swiss chard two ways

The other night I picked the last of my Swiss chard from our garden for dinner. It's one of my favorite dark leafy green vegetables. Antioxidant rich, loaded with vitamins K, A, and C, Swiss chard also provides a healthy dose of magnesium. Often when we eat it I make a simple sauteed greens. This time, however, I wanted to do something different and came up with these two recipes, using the entire leaf. 

Although most people throw out the stems, they are delicious and can be cooked a variety of ways. These are the two recipes I created using all of the Swiss chard. I can't wait to plant more and enjoy this again.

Braised Carrots and Swiss Chard Stems

½ onion, diced
8 carrots, sliced into ½ inch pieces
Stems from Swiss chard, cut into ½ inch pieces
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup water
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

In a large pan melt butter
Saute onions until starting to turn golden color
Add carrots and Swiss chard stems
Stir to coat with butter
Add water and bring to a boil
Reduce heat and cover
Cook until carrots are tender (about 15 minutes)
Add salt and pepper to taste


Creamed Swiss Chard

Large bunch of Swiss chard
½ cup boiling water
½ onion, diced
1 clove garlic, pressed
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup organic sour cream
 ½ cup organic whole milk
sea salt and fresh ground nutmeg to taste

Trim stems from Swiss chard
Cut leaves into 1” pieces
Wilt in boiling water until limp
In a large saucepan melt butter
Saute onions and garlic until onions start to turn golden color
Whisk sour cream and milk together
Pour over onions and heat until just starting to bubble
Add wilted Swiss chard leaves
Bring to a boil, stirring frequently
Reduce heat to just under boiling
Cook 5-7 minutes until sauce thickens slightly
Add sea salt and fresh ground nutmeg to taste


photo: Dinkum