534101 Mon Jun 30 10:38:59 -0700 2008 29 31 Home Cooking 0 3826638 I have a beautiful bunch picked from my friend's garden. I am embarassed to admit that, although I adore most other greens, my experience with chard has not been excellent. The last time I bothered to cook it, it tasted way more earthy than I liked. What to do with this? I want to love it. It's so beautiful. Mon Jun 30 10:39:15 -0700 2008 12383 Nyleve 1 3826953 I made a swiss chard sidedish to go with some venison a friend brought home from hunting. And, the dinner had strong flavors, but it worked. This is what I did, but I didn't write a recipe. Saute swiss charde in a little oil with just a touch of garlic. Add some pepperoni pieces and stir until slightly wilted. Then, I made a peppercorn gravy. This was plated with whipped sweet potatoes. Mon Jun 30 12:02:35 -0700 2008 3826638 29103 kc girl 1 3826987 I love this recipe from Epicurious, although I omit the water - the chard exudes enough liquid to cook itself. I also likely up the amounts of feta and currants a bit, but I don't measure. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/BRAISED-SWISS-CHARD-WITH-CURRANTS-AND-FETA-236676 Mon Jun 30 12:12:55 -0700 2008 3826638 21830 pamiam 2 5104857 Thanks for sharing that recipe. It looks really good. I'll have to try it. Thu Oct 15 06:55:58 -0700 2009 3826987 179628 toveggiegirl 1 3826998 I just made a lovely side dish of swiss chard with caramelized onions and pine nuts. Here are the ingredients to make about 4 servings: 2 tablespoons pine nuts 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 large onion, coarsely chopped (I prefer cut in quarters and then slice thinly pole-to-pole) 1 bunch swiss chard, about a pound, washed, leaves and stalks separated (pull leaves off the stalks by folding together along stalk and pull the stalk away like pulling a zipper) 2 tablespoons golden raisins 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/4 teaspoon salt ground black pepper to taste Toast the pine nuts until golden brown, set aside to cool. In a large deep skillet or a dutch oven heat the oil over medium-low heat, add the onions and cook them until golden brown and very soft, stirring from time to time, for about 10 minutes. While the onions are cooking, cut the chard stalks into strips 2 inches long by 1/4 inch wide and tear the leaves into 2-inch pieces. Add the chard stalks and raisins to the onions and cook them until the stalks are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir occasionally while the stalks are cooking. Once tender add the leaves and vinegar, toss all about to coat the leaves with the oil, and cook about 5 minutes or until the leaves are wilted and tender. Season with salt and pepper, transfer to a serving dish and top with the reserved pine nuts. Mon Jun 30 12:16:38 -0700 2008 3826638 139725 janniecooks 2 4008177 I do something similiar with chard or with kale though I usually choose between pine nuts and raisins [whatever kind you have]. My recipe is from Spain/Cataluna. Once made, if you wish to "extend" it into dinner, you can toss the whole thing with some pasta [fusilli or penne, something short]---just add a touch more olive oil and toss a scoop of pasta cooking water into the veggies before you drain the pasta. Thu Sep 04 09:14:00 -0700 2008 3826998 10505 jenn 1 3828319 I have just found a nice recipe for kale but it would probably work with chard, as well. It is marinated in coconut milk, cayenne, salt, pepper for at least 4 hours and then grilled. It is so nice and smoky tasting. Love it. Mon Jun 30 19:03:16 -0700 2008 3826638 162977 sarah galvin 2 3829285 Sarah - this sounds so intriguing for kale. So, you just let it sit in that concoction and then throw on a grill? For how long do you cook and over what heat? Tue Jul 01 07:09:15 -0700 2008 3828319 17648 rudeboy 3 3831768 You marinate for at least 4 hours. The recipe says about a minute each side but I think it depends on your kale. I left it on much longer. I'll be making it again tomorrow with a more tender kale so it may only need a minute a side. I used med high heat. I forgot, there is also paprika in it. I bet it would taste nice with a smoked paprika. Tue Jul 01 20:08:29 -0700 2008 3829285 162977 sarah galvin 4 3842514 GOOD GOD - this was so good. I served up a bunch of it at a party on the 4th. Sorry to hijack the post - this is about kale. Not sure if chard would stand up, as kale is more "meaty." I used the smoked paprika