Swiss Chard

I made some swiss chard today that I purchased at Whole foods. I have been meaning to try it but was hesitant because I thought it might be like spinach. I chopped it in small pieces the size of a dime and sauteed it in olive oil and garlic...put some seasoning, salt and pepper. (light on the salt as its salty enough). Sprinkled it with parmesan cheese shaved as well as grated and sprinkled with toasted pine nuts. Delicious and nothing like spinach.

I love this stuff and I am wondering what else I can do with it. I can see mixing pasta in.
I am also wondering if you can make Colcannon with this.......I also want to experiment with kale. I need to get more greens in my diet in a big way.

Kale is better for Colcannon, as it has a more assertive flavor. However, Swiss Chard is one of my favorite greens. Though it's a bit hot for this preparation, I've found that it holds up well in soup and doesn't get funky, which is unusual for a green.

Otherwise, I just saute it with a bit of garlic and sesame oil and go to town on it; I never get tired of this dish. I sometimes let the saute cool and dress it with oil and vinegar.

This Rick Bayless recipe for swiss chard tacos is perhaps my favorite use of swiss chard.

toria wrote:I love this stuff and I am wondering what else I can do with it.

Even though you don't like spinach, you can use it in all kinds of recipes that call for spinach, like spanakopita and eggs florentine.

You can also use it like beet greens, e.g. sauteed with vinegar.

Mhays wrote:Though it's a bit hot for this preparation, I've found that it holds up well in soup and doesn't get funky, which is unusual for a green.

Yup. Not really the season for this, but I make this black bean chili with butternut squash and swiss chard frequently in the colder months. I usually use extra chard (I was getting a lot in my vegetable boxes). The dish freezes well also as back-up food.

Mark Bittman has a recipe for swiss chard stuffed with risotto at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/dining/06mini.html.

There is also a video.

I like to cut it into strips and add it to pasta that's boiling.

I have to do some more checking on this; but Julie Sahni says in her classic book on Vegetarian Cooking from India; that the closest relative to the Indian Spinach is the Swiss Chard.

Now I do not know the biology of all this; but I have started substituting Swiss Chard in all my Indian Spinach recipes and the results have been fantastic. Especially Palak Paneer. Of course, I use Super Firm Cubed Tofu instead of Paneer, but still.

So if you have some Indian spinach recipes, substitute Swiss Chard in them. I can think of saag aloo, spinach Kadhi, spinach pulusu, spinach kootu ... just of the top of my head among the recipes I have cooked with this substitution. All have turned out great.

Hope this helps.

I love tossing a whole bunch of chard into risotto, especially rainbow chard, as it turns the risotto a lovely pink. Add the ribbons of chard halfway through cooking. Delicious!

Yum. Thanks everyone. I still have some left and I will try it in some other preparations.

I make my spanakopita with swiss chard all the time--and in fact prefer it to spinach. It has the advantage of using up a lot of chard, too.

I also add it to scrambled eggs, vegetable soups, and stir fries. This week I found myself eating ramen and I added chard to that too. I have an Indian recipe for potatoes with spinach that also works well with chard.

Chard or Spinach with Potatoes

2 T. water
2 10oz packages frozen chopped spinach or lots and lots of fresh spinach or chard, cut into wide strips or coarsely chopped
1 large onion, peeled and sliced very thin
5 T. vegetable oil
2 t. whole black mustard seeds
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-1" cubes
1/4 t cayenne pepper--or more to taste
1 t salt

Heat oil in heavy saucepan. When hot, add the mustard seeds. As soon as they begin to pop (only a few seconds) add the onion and garlic. Stir and fry for two minutes. If using fresh chard or spinach, add it now and cook for another minute or two. Then add the potatoes and cayenne. Stir and fry for one minute. If using frozen spinach add it now. Then add salt, and the 2 T. water. Bring to a boil.
Cover tightly, turn heat to very low and cook gently for 30-40 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir a few times during the cooking period and make sure that there is always a little liquid in the pot. Adjust seasonings as necessary before serving.

I'm a huge chard fan. It's always available here in Montréal, so I'm lucky enough to be able to use it often. Here's my favorite recipe, attribution follows:

Red Chard with Raisins and Pine Nuts (Acelgas con Pasas y Pinones)
1 (12-ounce) bag Cut `n Clean Greens Red Swiss Chard
4 tablespoons golden raisins
3 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion (about half a small onion)
2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano

In a medium pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add greens, stir to submerge, and boil gently, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring several times to make sure the greens are cooking evenly. After 10 minutes, drain greens in a colander (press on them once or twice with the back of a spoon to remove extra water) and set aside.

Meanwhile, continue with rest of the recipe. Soak raisins in a small amount of hot water and set aside.

Heat a large dry non-stick skillet and toast pine nuts over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until light brown. Do not walk away while they are cooking or they might scorch. Remove nuts from pan and set aside.

Heat olive oil in same skillet and saute onion for 3-5 minutes, or until soft and just beginning to color. During the last minute of this cooking time, add garlic and oregano, so as not to scorch the garlic.

