How do you eat chard?

[sheps4her]

In Salad? cooked? I have never had it before I started growing it. Dh got it because it was pretty ...but he has never eaten it also!

 

[warmfuzzies]

I have heard you can eat it fresh. I thought it was kind of bitter, but they were big leaves. Maybe if you pick them small they would be better.

I cooked it like spinach. It was SOOO good! And it turns a emerald green color, very dark and rich, not ugly and brown like spinach. I also heard you can eat the stems like asparagus or celery, but I diddnt figure out how to cook it. But we diddnt have very much. I am planting a lot more this year, it was so good!

I cant wait to have it in quiche.

 

[GardeNerd]

I add it fresh in small amounts to salad. I cook it as "greens." I also feed the larger bitter leaves to the tortoise. Once it starts to bolt and lengthen, it doesn't taste so good.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Have you ever eaten beet greens? Chard is very similar. Our normal way is to put it in a presure cooker with a litle bacon, salt and pepper, cook it under pressure for 2-1/2 to 3 minutes, then rapidly cool it down.

You can always google recipes.

 

[momofdrew]

steamed.... sauted with garlic onion and fresh chopped tomatoes...yum picked when small in a salad... in soups... as a replacement for spinach in lasagna or quiche...

 

[big brown horse]

Have you ever eaten beet greens? Chard is very similar. Our normal way is to put it in a presure cooker with a litle bacon, salt and pepper, cook it under pressure for 2-1/2 to 3 minutes, then rapidly cool it down.

You can always google recipes.

I love it cooked this way!! YUMMY!!

 

[me&thegals]

The baby leaves are wonderful in salad. Bigger leaves are good steamed and served with a little butter and salt. But, my favorite way is quiche:

Swiss Chard Pie
1 onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon oil
1 bunch Swiss chard
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 piecrust (see below for no-roll crust recipe)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Brown onion and garlic in oil. Trim and chop chard (can include greens and stems), add to pan and cook down until wilted. Beat eggs and milk in bowl. Mix in salt and chard mixture. Pour into piecrust. Sprinkle cheese on top, pushing slightly into chard mixture. Bake until knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 30-40 min.

1 piece (including 1/8 of crust below): 367 calories,
13 grams protein, 5 grams fiber
Vitamin A 170% Vitamin C 42%
Calcium 24% Iron 23%


Whole-wheat, no-roll piecrust
1 cups flour (whole-wheat pastry flour best, whole-wheat flour okay)
1 tsp sugar
tsp salt
cup oil (I prefer mixture of canola and olive for health benefits)
3 tbsp milk

Place all ingredients in pie pan. Mix with fork until well blended and pat into the pan. Push pastry up the sides and form a nice edge with thumb and finger. Prick to avoid bubbling during baking.

 

[headred]

Steamed, like spinach. But the other night I made some whole wheat penne pasta, added diced tomatoes, red pepper, lotsa garlic and olive oil, and steamed chard. Was great!

 

[Ridgerunner]

One important thing about chard. It has to be fresh. The difference in fresh from the garden to from the store or even a farmer's market can be quite dramatic.

 

[Catalina]

Like everyone said - I too like it as a replacement for spinach. In lasagne or quiche.

I also like it after my chickens have processed it into yummy eggs!