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[dramaqueen_23]

Dear people who cook,

I have a (bunch...head...big sprig?) of swiss chard sitting in my refridgerator. What can I make with this?

Love,
DQ23

Comments

[sugarmommaless]

Chard is actually quite sweet, when cooked. Sweeter than spinach, I'd say.

[sugarmommaless]

Collard greens are a bit more bitter. Rapini (a.k.a. broccoli rabe) is exceptionally bitter. Kale is kind of neutral and "green" tasting, I think... maybe slightly bitter and slightly cabbagey. Baby bok choy is reminiscent of chard. Beet greens are somewhat bitter.

I eat almost exclusively dark green veggies, among the veggies I eat, cause they're nutrient powerhouses.

[sugarmommaless]

I usually eat it steamed with butter, pepper and a splash of umeboshi vinegar (it's a salty vinegar made with japanese plums). I've also been known to sauté it with onions and a pinch of nutmeg.
It's excellent in soups.

[tinkerspink]

Next quiche you make can be part swiss chard...

It's also nice steamed with poppyseed dressing.

Mostly it's just good for you.

Oh and in soups cut up small it's nice.

[dramaqueen_23]

I found a recipe for vegetable pie that has chard. Maybe I'll try that.

[bruiseblue]

I saute it with garlic - then simmer in a bit of chicken stock to suck out any residual bitterness, then drain - the garlicky sweet greens remain for your eating pleasure.

It's also super good in lentil soup, or in an omelette with goat cheese (once sauteed, that is).

Mmm..i love the stuff. Do you have the green kind or the red kind?

[bruiseblue]

Serve the garlicky greens over rice for a lovely asian style meal, or just eat them straight up as a side dish.

Why do you buy veggies with no plan to use them? Is this something people do? Am I the most retentive grocerylist menuplanning person alive?

[dramaqueen_23]

In this case, the chard is part of weekly delivery and fruits and veggies from a local organic produce market. We got pre-paid month from a friend as our Christmas present. Truthfully, I didn't even know what chard was until we got this week's haul.

However, I have to admit I'm always buying food with no particular plan. As you know, I'm not a good or frequent cook (although that seems to be changing). Usually my produce is limited to items that require no prep (baby carrots, berries), or items that go on pizza or in tacos and/or omelettes.

[bruiseblue]

Oh, I wish we could get the organic basket - I had such fun with that when we did. But they can't very well just leave it on the street in front of our house...

I now go in for the super uptight menu planning - otherwise we eat far too much delivery and take out, it's too expensive, and I hate that five o clock flailing about what's for dinner.

I have a whole plan - I'll send it to you if you like? I'm currently in the process of typing up some of my yummiest and fastest recipes for you.

Our strict new budget means we can't so much buy prepared produce anymore - but I clean and slice it all when we bring it home (a minimal investment of time) so that it's ready when I want to actually eat it. I know - it's ridiculously organized. But that's the kind of thing that helps me sleep at night.

[xiz111]

Stir fry is always a good option .. if you're not sure how to cook something, slice it thin, mix it with other veggies and toss it in a hot-oil wok.

I've found all kind of things are tasty when stir fried .. bamboo, baby corn, water chestnuts, currants, orange pieces ..

[dramaqueen_23]

...cardboard, chesterfields, old tires....

Hee! :)