I am kind of disappointed in the fall crop of chard I planted in late July. It is not growing like I expected. And, it doesn’t look as vibrant as I was hoping for.
Okay. To give the chard a little credit: it did grow well and it does look good.
I was just hoping the stalks of my chard would shoot up full of colors like reds, yellows, and oranges like I saw in a Master Gardener’s garden last summer.
Instead, the stalks of mine are white.
Perplexed about the chard’s appearance, I did a little research. Turns out there are three different varieties of chard: Rainbow, Red and Swiss. I had planted Swiss.
My disappointment faded as I kept reading and learning more about this powerhouse of a leafy green. Chard, no matter what the variety, is packed with vitamins, nutrients, antioxidants and minimal calories.
One website even said that if vegetables were to receive grades for nutritional components, chard would be the valedictorian. One serving brings more than 300% of your daily Vitamin K to the table, in addition to plenty of cancer fighting and blood sugar regulating properties.
So, with all these healthy benefits, one might think that chard must really lack in the flavor department… But, think again.
Well… first I will put out a warning: Eating chard raw is… a little rough. Probably only for the super strong health nuts.
I am not there… and doubt I will ever be. But, that’s okay because, in cooking, chard is incredibly versatile and can be boiled, steamed, sauteed, braised– whatever!
Through these techniques, the flavor is not just tolerable, but tasty and the nutrients can be more condensed.
Since our first harvest this fall, Adam and I have enjoyed our Swiss Chard baked into a frittata, mixed in with lemony pasta or just cooked like spinach or kale.
I have made this protein packed salad a couple times for lunch because it’s easy, all the ingredients are staples in my kitchen and, most importantly, it fuels me with plenty of energy to get through an afternoon of phone calls, spreadsheets, and onto garden chores and evening spinning!
It definitely doesn’t disappoint.
- 2 TBS olive oil, divided
- 1 big bunch of Swiss Chard (About 10-13 leaves), center stems cut out and leaves chopped
- 2 cups of chicken broth (Vegetable broth works too)
- 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
- 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1 15.5 ounce can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- In a large skillet, heat 1 TBS olive oil over medium-high heat. Add half of the Swiss Chard and cook until just wilted then add the remaining chard.
- When all of the chard has wilted, add the broth. Cover the skillet and cook for about ten minutes or until the chard is tender. Drain the chard and set aside.
- Wipe out skillet and heat 1 TBS olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant.
- Add the cooked chard and chickpeas to the pan. Cook until the beans are just heated through, about three minutes.
- Remove from heat and add lemon juice, salt and pepper, and feta. Stir to just combine.
- Eat right away.