Swiss Chard

 1. Swiss Chard contains 13 different polyphenol antioxidants.
2. Chard is a source of a phytonutrient called betalains, which are found in the veins and stem of Swiss chard. Betalains have an antiodixant, anti-inflammatory and detoxifying effect on the body.
3. Chard contains a high amount of fiber and protein, both of which help stabilize blood sugar levels.
4. Chard is high in Vitamin K – according to whfoods.com, there’s six to eight times the recommended daily amount in just one cup of boiled chard. This vitamin helps you maintain strong and healthy bones.
5. Chard contains a high amount of Vitamin C, giving your immune system a boost with each and every bite.
6. High in Vitamin A, Swiss chard will help keep your eyesight in tip top shape.

 Young chard leaves (2” to 3”) can be harvested and enjoyed raw in salads, and mature leaves can be savored in numerous ways. Here are some ideas for making the most of your abundant chard crop throughout the season:
    Add chopped chard to omelets, scrambled eggs, and quiches (chard and eggs play well together).
    Steam chard until leaves are just wilted (the key with chard and other leafy greens is to avoid overcooking) and sprinkle with sea salt. Notice and savor the simple, buttery flavor that distinguishes chard form other leafy greens.
    Add chard to your favorite lasagna recipe for a boost of flavor, fiber and nutrition.
    Give your pasta dishes a generous dose of chopped chard. All your favorite pasta dinners, from primavera to mac ‘n’ cheese, will taste better with chard.
    Steam the large leaves and use them as wrappers for delicious fillings, like sautéed mushrooms and onions, or Italian sausage, rice and sun-dried tomatoes.
    Add left-over steamed chard to your burrito the next day
    Sauté chard in a splash of olive oil with fresh garlic, any all the other homegrown vegetables (tomatoes, fennel, onions, sweet peppers, green beans, etc).
    Replace spinach with chard in your favorite Greek spanikopita recipe.
    Try “beans and greens”. Beans and greens are a classic combo that always work well. I especially love the combination of tender cannellini beans with the silky, buttery flavor of chard.
I generally like to have a no-fuss kitchen, which means that most often I prepare vegetables in very simple ways. Chard is one of those vegetables that is so easy to cook and enjoy— simply steamed with a sprinkle of sea salt, served on a bed of rice or as a main dish. It’s easy. It’s delicious.
How to prepare chard
Chard boasts a huge leaf with a firm stalk in the center. Because chard stalks are more dense than the leaf, it’s a good idea to remove the stalks (either by cutting out the stalk or gently pulling off the leaves with your hands) and cook them separately, otherwise your beautiful chard leaves will be overcooked by the time the stalk is tender. Chard stalks resemble celery stalks and only require an extra minute or two for cooking before adding in the leaves.



Swiss Chard & Potatoes   
Yield: Serves 6  Prep Time: 15 mins  Cook Time: 35 mins
1 Pound Swiss Chard , or other greens maybe a mix
1 Pound Potatoes, Peeled & Cut Into Quarters
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Large Garlic Cloves, Peeled & Minced
Fine Sea Salt & Cracked Black Pepper
1/2 to 1 Teaspoon Red Hot Pepper Flakes

Wash the chard and trim the stems, then cut the stems into 1 inch pieces.
Fold the leaves together, and cut into 1/2 inch strips.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil then add the potatoes and cook until just almost tender, about 20 minutes.  Steaming the potatoes will help retain 10 minutes, then add the leaves and cook until wilted.
Drain the potatoes and chard very well in a colander.
In a large heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and add the garlic.
Season the oil with salt and pepper and add the red peptheir color.
Add the stems from the chard and cook another per flakes.
Add the Swiss chard and potatoes, then cook over medium heat, stirring often, and mashing the potatoes gently as they cook, for about 8 minutes.
Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed, then serve warm.
This delicious recipe brought to you by Italian Food Forever
http://www.italianfoodforever.com/2013/03/swiss-chard-potatoes/

Wilted Swiss Chard with Garlic
Bunch Swiss Chard, stems chopped
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh lemon juice
Heat a deep skillet add oil and garlic, saute 15 seconds. Add chopped stems and cook until crisp tender.
Add the wet chard one handfull at a time. stir after each addition. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until chard is wilted but still bright green.
Remove lid and raise heat to high and cook off liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice.


Chard Enchiladas New Mexico Style
Cecilia Rosacker McCord in Gardeners Community Cookbook by Victoria Wise
4 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped abour 1 pound
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 medium onion, coarsely chopped
6 dried New Mexico chilies, stemmmed, seeded, and torn into pieces (you can use fresh chilies which will require less water when blending into a paste)
1-2 cups hot water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch Swiss Chard, stems separated from leaves and  coarsely chopped
12 corn tortillas, blue corn is traditional
1 1/2 cups grated Jack or Cheddar cheese
4 fried eggs (optional)
Place the tomatoes, coarsely chopped garlic, onions, dried chilies and about 1 cup hot water in food processor. Blend until smooth adding water as necessary to make a liquid paste. Set aside
Heat oil in a large saute pan add the finely chopped onion and garlic and saute until golden. Add the chard and stir over medium high heat until wilted but not soft. Stir in the tomato puree and cook until thickened.
Place 4 tortillas without overlapping in a baking dish. Spread each with enough sauce to cover. Sprinkle cheese over sauce. Top with another tortilla, sauce and cheese. Continue layering ubtil you have 3 layers with sauce and cheese on top.
Place in a 350 degree oven and bake until cheese is melted. Serve topped with a fried egg if you like. The egg could also be scrabbled and added to the sauce before layering.

