Crostini with hummus and chard.

This is the first summer I’ve tried to grow Swiss chard in my backyard garden, and I’m amazed at its prolific nature. It grows, constantly, all summer long. I started harvesting big, tasty leaves in early spring and haven’t stopped. Even in this brutal heat, the Swiss chard isn’t flinching.

Since we have so much of it, I’ve been coming up with new ways to cook with Swiss chard. Like this yummy crostini recipe with hummus, Swiss chard and Feta cheese. You can use store-bought hummus or make your own (recipe below). If you can, toast your bread rounds on the grill for extra flavor (a broiler or oven works, too).

crostini with hummus, Swiss chard and Feta

(makes about 12)

1/2 large French baguette, sliced on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices
hummus (see recipe below)
6 large leaves Swiss chard, stems trimmed and cut into wide ribbons
1/4 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
olive oil
salt and fresh-ground pepper

Preheat broiler or grill. Drizzle the bread slices with olive oil and season with salt. Broil or grill the crostini until golden brown around the edges (but you don’t want the crostini to be rock-hard).

Warm 1 Tbsp. of olive in a large skillet; add Swiss chard and cook, stirring gently, until the chard begins to soften but isn’t completely wilted into a dark green mass. Season chard with salt and pepper and set aside.

Spread some of the hummus on each crostini; top with a bit of sautéd chard and a few crumbles of Feta. Transfer the crostini to a serving platter and drizzle with a bit of good olive oil and top with fresh-cracked pepper.

homemade hummus recipe

1 14-ounce can chickpeas, drained (1/2 cup of liquid reserved)
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp. tahini
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp. salt

Place the chickpeas, garlic, tahini and lemon juice in a blender or food processor; process until smooth and well-combined, adding reserved liquid or water if necessary to thin out the hummus. Add salt and process to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

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homemade roasted red pepper hummus
summery basil-chevre appetizer