What's in Season- Swiss Chard

Popular in the Mediterranean and often described as two vegetables in one, the stalks are a sweeter version of celery, whilst the leaves are reminiscent of a robust form of spinach. Swiss Chard can be used fresh in salads and pasta dishes, its versatility useful for those who don't have a lot of preparation time, and its myriad vitamins make it an essential part of any diet.

"Swiss" Chard is so named after it was scientifically named by a Swiss botanist, but it can be found throughout the Mediterranean, northern Europe and South America. Its history is difficult to plot, however it was first grown in Sicily: modern popularity with tastes from around the world bringing it more into the foreground of British cooking. Chard is low in saturated fat and cholesterol, whilst high in fibre, vitamins A,C,E, K and B6, Iron and Sodium.

How to Use

Use freshly in salads or pasta dishes, steam as a side dish with cracked black pepper and butter (excellent with fish), whilst the robustness of the leaves also allows them to be stir fried with soy sauce or garlic and olive oil.

How to Cook

Chard can be used fresh, whilst steaming preserves the most nutrients & minerals: place in steamer for 3-4 minutes until tender. Chard does not store well so should either be eaten within a few hours of picking or stored in the salad box of the fridge for a maximum of 3 days.

How to Grow Your Own

Whilst Swiss Chard has a practical, and tasty, use it also deserves a place in your garden as an ornamental plant: often appearing in ornamental borders or pots with stalks of either red, yellow or white. Sow the seeds directly into the soil in early spring, 5cm apart, and germination should begin in 1-2 weeks. The plants will need to be thinned, so that they remain 15-25cm apart, but these young leaves can still be eaten. Chard is a perfect garden ‘crop' as by picking only the outer leaves, you can enjoy multiple harvests from the same plant, and as Chard does not store well you can get the freshest leaves just as you need them.

Chard with Balsamic Vinegar

500 g chard, washed and chopped, stems discarded
1-2 tomatoes, chopped
1&1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste

1. Sauté the tomatoes over medium heat in large pan until cooked, about 10-15 minutes.
2. Add the vinegar, chard and a little water if the pan is dry.
3. Cover and steam the vegetables until cooked to desired consistency. Check occasionally to be sure that there is enough water in the pan. Serve hot.

Tomato and Chard Pie

350 g chard, shredded
350 g tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 tablepsoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 onion, peeled and chopped
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried sage
2 eggs, beaten
115 g cheddar cheese, grated
Shortcrust pastry for your flan dish

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 425°F/ Gas Mark 7. Line a 20 cm/ 8 inch flan dish with pastry and bake blind for 3-4 minutes.
2. Reduce the heat to 200°C/ 400°F/ Gas Mark 6. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onions and garlic.
3. Add the tomatoes, chard, herbs and seasoning and simmer the mixture for another 5 minutes. Pour this into the pie dish when ready.
4. Place the beaten eggs over the sauté mixture, top with the grated cheese and bake for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Spaghetti with Creamy Chard Sauce

500 g chard
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
120 ml water
1 tablespoon vegetable stock
Salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon mixed herbs
1 bay leaf
4 tablespoon flour
240 ml milk (or soya milk)
240 ml water
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons yeast flakes
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Cut the stems from the chard but do not throw away. Chop the leaves roughly.
2. Place the stems of the chard into a large frying pan. Boil them up with some water and the stock.
3. Add the onion and garlic. When the onion is tender, season with salt and pepper and simmer with a lid on for five minutes.
4. Now add the chopped leaves of the chard along with the herbs and let simmer till the chard is tender.
5. Meanwhile mix the flour with some of the milk to form a paste and put aside.
6. Put the rest of the milk into a separate pan along with the water, and heat slowly.
7. Stir in the salt, pepper, mustard powder and yeast flakes. Stir in the paste and heat until thickened - stir continually to avoid lumps.
8. Once ready, stir the sauce into the chard and simmer for a couple of minutes. Serve over spaghetti. Delicious

The Jolly Green Soup

1 big bunch chard
1 bunch kale
1 bunch spring onions, sliced
1/2 bunch parsley
1 ¼ litres water
1 tsp salt, more to taste
1 large potato
2 onions, chopped
2‐3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tsp olive oil
700‐900ml vegetable or chicken stock
1 tbsp lemon juice, more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne

1. Wash greens thoroughly. Trim chard and kale from stems; slice the leaves.
2. Combine chard, kale, green onions and parsley in soup pot with water and salt.
3. Peel potato; cut it into big pieces and add to pot. Bring water to boil, and let simmer for about 30mins.
4. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a non‐stick pan; cook chopped onions slowly, with a sprinkle of salt, until golden and soft. This will take up to 45 minutes ‐ don't hurry; you only need to give them a stir once in a while, and it's the slow cooking that develops the sweetness. If you like, deglaze pan with Marsala or sherry at the end.
5. Add the caramelized onions to the soup. Put 1 tsp oil in the pan and stir chopped garlic until it sizzles and smells great.
6. Add garlic to pot; simmer everything for a few minutes more. Add enough broth to make the soup; puree in a blender in batches.
7. Return soup to pot, bring it back to a simmer, season, add lemon juice, stir well and enjoy!

Thanks to Think vegetables for information www.thinkvegetables.co.uk

Thanks to Abel & Cole for the recipes www.abelandcole.co.uk