This side dish has it all: creamy avocado, tart orange, savory greens, zesty chutney, and crunchy toasted almonds. Serve as a salad or a side dish alongside a piece of grilled fish.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　3 bunches red chard, stems and spines discarded

　　Kosher or other salt

　　Freshly ground black pepper

　　1 large ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into bite-­sized pieces

　　1 large blood orange, zested and sectioned

　　2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　1 tablespoon brown rice or other vinegar

　　2 tablespoons mango or other store-­bought chutney

　　1 handful slivered almonds, toasted

　　

Step 1

Steam or boil the chard leaves for 3 to 4 minutes, then plunge them into cold water. Gently squeeze as much moisture as possible from the chard. You should end up with a ball a little bigger than a baseball. Chop the chard on a cutting board, salt and pepper liberally, and divide into 4 equal portions. Make a small chard wreath on each of 4 plates and fill the middle with avocado pieces and orange sections, artfully arranged however you like.

　　

Step 2

Put the olive oil, vinegar, chutney, and salt and pepper to taste into a jar and shake vigorously. Carefully drizzle everything with the dressing, using a light hand, then scatter the almonds and grated orange zest over them. Give each plate a final flick of salt and pepper.

　　From The Breakaway Cook © 2007 by Eric Gower. Buy the full book from HarperCollins or from Amazon.

　　Reprinted with permission from William Morrow Cookbooks.