Spotlight on Swiss Chard

Not actually Swiss, but classified by a Swiss botanist, Swiss chard is a millennia-old green that packs a vitamin-filled punch!

Swiss chard leaf ready for the pan

I have only ever used Swiss chard as a leafy green vegetable, adding it to salads for its different texture and color. It has always been a popular choice with our customers, who buy both plants and seeds.

As I mentioned previously, Swiss chard isn’t actually Swiss. Instead, its ancestors grew wild along the coastlines of the Mediterranean. It is high in vitamins and minerals and holds up better than spinach when cooked.

Usually, I grow the baby leaf variety since that is what I use. This is the first time I’ve ever bought chard. Reading the history of the plant and seeing the benefits laid out before me, I knew I wanted to try something new.

Swiss chard with Chickpeas

I picked a couple of recipes online to try out. First, I decided on a cooked green recipe. Cooked greens are not my favorite, but they were once recommended by a coworker; I looked for a recipe to try.

Swiss Chard w/ Chickpeas

Dinner ended with this exchange with my father:

“Is there any more of the burnt stuff?”

“What are you talking about? I didn’t burn anything!”

“The burnt stuff. What was it? Charred?”

“It wasn’t burnt; it was Swiss Chard…oh!”

And off Dad went, cackling like the evil genius he is.

Plate ready

 Mom and Dad found the cooked greens delicious, but I knew I needed a backup plan since I didn’t want to waste food, and Mom is not big on leftovers.

Hummus

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. It’s not super-pretty, but it was tasty and I’m excited to have it in my “snackle box” for the week. I think it would also be a great spread for sandwiches. I even brought some in for my coworkers to try.

Delicious hummus

My last foray into the world of Swiss chard led me to pickled Swiss chard stems. I almost made them. I was prepared to, but I wanted a way to use them up without them sitting in the fridge to just be tossed later. Enter Swiss chard relish.

Swiss chard stems relish

It was the perfect topper for the hummus, especially since I forgot to add the lemon juice when I was making it. I’m excited to share it with a few coworkers on Monday to top our hot dogs with a sriracha ranch sauce.

Ready for dipping and sharing

 Just the facts:

Swiss chard is a member of the beet family; the stems taste like a cross between celery and beets.

High in vitamins A, C, and K; high in magnesium, potassium, and iron.

 Growing Tips:

Plant in spring and again in late summer; chard prefers cooler temperatures. With protection, it could also overwinter.

 Swiss chard prefers loose, well-draining soil.

 While it can tolerate partial shade in hot climates, chard performs best in full sun.

 Harvest outer leaves while leaving the rest of the plant to grow for continual harvesting.

This blog and the recipes were created by Jen Kostick. Jen curates the herb transplants we carry as well as the phenomenal selection of garden seeds sold at Valley View Farms. An excellent cook, Jen shares her gifts of food with friends and coworkers at Valley View Farms. We are so lucky!