Beans and Greens (and Ham) Recipe

Here's my adapted version of the Beans and Greens recipe. I will say it was pretty good, and I think it would be good without the ham (but I would definitely use a nice, sharp cheese as a garnish in that case). The good thing about this recipe is it uses a whole head of green leafies, but it doesn't taste like you just ate 1/4 of a head of green leafies. I personally find just plain braised greens to have a tendency to taste a bit swampy. Of course, that could just be me cooking them incorrectly. The downside to this recipe is it's fairly hands-on and time consuming, so while it's super easy and cheap to make, you have to be around the house for over an hour before dinner time.

Beans and Greens and Ham (oh my!)
2 c. soaked white beans
1 onion
1 bay leaf
1 clove
salt and pepper (lots of it!)
1 c. chopped cooked ham
1 bunch swiss chard, chopped
2 T. olive oil
grated sharp cheddar cheese, for garnish

Cover the beans with fresh water and bring to a boil. Throw in the onion and clove and bay leaf. Gently boil (partly covered) the beans about 30 minutes, until they are semi-soft. Stir occasionally.

Salt and pepper the beans, add the ham, and stir. Add water as necessary. Stir occasionally as you cook until the beans are cooked (another 20-30 minutes).

Add the greens and cook until they are tender, about 10 minutes more. Again, add water if necessary. (I ended up over cooking the greens waiting for my husband and one of my sons to get home, and it still tasted good and not swampy or slimy at all).

Remove the onion, add more salt and pepper as needed. I added an additional sprinkle of ground cloves. Stir in the olive oil. Serve it in bowls and garnish with the cheese.