Swiss Chard - The Other "Spinach"

,We had wonderfully refreshing thunderstorms last night.  The rain pounded loudly, and one crack of thunder was so close it shook the house.  The results of that thunderstorm was the amount of growth in my garden.  It sounds weird, but it looks to me as if my swiss chard doubled in size.  I weeded it a few days ago, and I wasn't compelled to pick any.  However, this morning, I had to.  The chard was very tall.  Of course, it doesn't look like I weeded either. 

Swiss chard is a nice green that tastes a little like beet greens, a little like spinach.  I have planted spinach in the past and never got a lot of growth on it, and it always seems to succumb to leaf miner damage.  Not so with chard.  The stuff is easy to grow, tastes good, and is quite versatile.  Any recipe that you find that asks for spinach or beet greens can have chard as a substitute.  The benefit to chard is that once you cut the stems for harvest, they grow back.  Chard will grow all summer and can be used instead of lettuce in salads. 

Bright Lights Swiss Chard from Coventry Regional Farmers Market last year.

Though the bright lights chard is very pretty, I have gone back to planting the old fashioned variety with plain white stems.  That variety produces a lot more chard, though the flavor is not all that different. 

As a child growing up in Ellington, CT, my dad was the gardener. We had a garden way back on our 4 acres, beyond the chicken coops and the horse paddock. It was basically a cleared area in the middle of the woods. He was the one that introduced me to swiss chard. We always had deer problems in our garden, but the chard was rarely touched by them. Needless to say, we always had plenty of swiss chard for the summer.

I have two 6 foot rows of chard growing, and from today's harvest I have enough to make several chard dishes.   I am a recipe collector, and as creative as I can be in the kitchen, I often like to start with a real recipe from a website or cookbook, then I will make my own variations after cooking it according to the original directions.  One very simple recipe I got from Epicurious. 

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Sauteed Swiss Chard

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
• 2 large bunches Swiss chard, stems trimmed, leaves cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips

Preparation:

Melt butter with oil in heavy large pot over medium-low heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chard; stir to coat. Cover; cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Transfer to bowl and serve.

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The reviews on this recipe are glowing.  Many who tried the recipe said they aren't big fans of swiss chard, but this recipe was really good and they would make it again.  As I read the ingredients, I believe this one will freeze well. 

When swiss chard leaves get very large, you can stuff them just like cabbage.  I have created stuffed chard in the past, but I can't for the life of me remember what I did.  Do you think I wrote down what I did?  Of course not.  I know I used zucchini squash, mushrooms, feta cheese, pine nuts, onions and garlic.  It must have been an experiment since zucchini squash comes in abundance, and I also make many different things with pine nuts and feta cheeses.  I most likely had them all on hand and just combined them.  However, in my search for recipes, I did find one for stuffed chard.  It is on EatingWell, and it sounds quite good. 

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                 Stuffed Chard With Marinara

            Ingredients:
• 1 pound 90%-lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
• 2 medium shallots, minced, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 8 large Swiss chard leaves, stems removed (see Tip)
• 1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese (optional

 Preparation:

1. Gently mix beef, breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon shallot, 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl until just combined. Divide the mixture into 8 oblong 3-inch portions.
2. Overlap the two sides of a chard leaf where the stem was removed and place a portion of beef there. Tightly roll the chard around the beef. Place each roll, seam-side down, in a large nonstick skillet. Pour in broth, cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer; cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a roll reads 165°F, 8 to 10 minutes. Discard any remaining broth.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the remaining shallot, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the shallot is soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced and thickened, about 8 minutes. Serve the chard rolls topped with sauce and Parmesan cheese, if desired.
4. Tip: Remove chard stems, including the widest section of the rib at the base of the leaf, by making narrow triangular cuts.

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If you just want to cook chard as a side dish, the simplest way is to place the leaves, cut into strips, in a microwave safe dish.  Add about a 1/2 inch of water, and cook on high for about 4 minutes.  Drain, then add butter and salt and pepper.  That is how my husband likes it.  However, I am different.  For some reason, when I was growing up, we always spread on mayonnaise, not butter.  So of course, when I eat chard or spinach or beet greens, I never use butter on mine, I always use mayonnaise.  Sometimes I will get adventurous and add italian dressing instead.  I believe that the reason why we always used mayonnaise is because we couldn't always afford butter.  Much of my childhood now makes sense since I too have to economize and make do. 

My chard series begins here.  I will be using a lot of chard in recipes until I start getting in squashes and beans.  So goes the gardening.  To make the best of what you have, use what is growing, and create many different dishes with it.  Okay, you want more.  Here is one more recipe that I plan on trying with chard. 

