Rose Creek Farms Swiss Chard Recipes Certified Naturally Grown Vegetables and Herbs in Sunset Texas

Tasty Recipes for Swiss Chard

Freezing: Rinse chard in several changes of cold water, lifting leaves out and leaving sand and soil behind. Separate the stems from the leaves. Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Drop about 1 pound of whole leaves into boiling water, cover and blanch for 2 minutes. Blanch stems for 3 minutes. Remove immediately from boiling water and immerse in an ice water bath for 2 minutes. Drain. Pack in zip-closure freezer bags or freezer containers, leaving no airspace. Label, date and freeze at 0°F for up to 1 year.

How to Store: Store chard in the refrigerator. Store unwashed leaves in plastic bags in refrigerator crisper drawer for 2 to 3 days. The stalks can be stored longer if separated from the leaves.

Preparation: Young tender chard leaves can be eaten raw in salads and sandwiches. Chard can be used in place of spinach in any recipe. When cooking older chard, the stems should be separated from the leaves as they require longer cooking. Chard is a tender green and benefits from a brief cooking period. Spinach, beet greens and kale may be prepared in a similar manner.

Swiss chard is packed with nutrition. It is an excellent source of vitamins C, E, and K, carotenes, chlorophyll, and fiber. It is also an excellent source of several minerals including potassium, magnesium, iron, and manganese. Swiss chard is also a good source of many other nutrients including vitamin B6, protein, calcium, thiamine, selenium, zinc, niacin, and folic acid. Swiss chard is one of the most powerful anti-cancer foods due to its combination of traditional nutrients; phytochemicals, chlorophyll, other plant pigments, and soluble fiber. The generous amount of vitamin K that is contained in Swiss chard, is especially beneficial in the maintenance of bone health.

Wash greens by swishing them in cool water, one handful at a time. Remove the stems and chop into 1-inch pieces. Stack the leaves and roll them together. Cut across the roll with a sharp knife. Repeat for additional bundles of leaves.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add ¼ cup water and chopped stems to pan. Cook 4 minutes. Add the wet, chopped leaves one handful at a time. Stir after each addition. After all the greens have been added, cover with a tight fitting lid and cook 2 to 3 minutes. They should be wilted but still bright green in color. Season with salt, pepper and butter, if desired. Serve immediately.

6 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. dried currants
2 tbsp. golden raisins
1 bunch swiss chard, cleaned
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 med. onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic*, finely chopped
1/2 lb. fettuccini
1/3 cup walnut pieces, toasted
grated parmesan cheese

Melt butter in small pan over low heat until rich amber in color (8-10 min). Set aside. Pour 1/4 cup hot water over currants & raisins in small bowl to plump. Trim stems from chard, stack leaves & slice crosswise into 2" ribbons. Set a large pot of salted water on to boil for pasta. In a large pan over med. heat, sauté onion in olive oil w/salt, pepper (about 5 min). Add garlic & chard, and sauté 4-5 min until chard is just tender. Cook fettuccini in boiling water, timing it to finish cooking with the chard. Drain pasta well, and add to chard along with plumped fruit, walnuts and warm brown butter, adding salt & pepper to taste. Toss to mingle ingredients. Serve w/parmesan.

*or use a head of green garlic! Cut off roots and dark green leaves and discard them, then chop up the white and light green parts of it and use like you would ordinary garlic cloves.

3 slices bacon
1 large bunch greens (kale, chard &/or beet
greens); chop stems & leaves separately.
1 apple, cored & chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 T pine nuts
salt & pepper
2 T champagne vinegar

In large skillet fry bacon until crispy. Drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 1-2 T of fat. Sauté onion, apple & greens' stems in fat until onions are lightly browned. Add chopped greens & sauté until wilted. Stir in pine nuts, crumble in bacon, salt & pepper to taste, dress w/vinegar & serve.

Tuscan Vegetable Soup
serves 8

4 tbsp. olive oil
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 yellow squash, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 tsp. garlic, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
4 C chicken or vegetable stock
3 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped
1 C cooked white beans
2 tbsp. fresh oregano, roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 bunch Swiss chard, chopped
freshly grated parmesan

Sauté the cut vegetables in olive oil until they are clear. Add the garlic, bay leaves, and stock. Bring soup to a simmer. When vegetables are tender, add the tomato pieces, white beans and oregano. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Before serving, add the Swiss chard and, if desired, freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Chard Tart

Pastry:
1 ¾ C all-purpose flour (OK to use some white whole wheat flour)
¾ tsp. salt
½ C olive oil
1/3 C cold milk or water

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together flour and salt, then stir in oil and milk or water until thoroughly blended. Press the dough into an 8x8 pan (no need to grease it). Bake until the crust is set and lightly golden, 10-15 minutes.

Filling:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 red onion, finely diced
1 lb. chard or other greens, washed and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. fresh basil, or 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
¼ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
3 large eggs or 2 eggs and one egg white
1/3 C cream or half and half
1 C grated Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add onion and cook 10 to 15 minutes. Add the chard and garlic and cook until the greens are tender. Season with basil, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Combine eggs, cream, and cheese in a bowl and add the chard mixture. Scrape the mixture into the prepared shell and spread evenly. Reduce the oven heat to 375 degrees. Bake until the filling is golden and firm, 25-35 minutes.

Live Earth Farm

Fiesole Style Frittata (chard frittata)
From 'Cooking from an Italian Garden' by Paola Scaravelli
serves 6-8

2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic
about 1 lb. chard, washed , stems removed, and leaves roughly chopped
9 extra large eggs
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat butter and oil in a large frying pan, (choose one with a lid that fits well) add garlic, and sauté over medium heat about 1 minute. Add chard, mix well, cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Do not add water.

When chard is tender, distribute evenly to cover bottom of pan. Beat the eggs very briefly, just enough to break yolks and partly combine them with the whites. Pour the eggs on top of the chard. Do not mix. Season with salt and pepper, reduce heat to low, cover the pan. Cook 5 minutes, then remove from heat, keeping the lid on the pan, and let sit until the eggs are firm, about 15 minutes. The eggs should be cooked but not hard and dry. Serve hot or room temp.

Live Earth Farm

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

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.

Ingredients

1 lb swiss chard, yielding 2 cups of chopped ribs
1/4 cup (half a stick) butter
3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream
Enough dry pasta to make about one quart of cooked pasta (use rice pasta if gluten-free is required)
Salt and pepper

Method

1 Separate the ribs from the greens. Cut the ribs into 1/2-inch to 1-inch pieces. Blanch the ribs in lightly salted boiling water for 3 minutes.

2 Melt butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the drained, blanched ribs and simmer for 4 minutes. Add heavy cream and cook until cream reduces by two-thirds.

3 While the cream is reducing, cook up your pasta according to the pasta's package directions.

4 Mix creamed chard with pasta. Season lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper.