I know it isn’t the most romantic food in the world, but when planning my garden for the year, I always order lots of Swiss Chard (especially Vulcan Red, and Brightlights, and Fordhook Giant). It looks so beautiful in the planting beds, requires little help, is extremely cost effective to grow, and some years here in the NW I can get it to keep growing right through the winter.
More importantly, it is very healthy, full of vitamins, and I use it a lot in cooking (second only to my beloved Russian Red Kale) . I often chop it into any stew we’re having (adding the stems about 20 min before the greens, since they take longer to cook). My favorite recipe (the kids love it, too!) comes from Cook’s Illustrated Nov 2004 issue – Balsamic Chicken with Swiss Chard and Tomatoes.  It is a little involved, however (honestly, though, aren’t most Cook’s recipes??). If you’d like one, I can get you a copy.
Chard is also great just steamed by itself and topped with a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil, or lemon juice and capers. Not to mention the possibilities in stir fry!
I’m glad we make room for a little patch in our garden and our diet.
PS – there are many tips of the hat to yummy greens lately (some kicked off by Shining Egg‘s Green Week, I believe)- A Friend to Knit With, In the Kitchen, Hurrayic, Orangette’s Broccoli Soup, and many others.
swiss chard just happens to be my favourite vegetable. cooked with a little butter it was a sunday sidedish at my mother’s house. coming directly form the garden, it had the tiniest bits of sand still in there even when carefully washed and cooked. i didn’t like it at the time, but now its smell and the very unique taste remind me of those happy sundays, especially of the times my grandfather was visiting. so i grew to adore the
vegetable.
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I will have to try that with b.vinegar and olive oil. I usually stir fry those (sometimes w/bacon- probably erased all the nutrients, huh? ;0) but I’d like to eat more raw food if I can.
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Welcome back. We don’t have any red chard around here but I think I’ve got everything for a just because chocolate cake with that frosting. Yum. We’ve been sick around here too and a cake to celebrate wellness sounds perfect.
I really struggle with chard and kale. I want to like them, but I just don’t. They’re too, I don’t know–bitter. Even Molly Katzan’s best chard recipe did nothing for me.
This makes me feel guilty and nutritionally bankrupt. But I like spinach and broccoli and really dislike green pepper (also tastes bitter to me) so perhaps it is a taste issue?
Can I just stick them in a vase and admire them??