instead of cayenne. It was over a fire of hardwood charcoal and pecan wood. Medium heat, though. I let the kale brown just a bit on the edges before removing. The kale was perfectly moist, but seared, almost like blanched but still to the tooth. I was serving some vegetarians, and vegans, and they remarked at my creativity (I gave credit, though). Thanks so much, sarah.......it was a hit. Sun Jul 06 10:28:56 -0700 2008 3831768 17648 rudeboy 5 3843238 My kale awaits in the garden. A month or two and we're doing this. Sun Jul 06 16:45:15 -0700 2008 3842514 12383 Nyleve 5 3854882 I'm thrilled you liked it so much! It is my 'go to' veggie of the moment. Isn't it amazing though? I have to give credit to Vij's Indian resto in Vancouver. Wed Jul 09 20:48:36 -0700 2008 3842514 162977 sarah galvin 3 3831778 You marinate for at least 4 hours. The recipe says about a minute each side but I think it depends on your kale. I left it on much longer. I'll be making it again tomorrow with a more tender kale so it may only need a minute a side. I used med high heat. Tue Jul 01 20:11:30 -0700 2008 3829285 162977 sarah galvin 1 3828361 I love this Rick Bayless taco recipe, with chard plus onions, queso fresco and a tomatillo salsa. http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.fc77a0dbc44dd1611e3bf410b5900aa0/?vgnextoid=dcb5759a3ac0f010VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default&rsc=header_2&autonomy_kw=rick+bayless+tacos Mon Jun 30 19:19:04 -0700 2008 3826638 41864 optimal forager 2 4008015 I make this recipe often. It is delicious, and even my carnivore hub doesn't miss the meat in the tacos! Thu Sep 04 08:17:26 -0700 2008 3828361 24350 dexters 2 5104875 Similarly I like to make something with the chard (sauteed with red onion and a splash of cider vinegar), roasted potatoes and scrambled egg in a flour tortilla. Some queso fresco, or even feta cheese (which is what I normally have on hand) never hurts. Thu Oct 15 07:04:23 -0700 2009 3828361 12713 TongoRad 1 3828892 I used to remove leaves and discard stems before cooking swiss chard but the stems are actually the sweetest most delicious part, a tip from vendor at greenmarket. Tue Jul 01 03:06:54 -0700 2008 3826638 14685 serious 2 3828942 I like to sweat some onions and garlic then add very ripe tomato and basil ,salt and black pepper .When simmering and sauce like I add the rinsed chopped chard I finnish with E.V.O and serve with crusty bread or a short pasta.You can add grated cheese.Once when chard that I had grown were large I did blanch the stems then breaded and fried them like cardoons or eggplant. Very good!! Tue Jul 01 04:13:36 -0700 2008 3828892 11065 scunge 1 3829254 This is adapted from a long-lost Mario Batali recipe: I chop up the chard in small strips and chop some shallots to go along with it, then saute in olive oil with red pepper flakes. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray, sprinkle breadcrumbs on the bottom. Mix the chard mixture with 2-3 eggs -- not enough to make a quiche, just a little more than enough to bind -- pour into the baking pan, top with more breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 for around 15 minutes. Makes nice compact green squares which are great as a side dish. Tue Jul 01 06:58:05 -0700 2008 3826638 12233 Pia 2 5077068 Hey Pia, I was intrigued and Googled the recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mario-batali/swiss-chard-tart-pasticcio-di-bietole-al-forno-recipe/index.html It's in the oven now (with a few modifications--I can't imagine it really needs to bake for an hour), can't wait! Sat Oct 03 16:36:54 -0700 2009 3829254 74833 foodshark73 3 5077520 Here's a link to the Zuni Cafe Cookbook's Chard and Gruyere Panade which is one of the most deelish dishes ever prepared. I know this thread is more than a year old, but hey....one can never be too late for chard recipes! http://www.recipezaar.com/chard-onion-gruyegravere-panade-bread-casserole-368749 Sat Oct 03 22:28:58 -0700 2009 5077068 10245 oakjoan 4 5107790 yes, it is. I made it once w/ whole wheat walnut bread and it was the richest, most delicious concoction ever. I think i gained 5 lbs. it would be a good dish to have if you were "going off to starve" as they say. Fri Oct 16 08:27:55 -0700 2009 5077520 10471 danna 1 3829723 I made Swiss Chard Gnocchi last night from an old issue of Bon Appétit focused on Provence. Here is the link on Epicurious: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/SWISS-CHARD-GNOCCHI-101647 