This photo was taken about a week 1/2 ago. You would not believe the size of the swiss chard leaves now! I have been very pleased with how fast and easy it is to grow swiss chard. I’ve enjoyed it raw, cut up in a salad,(using the lettuce pictured above), and just recently I learned how to cook it.
I scoured the internet looking for ways to cook swiss chard. I have heard stories of swiss chard tasting bitter once cooked, so I was skeptical that I would like it, much less my kids!
I found a recipe at Simply Recipes, (recipe below). It caught my eye because it was simple and easy to prepare, plus the author had this to say about it:
” I never liked Swiss chard, until several years ago I had some that had been freshly picked from a friend’s garden. It was so sweet and buttery I couldn’t believe it was actually Swiss chard. It was then I learned that freshness was the key determinant to whether chard was delectable or detestable.”
“Sweet” and “butter” is all I had to hear to get motivated to cook up these garden greens.
I think swiss chard is such a beautiful vegetable! The stalks come in different colors and the leaves are such an amazing bright green. The stalks remind me of celery, but a bit more bitter. I didn’t care for the stalks, but I liked looking at them!
These nine, good sized leaves cooked down to one palm sized serving of chard. I was flabbergasted! Guess I need to plant more next year! Can you imagine the content of vitamins and antioxidants in that one palm full of cooked chard?? Impressive.
Nutritional Profile
Swiss chard is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, vitamin E and dietary fiber. It is a very good source of copper, calcium, vitamin B2, vitamin B6 and protein. In addition, Swiss chard is a good source of phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc, folate, biotin, niacin and pantothenic acid.
Here is the palm full of the finished product. I loved it. It was mild, sweet and buttery. I told my girls that I made it for me, but I would let them have a taste. They skeptically tried a small bite, and within seconds I had 2 (my oldest one was not into the texture) little bird mouth hanging open for more bites. Now that excites me!
Here is the recipe:
Swiss Chard Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 1 large bunch of fresh Swiss chard
- 1 small clove garlic, sliced
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp water
- Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon butter
- Salt
METHOD
1 Rinse out the Swiss chard leaves thoroughly. Remove the toughest third of the stalk, discard or save for another recipe (such as this Swiss chard ribs with cream and pasta). Roughly chop the leaves into inch-wide strips.
2 Heat a saucepan on a medium heat setting, add olive oil, a few small slices of garlic and the crushed red pepper. Sauté for about a minute. Add the chopped Swiss chard leaves. Cover. Check after about 5 minutes. If it looks dry, add a couple tablespoons of water. Flip the leaves over in the pan, so that what was on the bottom, is now on the top. Cover again. Check for doneness after another 5 minutes (remove a piece and taste it). Add salt to taste, and a small amount of butter. Remove the swiss chard to a serving dish.
This post is linked to:
Made It Monday @ The Persimmon Perch
Just Something I Whipped Up @ The Girl Creative
Making The World Cuter Monday @ Making The World Cuter
Tasty Tuesdays @ Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
, it keeps your blood sugar levels from spiking!)
, leaving about 1/2 inch room. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 2 months. Or, if you are into canning, this would be the ideal recipe!
