Not So Crafty

Calling All Chard Lovers!

I’ve grown Swiss Lights Chard for the first time this year. It’s a stunning, easy to grow plant. The one problem is that I’m not sure how to prepare it. I grew it because it’s considered a powerhouse of minerals and vitamins. My research says that you can eat the leaves when they are young in a salad. We tried this but it was so terribly bitter we had to fish all the chard out of our salad. My research also says that you should cook the mature leaves to remove the bitterness. I found some potential recipes but I would love to hear some suggestions.

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Kristi Dvorak

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7 responses to “Calling All Chard Lovers!”

  1. Kelly Avatar
    Kelly

    I have had the same problem with my chard. Its so pretty but I have a hard time using all of it. Anyway, here is one recipe that I tried and liked.
    Halibut in Chard Leaves with Lemon Thyme Butter

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  2. Hanna Avatar
    Hanna

    The only way I’ve ever had chard was boiled and then splashed with vinegar, which is how I eat spinach, though its an entirely different flavor. You don’t have to boil the heck out of them; they’re really tender. One time we did have them as the vegetable in our stirfry… just got everything else about cooked then piled on the chard and put the lid on for a few minutes to kind of steam it. This was a cashew chicken dish and it was pretty awesome.

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  3. Jenny Avatar
    Jenny

    I’ve sauteed chard with garlic and salt before, and that was pretty good. I like it with lentils and caramelized onions. I also chop it finely and throw it into soup for the extra vitamins (plus my husband can’t taste it that way).

    Reply
  4. Sandy (Momisodes) Avatar
    Sandy (Momisodes)

    Wow! I love the colors. I don’t believe I’ve ever had this before. However, I would probably cook them the same as I would spinach- sauteed with fresh garlic, oil and salt…YUM!

    Reply
  5. nkristis Avatar
    nkristis

    Thanks everyone, it looks like I’m going to have to do some experimenting.

    Reply
  6. theManicGardener Avatar
    theManicGardener

    I just wrote a post about this, actually, because I’d just used some run-away chard in an omelet, which apparently I cook better than I spell. (I think I’ve got it right now.)

    It’s too bad yours is so bitter; I’ve been surprised by how tender and sweet mine is. Maybe it’s a difference in soils.

    I use it several different ways:

    –tiny leaves in salad. Small ones are more tender. (This should also keep the production under control!)
    –sauteed in butter, with salt and pepper.
    –in Indian dishes, sauteed with butter, cumin and mustard seed (which tastes nothing like mustard), garlic (lots–six cloves with 10 big leaves), and if you want, chopped tomatoes. It’s delicious! When I’m working with bigger leaves, I remove the stems first, chop them pretty small, and let them saute with the mustard and cumin seeds for a few minutes before adding the chopped leaves. I’ve used collard greens & bok choy in this as well.

    Hope you find some uses. Me, I’m waiting for most of mine to grow–
    –Kate

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  7. Katie Avatar
    Katie

    OooH! I just came across Pancake Mama’s recent post titled: What if the CSA gave me too much … swiss chard

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