Swiss chard

Published at

late spring, fall

I have one standard treatment for all these sturdy, leafy greens. Dump them all into a sink full of cold water. Especially in hot weather, rehydrating the leafy greens will extend their life by days. You need enough water that the leaves float and the dirt sinks. Swish things around, then let them sit so the dirt settles. Scoop the leaves off the top and wrap them in a dish towel or paper towels and then maybe put all that into a plastic bag. Leave the bag open so moisture can escape. If you can make the time, it’s really best to go ahead and prep the leaves the way you’ll want them for your recipes. Strip leaves off stems, for example, maybe chop the leaves. Just remember that the smaller the bit of green you’re storing, the shorter the time it will keep. So chopped kale – a day or two. Whole kale leaves? Weeks. (Although weeks means the leaves get more and more wilted.)

We do receive enough greens that you may want to freeze them for using over the winter when there’s no weekly Riverview box. Best to do the traditional blanching. Prep the leaves in the form you’re most likely to use for cooking, put them into boiling water until they just turn color, then put them into a bowl of ice water to quickly cool. Drain them, squeeze out excess moisture and place in freezer storage containers.

(2023) Chickpea and Kale Shakshuka

I’m a big fan of shakshuka so when I saw the Chickpea and Kale Shakshuka recipe below I clipped it to try. Maybe it will appeal to you as well.

Adapted from “Family: New Vegetarian Comfort Food to Nourish Every Day” by Hetty McKinnon

(2023) Stir-Fried Lettuce (or Swiss Chard)

If you’re ready to do something else with lettuce, although I think I’m just going to enjoy the pretty red lettuce we got in a few big salads, then there’s a recipe for a lettuce stir fry from “Tenderheart,” but you could also use it for the Swiss chard. Adapted from Hetty McKinnon’s “Tenderheart.” This should work well with all kinds of tender greens.

(2023) Green Sesame Soba Noodles

Here’s a recipe for Green Sesame Soba Noodles from the Washington Post Eat Voraciously newsletter and CSA subscriber Linda Jones. The receipe uses tahini to boost the protein content of the sauce. So delicious.

(2023) Swiss Chard Dip with Garlic, Yogurt and Dill

A double gift to have both Swiss chard and beets in the same box. They are relatives, so cut those beet greens off and use them with the chard in the recipe for Swiss Chard Dip with Garlic, Yogurt and Dill down below, recipe courtesy of the New York Times. Love the easy way to wilt greens in that recipe.

(2022) Grits and Greens

I’m cooking for a friend who is unable to cook for himself right now. I want to make something a bit more stick-to-your-ribs and so I’m going to make the Grits and Greens (again, recipe below) adapted from the New York Times. Their original recipe called for quick-cooking grits but I have Riverview grits in the freezer, and for collards and Swiss chard. I’ll be using the kale and Swiss chard from this week’s box.

(2021) Braising Greens Pancakes

And for a new recipe, I’m sharing another recipe from Aluma Farms, one they adapted from SmittenKitchen.com. It’s totally adaptable for whatever greens were in your box … or will be in next week’s box …. or the box the week after that.

(2021) Freekeh Salad with Roasted Kale & Cabbage (or chard!)

here’s an idea from Alexandracooks.com (one of my favorite recipe sources) for using both cabbage and kale (or chard). She adapted it from “Food 52 Vegan” by Gena Hamshaw. Almost seems like a waste to chop that pretty Savoy cabbage into pieces but … I was in South Carolina for the weekend and picked up “The Twenty Bag” for Harleston Towles. So now I have a South Carolina cabbage to go with my Georgia cabbage. The only thing they seem to be ahead of us with was their sweet onions. There were two huge onions in that bag. Can’t wait until the Riverview onions start arriving.

I love grains and greens with sweet dried fruit like raisins (or dates or even dried cranberries). Hope you’ll enjoy this, too.

