Calamari with Garbanzo Beans and Greens

This colorful treatment of tender squid comes from Liguria, and there’s a bit of heat to it from the use of crushed red pepper flakes. The Swiss chard adds pretty color to the plate too. Serve some rice to enjoy all the sauce.

Makes 4 to 6 servings | Prep time: 25 minutes | Minimum cook time: 1¹/₂ hours in a medium slow cooker

1 large bunch Swiss chard

1¹/₂ pounds cleaned squid

¹/₄ cup olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 carrot, chopped

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

¹/₂ cup Seafood Stock or purchased stock

¹/₂ cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried

¹/₂ to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and have a bowl of ice water handy. Discard tough stems from Swiss chard, and cut leaves into 1-inch slices. Boil Swiss chard for 2 minutes, then drain, and plunge into ice water to stop the cooking action. Drain again, and transfer Swiss chard to the slow cooker.

2. Rinse squid inside and out, and clean if necessary. Cut bodies into rings ³/₄-inch wide, and leave tentacles whole. Set aside.

3. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and carrot, and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until onions softens. Add tomatoes, stock, wine, parsley, oregano, and red pepper flakes to the skillet, and bring to a boil over high heat. Pour mixture into the slow cooker.

4. Add squid to the slow cooker, and stir well. Cook on Low for 2 to 4 hours, or on High for 1 to 2 hours, or until squid is tender. If cooking on Low, raise the heat to high. Add garbanzo beans, and cook for 15 minutes, or until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve hot.

Note: The dish can be prepared up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Reheat it, covered, over low heat until hot, stirring occasionally.

Variation:

 Substitute extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined, for the squid. The cooking time will remain the same.

The actual homeland of Swiss chard isn’t in Switzerland but in the Mediterranean region. The Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote about chard in the fourth century BCE; both the ancient Greeks and Romans praised chard for its medicinal properties. Chard got its common name from another Mediterranean vegetable, cardoon, a celery-like plant with thick stalks that resemble those of chard.