Skillet Gnocchi With Chard and White Beans
    1 tablespoon   extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon, divided
    1 16-ounce package  shelf-stable gnocchi
    1 medium    yellow onion, thinly sliced
    4 cloves   garlic, minced
    1/2 cup    water
    6 cups    chopped chard leaves, or spinach (about 1 small bunch)
    1 15-ounce can    diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
    1 15-ounce can    white beans, rinsed
    1/4 teaspoon  freshly ground pepper
    1/2 cup   shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
    1/4 cup    finely shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
    Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
    Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and onion to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium heat, for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and water. Cover and cook until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes.
    Add chard (or spinach) and cook, stirring, until starting to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes.
    Stir in tomatoes, beans and pepper and bring to a simmer.
     Stir in the gnocchi and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes.

Crock Pot Risotto with Swiss Chard
•1 Tbsp. olive oil
•1 small onion, diced
•1-1/4 cups uncooked arborio rice
•1/4 cup dry white wine
•3-3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
•dash of kosher salt
•3 cups Swiss chard
•1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook 4-5 minutes until translucent. Pour into slow cooker stoneware. Add rice to stoneware and stir until coated with the olive oil-onion mixture. Pour white wine and chicken broth over top. Add a dash of salt.

To prepare the Swiss chard, fill a large bowl with cold water. Add the chard. Lift the chard out and drain the bowl. Repeat the process a second time. Dry the chard leaves with a paper towel. Lay a leaf of chard on your cutting board and fold one side over the other, as if folding a piece of paper lengthwise. Cut alongside the stem lengthwise. Remove stem and save for another use. Chop the chard leaves and add them to the slow cooker stoneware.

Cover and cook on high 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until all the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano and serve immediately. From Suite101.com


Five Color Chard and Cannellini Bean Soup
Seed to Saucepan blog at Botanical Interests
    1/2 lb Five Color Silverbeet chard, stems removed (and saved for another use) and leaves cut lengthwise in half, then sliced into thin slivers
    4 cups cooked cannellini beans (other white beans such as Great Northern, or navy will be a fine substitution), rinsed
    1 large onion, chopped
    1 fennel bulb, stalks removed (and saved for another use) and bulb sliced into thin slivers
    4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
    6 cups vegetable stock
    1 bay leaf
    2 tablespoons olive oil
    1/4 teaspoon black pepper
    1 teaspoon sea salt

Method
   Sauté onion and fennel in oil over moderate heat, until slightly softened, 6 to 8 minutes.
    Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
    Add beans, stock, water, bay leaf, and pepper and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Discard bay leaf.
    Add chard and salt, then simmer, uncovered, until chard is tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
    Adjust salt and pepper seasonings to taste.

Enjoy!

Chard and sun-dried tomato frittata
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, plus a bit of oil from the jar
4 ounces sliced white button mushrooms
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped chard
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Heat the broiler.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and thyme. Season with salt and pepper, then set aside.
Set a large oven-safe nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes, mushrooms, onion, garlic and 2 tablespoons of the oil the tomatoes are packed in. Saute until the onions are soft and the mushrooms start to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the chard and cook until just wilted.
Spread the vegetables in an even layer over the bottom of the pan. Pour the egg mixture over them, then cook, without stirring, for 4 minutes, or until the bottom has set. Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the frittata.
Transfer the pan to the middle rack of the oven and broil until the frittata is puffed, lightly browned and firm at the center, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and cool slightly before slicing.
Servings » 6


Braised Swiss Chard with Leeks
Farm Fresh Recipes
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 lbs leeks, sliced
Salt and peppe,r to taste
1 lb chard, chopped
Heat oil in large pan over medium heat, add leeks and chard stalks. Season. Cover , reduce heat and cook until tender.
Add chard leaves and cover. Simmer until wilted. Serve at once


 Rainbow Chard Slaw
  3 cups shredded or finely chopped Swiss chard
    1 cup shredded purple cabbage
    1/4 cup shredded carrot
    1/2 cup chopped or slivered raw almonds (I like to soak them for 4 to 6 hours, time permitting)
    1/4 cup macadamia-nut oil or olive oil (macadamia-nut oil gives this salad a unique flavor)
    1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
    1 tablespoon Vegenaise (optional)
    1/2 teaspoon allspice
    1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
    1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
    1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
    1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
    1/4 teaspoon black pepper
    1/4 teaspoon sea salt (optional)
    1 to 2 teaspoons xylitol or 1 packet stevia
    1/4 cup raw hemp seeds
    1/2 cup dried, unsweetened blueberries

1. Combine chard, cabbage, carrot, and nuts in a large bowl.
2. In a small mixing bowl, combine oil, vinegar, Vegenaise, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, oregano, basil, pepper, salt, and sweetener. Whisk until mixture is blended well. Make the dressing a day ahead so the flavors can meld.
3. Toss with salad mix.
4. Allow salad to refrigerate for 30 minutes prior to serving, if possible, so flavors can marry. (This salad actually tastes better the following day, after the flavors marry and the chard has a chance to absorb some of the dressing.)
5. Top with hemp seeds and dried blueberries.
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Rainbow-Chard-Slaw-51169200#ixzz2VaXXxmGJ