The Washington Post food section, January 30, 2002. This was a delicious, comforting meal that was worth the effort:-)!!

Braised Short Ribs Provencal
6 servings

2 Tbl. (or more) good olive oil
6 pounds meaty beef short ribs

1 large onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
12 whole garlic cloves, peeled
2 Tbl. all-purpose flour
1 Tbl. dried herbes de provence*
2 c. red Zinfandel
2 1/2 c. canned beef broth
1, 14 oz. can diced tomatoes in juice
1 bay leaf
1/2 c. (about) water

24 baby carrots
1/2 c. Nicois olives,** pitted
3 Tbl. chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Heat 2 Tbl. oil in a heavy, large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add the ribs to the pot and brown well, turning often, about 8 minutes per batch. Using tongs, transfer ribs to a large bowl.

Pour off all but 2 tbl. drippings from the pot or add oil as necessary to measure 2 Tbl. Add onion, chopped carrot and celery and cook over medium-low heat until the vegetables are soft, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, flour and herbs de Provence; stir 1 minute. Add wine and 2 cups broth; bring to a boil over high heat, scraping up browned bits. Add tomatoes with their juices and bay leaf. Return ribs and any accumulated juices to the pot. If necessary, add enough water to pot to barely cover ribs. Bring to a boil.

Cover pot tightly and transfer to oven. Bake until ribs are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours and 15 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly, the refrigerate uncovered until cold. Cover and keep refrigerated. Bring to simmer before continuing.)

Add remaining 1/2 c. broth, peeled baby carrots and Nicois olives to pot; press carrots gently to sumerge. Cover, return to oven and continue cooking at 350 degrees F, until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Transfer short ribs and carrots to platter. Tent with foil to keep warm. If necessary, boil sauce to thicken slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over short ribs. Sprinkle with parsley.

*A dried herb mixture available at specialty foods stores and in the spice section of some supermarkets. A mix of dried thyme, basil, savory and fennel seeds can be substituted.

**Small brine cured black olives; available at Italian markets, specialty food stores and some supermarkets.

Creme Fraiche Mashed Potatoes

3 1/2 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
2/3 c. creme fraiche or sour cream
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

Cook potatoes in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just tender, about 25 minutes. Drain. Return potatoes to pot. Shake pan over low heat to make sure that all water has evaporated. Add creme fraiche and butter; mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Sauteed Swiss Chard 4 servings with leftovers; 8 servings without leftovers

2 lbs. (about 3 bunches) Swiss chard (any variety of Swiss chard - green, red or rainbow)
2 Tbl. extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 leaves fresh sage (optional)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Have ready, a large bowl of ice water (or a clean kitchen sink filled with very cold water.)

Trim the stems from the chard at the point where they meet the leaves; discard the stems. If using thin stemmed chard, cut the stalks and leaves crosswise into 3 to 4 inch lengths. If using wide stemmed chard, remove the stems from the leaves by cutting around the stems in a V-fashion; cut the stems in half lengthwise; then cut them into 3 inch lenghts and cut the leaves in half.

In a large bowl or clean sink, rinse the chard in several changes of cold water until no grit remains. Transfer the chard to the pot and cook just until it begins to become tender, 2 to 3 minutes from when the water returns to a boil. (If you have separate piles of stems and leaves, add the stems first and cook 2 minutes before adding the leaves, then cook an additional 2 minutes or so.)

Drain the chard, reserving about 1/2 c. of the cooking liquid, and immediately transfer the chard to the ice water. Drain the chard and squeeze to remove most of the water. Transfer to a towel lined plate to dry. (may cover and refrigerate sevearl hours.) Coarsely chop the chard.

In a large skillet over low heat, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook it until it softens but has not browned. Increase the haet to medium-low, add chard and sage,if using, and toss to coat. Add salt to taste and athe reserved cooking liquid or water. Cover and cook, stirring ocassionally, until the stems are tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove and discard the sage, if using. Season with salt and, if desired, pepper to taste. Serve immediately.