Swiss chard is another of those vegetables I don’t remember eating as a child. Was it there all along, just buried behind the bundles of spinach and heads of cabbage?
Today it’s a staple at farmers markets and in grocery stores. In Asian markets or at the Buford Highway Farmers Market you’ll find Korean and Chinese varieties, while most American markets offer the standard green type with white stems or one of the colored varieties with stems that are white, yellow, orange, pink or red. The shiny ribbed leaves are always green.
At Dillwood Farms in Loganville one of the most colorful rows in the field is the 150 feet of ‘Bright Lights’, a variety of Swiss chard with stems in neon-bright hues. Chef Don Trimble works with the farm developing recipes and serving as a liaison between the farm and the restaurants that use their produce.
Trimble said although they’ve been growing Swiss chard for the past three years, they’ve only had enough to meet their restaurant customers’ demand. Next spring they expect to plant more so they can offer it through their Community Supported Agriculture program and their stand at the Snellville Farmers Market.
The farm starts its Swiss chard seeds in trays in the spring, then transplants to the field, where it grows all season. Leaves are harvested individually so the plant continues to grow and produce more. It takes a hard frost to knock the plants back, and left in the ground a warm spell will bring on a fresh crop of leaves.
Trimble recommends stripping the leaves off the stems when you’re ready to cook. He likes to use the leaves as an alternative to spinach and suggests the stems be cooked separately, or pickled. One reason he particularly likes the ‘Bright Lights’ chard is that it makes a colorful presentation.
Young, sweet chard leaves can be used raw in salads while mature chard leaves and stalks are typically sautéed. Like most greens, Swiss chard is high in vitamins A, K and C.
At local farmers markets
Local markets with winter hours:
Dacula Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. ranchoalegrefarm.com.
Decatur Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays. http://decaturfarmersmarket.com/wordpress.
Emory Farmers Market, noon to 5 p.m. Tuesdays. www.emory.edu/dining/emory_farmers_market.php.
Morningside Farmers Market, 8 to 11:30 a.m. Saturdays. www.morningsidemarket.com.
For sale
Fruit and nuts: apples, pears, pecans
Vegetables: arugula, Asian greens, bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, collards, kale, leeks, lettuce, mizuna, radishes, spinach, sweet potatoes, turnips, winter squash
From local reports
Chard Quiche
You’ll use chard in both the crust and the custard for this quiche. Since it’s a press-in-place crust, there’s no need to get out the rolling pin or resort to a store-bought pie crust.
Hands on: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Serves: 6
3/4 (three quarter) cup all-purpose flour
3/4 (three quarter) cup toasted wheat germ
3/4 (three quarter) teaspoon salt, divided
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound Swiss chard (1 large bunch), leaves chopped, stems minced, divided
3/4 (three quarter) teaspoon pepper, divided
1/2 (half) medium onion, minced
1 cup low-fat milk
4 large eggs
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 pinch ground mustard powder
1/2 (half) cup grated Gruyere (about 2 ounces)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, wheat germ and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
In a medium skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add half the chard stems and leaves to skillet, season with 1/4 (quarter) teaspoon salt and 1/2 (half) teaspoon pepper, and cook until chard wilts and releases liquid. Add cooked chard to flour mixture and mix with fork to incorporate. Do not clean skillet.
Transfer flour and chard mixture to prepared pie plate; firmly press mixture into bottom and up the side of pan. Bake 10 minutes.
While crust is baking, in reserved skillet heat remaining oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add remaining chard to skillet, season with 1/4 (quarter) teaspoon salt and 1/4 (quarter) teaspoon pepper, and cook until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.
In a 1-quart measuring cup, whisk together milk, eggs, nutmeg and mustard powder.
Top baked crust with chard and onion mixture; sprinkle cheese over chard; and pour milk mixture over all. Return pie plate to oven and bake 45 to 50 minutes or until custard is set. Let quiche stand 15 minutes before serving.
Per serving: 315 calories (percent of calories from fat, 50), 15 grams protein, 25 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 18 grams fat (5 grams saturated), 155 milligrams cholesterol, 529 milligrams sodium.
Adapted from a recipe at wholeliving.com.
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