This gorgeous colorful medley of vegetables is delicious atop a olive oil slicked piece of toast. Crumbled cheese on top is another pop of texture and flavor.
1loaf ciabattaabout 8 ounces or other country white bread, sliced - pick a bread that is no taller or wider than 3 or 4-inches, or cut the slices in half
2tablespoonsolive oilplus more for brushing the baguette slices
Kosher salt to taste
1bunch Swiss chardpreferably rainbow chard, rinsed and ends trimmed, excess water shaken off
3leekstrimmed and thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush the slices of bread with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and bake for about 5 minutes until they are a touch golden around the edges, but not firm – they will firm up a bit as it cools. Transfer the bruschetta to a cooling rack or plate.
Remove the chard leaves leaves from the stems. Folding the leaves in half lengthwise, and then cut the leaf away from the stem. Thinly slice the stems and keep them separate. Roll the chard leaves in small stacks into a cylinder and cut them into ½-inch ribbons.
Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and saute for about 10 minutes until quite tender. Add the garlic and saute for 1 more minute, until you can smell the garlic. Add the chard stems and saute for about 5 minutes until the they are just tender. Season with salt and pepper, add the leaves and cook for another 5 to 8 minutes, until they are wilted and tender. You may need to add the leaves in batches, adding more as the chard cooks down. Stir in the dried cranberries (if using) and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the feta. You want it nicely distributed and just a bit melty, but not totally melted into the greens as a sauce.
Distribute the chard mixture over the bread and serve either while the chard is still warm, or at room temperature.
Notes
How to Use Leftover Bruschetta Topping
This sauteed Swiss chard/leek/feta jumble is really delicious as a bruschetta but there was a lot of it, and the leftovers made some encore performances. So first of all, a very interesting side dish! And then – it went into a quesadilla. The cranberries were even more unexpected then, but kind of fun. I also would use this mixture as the base of a frittata, but in that case, I might skip or pick out the cranberries. I