Chard alla Louis Lacopi

1 large bunch chard
Olive oil
Several cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1. Rinse chard well to remove all grit. Place in pan with just the water that clings to the leaves. Cover pan, and cook over medium heat for several minutes, until chard is halfway wilted.

2. Remove chard from pan, and squeeze out as much moisture as possible with your hands. Chop chard coarsely. Heat olive oil and garlic in heavy skillet. Add chard and sauté briefly. Serve immediately.

The following two recipes, which were handed out at the farmers market in Oakland, Calif., on Jan. 8, 2006, in honor of the 70th anniversary of the birth of Elvis Presley, are from  Presley Family Cookbook.

Elvis’ Down Home Collard Greens

1 head collard greens
1 ham hock
Pepper
Pepper vinegar 

1. Soak and wash collard greens in a colander. Rinse and chop the greens into 1” pieces. In a large pot boil water with the ham hock. Add a pinch of pepper. Drop the collards into the water and cook until limp.

Serve with pepper vinegar on the side.

Pledging My Love Vegetable Pizza

2 packaged refrigerator crescent dinner rolls
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 1-ounce package dry ranch dressing mix
¼ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped onions
¼ cup cauliflower, chopped into florets
⅛ cup chopped radishes
½ cup chopped lettuce
½ cup chopped tomatoes
½ cup chopped broccoli
½ cup chopped carrots

1. Piece together the crescent rolls to form a pizza crust. Bake according to package directions.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese with the dry ranch dressing mix. Spread over the baked crust. Top with the chopped vegetables.