When onion-garlic mixture is done, add drained greens to the skillet and stir to combine.

Drain raisins and add them, cooking on medium and stirring a minute or two to evaporate any extra water that has accumulated.


My source for this recipe is here.

I always add a bit more garlic, and it's most fun to add the 'rainbow' collection of Swiss chard, the bunch with many colors.

Geo

Geo wrote:I'm a huge chard fan. It's always available here in Montréal, so I'm lucky enough to be able to use it often. Here's my favorite recipe

Geo, I love the idea of raisins and pinenuts with leafy greens. I have some huge purple kale in my garden, and on a recent Splendid Table podcast, Ms. Kasper mentioned this combination, which sounds fabulous, though I've never tried it. I'm wondering if a little chili heat might not be in order, too.

DH wrote:I'm wondering if a little chili heat might not be in order, too.

Ah, Mon. Hammond, but of course! Indeed, when WOULDN'T a bit of chili heat not be in order??!! There are some marvelous Mexican chard recipes which most certainly are a bit hot around the edges.

Geo

Hey Binko. I love those swiss chard tacos too! I also wanted to add that I grew swiss chard this year in my teeny veg garden and it has been great. I'm using the cut and come again method of harvesting - meaning I take the mature leaves and leave the younger ones so the plants keeps going. I have harvested about 5 times already this year and see no end in sight. I grew the rainbow chard from seed and it is gorgeous to look at too. My favorite chard prep is catalan style. Sauteed with garlic and few raisins and some pine nuts. Deborah Madison has it in one of her books but you can also find in online with some googling.

Can I plant Swiss Chard now for a fall harvest? I love Lidia Bastianich's recipe for chard with red pepper and cannellini beans. I grill sausages on the side.

Sounds good Marmish--anywhere's I can get a near approximation of Lidia's recipe??

And I don't think you can get the chard ripe by the end of the season.

Geo

Geo wrote:Sounds good Marmish--anywhere's I can get a near approximation of Lidia's recipe??

And I don't think you can get the chard ripe by the end of the season.

Geo

It's from Lidia's Italy. It's posted here
*note - that's the recipe from the book, but is NOT my site. I hate retyping what is already out there somewhere. Call me lazy, but I prefer efficient.

Here are my two favorite recipes for swiss chard, the first my own and the second my adaptation of a recipe from Deborah Madison:

Baked Eggs with Red Peppers, Swiss Chard & Goat Cheese
For 8 servings
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to grease the baking pan
2 red peppers, ribs and seeds removed
1 bunch Swiss chard, ribs removed
10 large eggs
½ cup heavy cream
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
5 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped
4 ounces fresh goat cheese

EQUIPMENT SUGGESTED: A large non-stick sauté pan and a 9 by 13-inch baking pan.

METHODS: Grease the baking pan. Slice the red peppers ¼-inch thick. Coarsely chop the Swiss chard. In the sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat until hot, but not smoking. Add the red pepper and sauté, stirring often until the peppers are softened and colored, but not blackened. Remove the peppers from the pan. Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the sauté pan, heat until hot, add Swiss chard and cook until wilted. Continue to cook until any water that the chard has released has evaporated. Add the chard to the peppers and let cool. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and the cream. Add the scallions, peppers, and Swiss chard. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Pour into the prepared baking pan. Coarsely crumble the fresh goat cheese and sprinkle over the egg mixture. Turn oven on to 350ºF. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the center is almost completely set and the eggs are golden. Cut into squares.
DO-AHEAD NOTES: The eggs can be baked the day before and refrigerated. Serve at room temperature or reheat in a 400º F oven for 7-10 minutes.

Chickpeas with Swiss Chard
For 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
pinch or 2 saffron threads
2 garlic cloves
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 cup parsley leaves
3 basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons tomato paste or 1 plum tomato, finely diced
2 medium bunches Swiss chard
2 15 ounce cans chick peas with liquid
1 tablespoon white wine

METHODS: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saffron and saute until the onions are lightly browned, approximately 15 minutes. In the meantime, coarsely grind the parsley, cilantro, basil garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, salt and pepper to taste in a food processor or mortar and pestle. Wash the swiss chard, remove the stems and slice into 1 1/2 inch ribbons. Put them in a large pot with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the leaves from the water and drain. Finely chop the stems and add to the water. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the herb mixture and tomato paste or tomatoes to the onions, cook for 5 minutes. Add chickpeas with their liquid, the swiss chard leaves and white wine and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the stems and season with salt and pepper to taste.

I made the Swiss Chard recipe that Geo posted and very much enjoyed it. I took a few pictures along the way:

Prep:


Just the Swiss Chard:


Plated with a steak and some potatoes:

Pretty pretty pretty, Brandon! Now tell me all about that succulent-looking steak!

Geo

That is a 100% grassfed steak that was in my last CSA delivery. As was the Swiss Chard and potatoes. Simple prep for the steak of salt, pepper, and a little olive oil, so I could taste the full beefy flavor.