Kurdish Meatballs with Swiss Chard Recipe

Cut away the hard white stem of the Swiss chard leaves. Reserve them.

Put the green leaves in a large pan without any added water. Cook, covered, over low heat till they wilt (about 2 minutes).

Allow the greens to cool and chop them finely.

Into a bowl, put the meat, egg, onion, chopped Swiss chard, bread crumbs and spices.

Mix, then knead till you have a firm, well-blended mix.

Prepare a skillet with a little oil on the bottom. Fry the meatballs for 5 minutes on each side, just enough to make them hold together and to give them a good brown color.

Cut the white part of the beet stems into finger-sized pieces.

In a medium-sized pot, fry the garlic in olive oil for 2 minutes and add the lemon juice.

Add the meatballs and beet stems. Cover with water or stock.

Cook, covered, 20 minutes or until the meatballs are done.

When the meatballs are done, removed them from the pot and put them aside.

Heat the skillet where the meatballs had fried.

Add the cup of wine and stir to loosen up any savory bits.

Dissolve 1 teaspoon cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of more wine and stir it in.

Add this liquid to the pot and simmer the liquid, uncovered. When it thickens slightly, return the meatballs to the pot.

Chop the scallions and scatter them over the meatballs just before bringing them to the table.