Veggie Ventures: Swiss Chard

Welcome to the Veggie Ventures series, where we'll take a glimpse

at veggies my husband and I want to grow but have never really eaten!

"Bright Lights" variety of Swiss Chard (ooh, pretty colors!)

Okay, so I'll admit we wanted to grow this variety of Swiss Chard based on looks alone.  My love of all things rainbow pretty much guaranteed this one as a shoe-in for our fall vegetable garden!  My father-in-law has some purple, gold, and green Swiss Chard growing in his garden, courtesy of one of the grandkids who wanted to give him the gift of a "Mardi Gras-den" :)  Still, we were inexperienced with this veggie and were anxious to give it a try! 

The Swiss Chard was prepared simply, so we could get a feel for its true taste before making a judgement.  I really wanted to make the Swiss Chard, Leek & Gruyere Quiche I found on Nutmeg Nanny, but that will have to wait for another day!

Remove leaves from stems.  Chop stems into 3/4" slices or so (they look like rainbow celery!).  Roughly chop the greens.  Swiss chard greens don't need long to cook at all, so you'll need to give the stems a head start in a tiny bit of water.  Let them steam a bit and allow the water to evaporate.  Add some olive oil and garlic to the pan and heat briefly.  Add the greens and sautee for a few minutes, until tender.  Season with salt and pepper.

Veggie Verdict:

YAY - we really enjoyed the Swiss Chard.  Like the beet greens, it tasted "green" and spinachy.  The stems reminded us of cooked celery in texture, but had a very mild flavor of its own.  We're both really happy that we liked Swiss Chard, because it's going to be a very nutritious and beautiful addition to the garden!

Explore the Series:
Winter Squash
Acorn Squash
Butternut Squash
Spaghetti Squash
Radish
Beets
Swiss Chard