Swiss Chard and Goat Cheese Crêpes with Crunchy Walnut Crumb Topping

Here is a lovely way to eat your greens—rolled up in a tender crêpe and enriched with some crème fraîche and goat cheese. I use Swiss chard here, but Tuscan kale or even collard greens would be wonderful substitutions; just pay attention to how long you cook the greens because chard cooks faster than many heartier options. Also, some greens can give off a lot of water, so be sure to cook off as much moisture as possible or your filling could make the crêpes soggy. If you’d rather, you can use fromage blanc, which is usually made from cow’s milk, instead of goat cheese. The idea is to use a very fresh and tangy cheese, so feel free to improvise.

Makes 6 filled crêpes; serves 6 as a first course or 3 as a main course

FOR THE FILLING

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 lb/455 g Swiss chard, thick stems trimmed and discarded, thin stems sliced ¼ in/6 mm thick, leaves cut into 1-in/2.5-cm ribbons

1 small clove garlic, minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup/120 ml crème fraîche

Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

Pinch of cayenne pepper

½ cup/30 g grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

FOR THE TOPPING

2 tbsp walnuts, lightly toasted

2 tbsp coarse fresh bread crumbs

1 tbsp grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 Versatile Crêpes or your choice

¼ cup plus 2 tbsp/70 g soft, fresh goat cheese or fromage blanc

MAKE THE FILLING

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced chard stems and cook, stirring every so often, until the stems begin to soften and the liquid they’ve released has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 30 seconds or so, and then add some of the chard leaves. Increase the heat to high and cook the chard, tossing frequently to wilt the leaves and make more room in the pan. Continue tossing and adding more leaves until they’re all in the skillet, and then cook off all the liquid the leaves release, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes.

When the chard is fairly tender and all of the liquid has evapo-rated, reduce the heat to medium, stir in the crème fraîche, and simmer until it’s reduced and thickened, 3 to 4?minutes. Season with the nutmeg and cayenne and more salt and pepper. Stir in the Parmigiano and remove from the heat. Cover the filling to keep it warm. (Or, if making it ahead, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat over medium-low heat.)

MAKE THE TOPPING

In a medium bowl, stir together the walnuts, bread crumbs, Parmigiano, and melted butter. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and set aside.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425°F/220°C/gas 7. Butter the bottom of a 9-x-13-in/23-x-33-cm baking dish.

Lay the crêpes presentation-side down on a clean work surface. Divide the goat cheese between the crêpes, spreading it out on the bottom third of each crêpe. Next, divide the chard filling among the crêpes, spooning it over the goat cheese. To fold, pull the bottom edge of each crêpe up and over the filling and roll it up a half turn. Tuck in each side, and finish rolling up from the bottom. Arrange the crêpes seam-side down in a single layer in the prepared baking dish. They should be snugged in tightly together. Sprinkle the crêpes with the topping. Bake until heated through, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve right away.