Veg Medley w/Chard & Poached Eggs-Something different for Bkfst or Brunch

I created this recipe one weekend morning when I was in an "I don't know what I want" mood. I wanted something different, and as the odds and ends in the fridge began to fill the counter top this tasty dish emerged.

I used rainbow chard because I am just enamored by its colors. You'll want to remove that colorful stem which you can do either with a knife or by using your thumb and forefinger to strip the leaves off. Then put them in your salad spinner and give them a nice washing. Spin them dry, then just give them a rough chop.

Why throw chard in the mix? Look at its nutritional profile and you'll have your answer: It has carotenes, vitamins C, E, and K, fiber and chlorophyll. It is also an excellent source of minerals -- including magnesium, potassium, iron and manganese -- and B6, calcium, protein, thiamine, zinc, niacin, folic acid and selenium! With this profile chard is a particularly powerful anti-cancer food, especially of those that affect the digestive tract, such as colon cancer. The vitamin K provided by chard (388.9% of the daily value in 1 cup of cooked chard) is important for maintaining bone health.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, cut top to root, then into long quarter-inch strips
2 large cloves of garlic, smashed well with the back of your knife
2 small carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup of a variety of tomatoes, chopped (you can substitute 15 oz can of chopped organic tomatoes with juice)
1/2 cup frozen corn (I froze mine this summer so I'd have it on hand, but when corn is in season I use 1 ear, kernels removed from cob)
4 cups rainbow chard (1 bunch), stems removed, cleaned, spun dry and roughly chopped
1 cup vegetable stock
1/2 tsp fresh oregano
1/2 cup Italian parsley, roughly chopped
thyme, 3 sprigs
lemon zest, 1 tsp
sea salt and ground pepper
3-4 fresh farm eggs

Directions:

• Heat 3 quart sauce pan over medium heat and add olive oil. When hot, add onion slices and a pinch of salt. Saute for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and saute 2 more minutes, being careful not to brown the garlic.
• Add carrots and 1/4 cup of stock. Cover and simmer 3-4 minutes. Add tomatoes and simmer uncovered for about 6 minutes, until tomatoes begin to break down. Add another 1/4-1/2 cup of stock and the oregano, parsley, thyme and lemon zest. Stir to blend. Add corn, simmer for 3 minutes. Add chard and simmer until it wilts. Add salt and pepper. Mixture should not be dry, nor should it be a soup. There should be a tasty sauce developing with thin enough liquid to poach the eggs. If it needs more stock add that now. Taste and adjust seasonings.
  
• When you have a nice simmer going crack in the eggs and cover. Check after 3 minutes. Cook the eggs until the yolks are set to the consistency you like. Remove lid and sprinkle eggs with freshly ground pepper. Using a slotted spoon, scoop up an egg with a good helping of the underlying vegetables. Serve with corn tortillas or sprouted whole grain toast.