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Chard Wrapped Chicken

       

ingredients

• Roasted Carrots and Onions (see recipe below)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh dill, oregano, or sage
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 6 medium skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 6 Swiss chard leaves, stems trimmed

directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degree F. Prepare Roasted Carrots and Onions and place in oven. Meanwhile in a small bowl combine olive oil, 1 tablespoon of the snipped herbs, the garlic, and pepper. In another small bowl combine feta cheese and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil mixture. Mash mixture together with the back of a spoon to form a paste.
2. Top each chicken breast with some of the feta mixture, pressing firmly. Wrap center portion of each chicken breast with a Swiss chard leaf, leaving ends exposed. Place wrapped chicken breasts in a 3-quart rectangular baking dish.
3. After carrots have been in the oven for 10 minutes, add chicken to oven. Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degree F). If desired, sprinkle chicken with remaining 1 tablespoon snipped fresh herb. Makes 6 servings.
4. Roasted Carrots and Onions: In a 2-quart rectangular baking dish combine one 1-pound package peeled fresh baby carrots; 1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges; 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt or salt, and 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper. Toss to coat. Bake as directed above.

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Time For Harvesting Mint

The mints have been growing steadily since the snow melted.  It is time to get my first batch of mints, before they begin to bloom.  If they are cut now, I should get at least one more good crop of mint, but I can usually get at least three in a season.   I have mints growing in different parts of the yard so they don't cross, though the combination makes a nice all purpose garden mint if you aren't prone to keeping them separate.  I have spearmint, lemon mint and peppermint, and each has its own unique properties. 

What do you do with mint?  One of my favorite things to do is make mint apple jelly when the apples are ready.  Perhaps this year I will make some.  I dry my mint as well.  Once I gather it up, I tie about 6 or 8 stalks together around the stem,
 then hang them upside down and put in my drying shed, which is adjacent to my summer garden.  It can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to dry, depending on humidity and temperature.  Cut your mints after the dew has dried, but before it gets to the heat of the day.  That is a general rule of thumb for just about any herb. 

My drying shed is a very small 6 ft x 14 ft building that I use as a potting shed, a drying shed, and general all purpose storage shed for tools.

                                  Spearmint hangs in a dark corner.  I also
                                  dry marjoram, oregano, sage, basil, just
                                  to name a few of the herbs I grow.
                                         




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Once dried, I ordinarily put the mint into canning jars and then place them in a dark area of my basement.  Any light will degrade the quality of  your herbs, so that is why it is best to keep them in a dark area.  The dried mint offers a nice soothing cup of tea in the                                                 
fall and winter, and can be used to make mint sauces in the cold time of the year.  Just keep them in a loosely woven bag while making the sauce so that when the herbs are stewing with your sauce they won't leave behind any leaves.

Fresh mint offers a very refreshing respite on hot days in the summer.  Here are a few nice recipes for light, cool accompaniments to your summer fare.

Sweet-Tart Fresh Mint Sauce

Yield: Makes about two-thirds cup and doubles easily.
This sauce, without the mint, holds for 2 days in the fridge, but should be used at room temperature. The mint goes in at the last moment to keep its bright green color and fresh taste.
Use sauce hot or cold for seafood and chicken, and vegetable

Ingredients

• 1/2 medium red onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (optional) (I dried cayenne pepper a few years ago and I use that)
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
• 3 tablespoons white wine or red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup tightly packed fresh spearmint leaves, thin sliced

Instructions

• 1.In a medium bowl stir together the minced onion, garlic, sugar, pepper flakes if using, and vinegar with salt and pepper to taste. Let stand 20 minutes, then whisk in the oil.
• 2.Just before serving, stir in the chopped mint

This sauce is great for mint coleslaw, and also is terrific tossed into cauliflower. Try grilling some chicken and drizzling the sauce on the chicken. I am not much for seafood, but from what I know about seafood, it would most likely be an excellent addition to shrimp and scallops.
 Mint Sun Tea
Another great way to use your mint is to make mint sun tea. If you haven't ever made sun tea, you basically put in about 1 or 2 cups of fresh mint leaves into a gallon of water. I use the large canning jars. Set in the sun for about 3 hours, check to see if it seems strong enough, then remove the mint leaves and chill. You can add sugar if you like, or lemon for a different taste. This is wonderful on a hot, humid day when you are looking for something really refreshing.

Another recipe for mint is creating a nice sweet mint sauce to be used in fruit salad, or as a topping to honeydew melon or cantaloupe.

Fresh Fruit With Lemon-Mint Sauce

Prep: 20 min., Chill: 2 hrs. Oranges, grapefruits, and lemons are packed with vitamin C, the antioxidant that helps boost the immune system, fight infection, and protect the body against influenza. Serve this refreshing dish after a meal for a light dessert, enjoy it as a snack, or try it for breakfast.

Ingredients

• 3 large oranges, peeled and sectioned
• 2 large red grapefruits, peeled and sectioned
• 2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1 (6-ounce) container low-fat vanilla yogurt
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Garnish: fresh mint sprigs

Preparation

• Place first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl, gently tossing to combine. Cover and chill 2 hours.
• Stir together yogurt and next 3 ingredients just before serving, and serve with fruit mixture. Garnish, if desired