I have never tried using swiss chard in pasta (usually make it in a vegetable dish or add it to soups). It was quite delicious! Tue Jul 01 09:20:27 -0700 2008 3826638 193015 always_eating 2 3830413 If you like swiss chard and pasta try it in ravioli. Make a regular cheese ravioli. Saute the chard like you're going to have it for a side dish. Chop it up fine by hand or in a food processor and mix it into the cheese filling. Tue Jul 01 12:32:16 -0700 2008 3829723 41679 Den 1 3829729 Thanks everyone! I didn't get a chance to read the responses yesterday before cooking my chard but this is what I did. Separated stalks and leaves and chopped both. 3 slices bacon in a large pan until well cooked but not crisp. Plenty of chopped garlic, one chopped onion and a sprinkle of hot pepper flakes. Cooked until onion was soft. Added the chopped stems, cooked for a while, then added the chopped leaves and continued cooking until wilted. One drained can of chick peas - cooked until everything is blended and hot. That's all I had for supper. It was fantastic. I'm a chard-convert! In fact I picked another bunch this morning so I'll do something else with that. I love chard! I can't believe I thought I didn't like it. Tue Jul 01 09:22:00 -0700 2008 3826638 12383 Nyleve 1 3832811 The stems I like parboiled, layered in a buttered baking dish with parmesan and butter dots and finished in the oven until the cheese is brown. The leaves are great sautéed in olive oil and dressed with vinegar or lemon juice and crushed red pepper flakes. They're also excellent with pasta (onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, anchovy or pancetta if you like, vinegar/lemon juice, grated pecorino). Sauté with onions and combine with ricotta for a great for stuffing for roasted small birds (quail, Cornish game hens, etc.). But my favourite use is probably tourte aux blettes, Nice's traditional chard tart, which comes in savoury (parmesan) and slightly sweet (pine nuts and golden raisins) versions. The leaves are shredded, sautéed, squeezed of their water, combined with beaten egg and seasonings and used to fill a single or double crust pie. The sweet version is dusted with powdered sugar just before serving, preferably at room temp with a glass of fruity rosé. Patricia Wells' Bistro Cooking has a great recipe using an easy olive-oil crust. Just found the savoury script online -- http://oneforkonespoon.blogspot.com/2008/02/unfussy-french-on-wednesday-night.html -- though I have to say I find the double-crust sweet version even more worthwhile. Vegetable-based dessert: you gotta love it! Wed Jul 02 08:25:07 -0700 2008 3826638 10520 carswell 1 3855316 I make a very nice tart using the stems, with gruyere and creme fraiche. I sauté the leaves and serve them on the side with a squeeze of lemon, and maybe some roasted carrots. Thu Jul 10 02:57:33 -0700 2008 3826638 110146 greedygirl 1 4006728 For a great vegetarian main course, saute a bunch of chard stems till soft in some olive oil with garlic, then add the shredded leaves, a couple of cans of black-eyed peas, undrained, and some cayenne or Cajun seasoning and let it all simmer for 15 or 20 minutes. Then add a little knob of butter and serve as is or over brown rice. This is really yummy... Wed Sep 03 15:25:32 -0700 2008 3826638 223358 cyclecat 1 4011077 Just as a tip-- chard gets really bitter the longer it's been picked; a fresh bunch tastes sweet without a hint of earthy bitterness, but after about 3 days, it picks up a strong, icky taste (that intensifies the longer it sits). It tends to stay sprightly in the fridge when wrapped loosely for weeks, but it's not something I want to keep that long because it doesn't taste good. Fri Sep 05 09:55:19 -0700 2008 3826638 141035 oryza 1 5104855 This is the perfect "gateway" recipe for chard haters. Who doesn't love something smothered in two types of cheese. (It's a great nasic mac & cheese recipe without the chard too.) Bon Appétit's Double-Dutch Mac & Cheese With Chard http://www.recipezaar.com/double-dutch-mac-cheese-with-chard-385351 Two of my other favourite chard recipes: Debora Madison's Chard and Onion Omelet - Trouchia http://www.recipezaar.com/chard-and-onion-omelet-trouchia-368595 Zuni Café's Chard, Onion & Gruyère Panade - sort of like a bread casserole http://www.recipezaar.com/chard-onion-gruyegravere-panade-bread-casserole-368749 Thu Oct 15 06:54:51 -0700 2009 3826638 179628 toveggiegirl