Beautiful Chard

rainbow chard

Chard is one of the few locally grown crops abundantly available in the Pacific Northwest this time of year.   I’ve seen locally grown organic chard at PCC Markets  all winter long, and also found it at the Yakima Fruit Market, which just recently opened again March 4th.  You would think with its high availability I might have tried it before, but I confess I usually pass it up in favor of  spinach or kale — another recently discovered leafy green.   Feeling adventuresome this past week I ever bought a bunch for the very first time.  WOW!  I’m in love with this delicious beautiful plant!  So far, I’ve sauteed it and added it to salad, soup and a stir-fry.  It tastes great in everything! 

Chard comes from the same family as spinach and beets, but is a little milder than than both.  According to the World’s Healthiest Foods website, it is high in vitamins K, A, C, and E, plus magnesium, manganese, potasium, calcium, and iron.   

Here’s my sauteeing recipe–

Ingredients

• 2 bunches fresh chard.  Or other greens– (kale, spinach, mustard)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic a splash of vinegar
• salt to taste

Cut the leaves and stems with kitchen shears.  (You can eat both leaves and stems!)

Toss into a fry pan with olive oil and garlic.

When the leaves begin to look a little bit limp, add the vinegar, cover with a lid and cook for a minute or two.  Because the leaves are bigger and thicker, it has to cook just a little longer than spinach, but watch it because it gets limp fast.

Salt to taste. 

There are many alternatives here.  You can substitute lemon juice if you prefer that  flavor over vinegar.  Add some pine nuts for protein, or add a jalapeno or dried pepper seeds for some zip.  It’s very versatile. 

I look forward to planting some in my garden this spring.

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