Her notes about the recipe: So many vegetables could work here: cabbage, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, parsnips, carrots, squash, etc. If you are using kale and cabbage, slice the leaves relatively finely or at least try to make the vegetables you are roasting together be uniform in size so that they cook evenly. Freekeh is not something I’ve cooked with many times, but I happened to have a bag of it on hand, and I think I’ll be buying it more often. It cooks quickly and has a nice, chewy texture — it reminds me of bulgur. Freekeh is harvested when it’s young or “green” then roasted, which gives it a slightly smoky, nutty flavor. Use any grain in place of the freekeh: farro, wheat berry, quinoa, bulgur, etc. I’ve used both currants and golden raisins, but chopped dates would be nice, too — anything to add a touch of sweetness. Nuts would be a nice addition here.

(2021) Braising Greens Pancakes

I am also excited to see collards this week. If you don’t use your beet greens in the crispy beets recipe, how about adding them to the collards and making these Braised Greens Pancakes from Aluma Farm. Do you know Aluma Farm on the Westside Beltline? They put out a weekly e-blast with information about what’s available at their farmstand and occasionally provide recipes, like this one they adapted from Smitten Kitchen. It’s a valuable recipe because you can use any greens you have on hand. They cook the pancakes in a bit of oil. That’s delicious, but not necessary. I’ve made these on the griddle with just a brushing of oil or nonstick cooking spray to keep the pancakes from sticking. Served with a lemon-yogurt mixture, the result is a bit like spanakopita but without the fiddly rolling of things in phyllo. Definitely a win.

Squash and Cabbage Casserole

This recipe from Moore Farms and Friends showed up in my inbox, just as I was thinking, “We need lots of squash and onion recipes!” It has the bonus of using a little cabbage as well. And some kale or Swiss chard.

Swiss Chard Quinoa

Speaking of quinoa – here’s a recipe with sauteed onion and greens. Similar in many ways to the ingredient list above but with a very different result. The original recipe was in Southern Living.

No corn? Skip it. Still delicious.

Slow Cooker Red Curry Soup with Chicken and Greens

I’ll be making this recipe adapted from one on seriouseats.com because I have some red curry paste leftover from testing recipes and am delighted to have yet another use for it. Not to mention, what’s not to love about a slow cooker recipe? Easy, and dinner is done while you’re off doing other things. You could use the Swiss chard or the bok choy if you have another plan for your kale, and vary the other vegetables by what you have on hand.

Young Swiss Chard with Sesame Seeds

From World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey

Serves 4

This is one of my winner dishes for potlucks. The dish always comes back empty. Granted, the recipe calls for young leaves, but I’ve never differentiated the age of my Swiss chard, and never had complaints. Now that I look at the recipe, I don’t remember doing anything other than washing, chopping and steaming my chard before dressing with the sauce. The sauce is the money here anyway.

Swiss Chard and Herb Tart

This ancient recipe came from Bon Appetit maybe a dozen years ago. Bake it as an entree or cut into smaller wedges as a pre-dinner bite for Thanksgiving.

Lentil Soup With Chard and Lemon

This recipe from the venerated James Beard reminds me so much of the one my Syrian mom made. But it uses Swiss chard instead of spinach. Mama would have served this with rice. Yes, that seems like a lot of lemon juice, and you can cut it back, but it’s so delicious.

Soba Noodles with Beet Green-Miso Pesto

This recipe from chow.com used Swiss chard in the original, but I think the beet greens (same family, after all) will work beautifully. Easy, healthy, vegan. Love the idea of making a pesto with miso. You could add some daikon in here, too.

Grilled Swiss Chard and Mozzarella Bundles

I was introduced to Swiss chard by Julia Child. I’ve forgotten now which cookbook, but she sautéed the stems in butter with shallots, then added the chopped leaves. A little more sautéing and then a cream sauce with Gruyere poured over the top and everything stuck in the oven to brown. At least that’s how I remember the recipe. The key points were to cook the stems first as they need longer to become tender, and of course everything’s better with butter, shallots and cheese. Right?

Here’s a simpler way to combine Swiss chard and cheese. The recipe idea comes from Moore Farm and Friends. A perfect side dish when you’re already cooking on the grill.