Chard

About

Also known as Swiss chard or silverbeet, chard is a hearty green with a mild flavor resembling spinach.  It is a member of the beet family.  Chard is a good source of vitamins A, E, and E, as well as minerals such as iron and calcium.

Storage

While chard is best fresh, it will keep for a few days in the refrigerator (wrap in a damp towel or plastic bag and keep in the hydrator drawer).  Chard can also be frozen.  Chop leaves and blanch for 3 minutes.  Next, rinse under cold water to stop cooking, drain, and store in an airtight container (e.g., zip-lock bag) in freezer. 

Recipes

General Tips 

Though small leaves can be cooked whole, for large leaves, stems should be removed and cooked separately (for a longer period of time). Cut leaves away from stems, and chop stems into approximately 1 inch sized pieces. Start cooking stems about 5 minutes before adding leaves. Cook until leaves are wilted.

Sautéed Chard with Parmesan Cheese

2 T butter

2T olive oil

1 T minced garlic

½ small red onion, diced

1 bunch chard

½ cup dry white wine

1T lemon juice, or to taste

2 T freshly grated parmesan cheese

Salt to taste

3 T pine nuts (optional)

Cut stems away from chard leaves and chop into 1-inch pieces. Cut or tear leaves into 2-3-inch pieces. Melt butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Toast pine nuts, stirring, until golden (1 ½ - 2 minutes). Transfer nuts to a paper towel to drain. Add garlic and onion to the remaining butter/oil and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add chard stems and white wine; simmer until the stems begin to soften (about 5 minutes). Stir in chard leaves and cook until wilted.  Finally, add lemon juice and Parmesan cheese, and season with salt to taste. Garnish with pine nuts. (Substitution notes: Only olive oil can be used instead of the butter/olive oil mix. Any onions will work. Pine nuts can be substituted for other nuts, such as walnuts, or left out.) (Adapted from original recipe here.)