It’s another week at Farm & Table and our farm is really showing its colors now! Sitting on the our patio under the shade of the portal, looking out at the verdant rows of our garden has got to be the perfect place to be on a summer afternoon.
This week, the veggie we’re showcasing from that beautiful green garden is CHARD.
Chard is one of Farmer Ric’s favorite things to grow – he loves it because it’s so versatile. Most people know that you can cook with chard when it’s mature, but did you know you can also eat its baby leaves fresh in a salad? And chard – especially rainbow chard – is a great “edible ornamental.” It tastes delicious, but its lush, green leaves and brightly colored stalks also make it a great decorative plant – perfect for planting as a border along a garden or pathway.
Chard is primarily a cool-weather plant, but it tolerates warmer weather too, which Farmer Ric says makes it a great choice for home-growers. If you can give the plant a some shade and some love, you can probably make growing season stretch all the way through summer and into the fall.
Chard has a bitter, pungent taste, very similar to spinach. In fact, you can treat chard essentially the same way you’d treat spinach in the kitchen. You can braise it or boil it, or, as Chef Kai recommends, saute it with garlic and butter. The flavors work great together, with the garlic and butter balancing out the bitterness of the chard. Kai also suggests balsamic vinegar to cut chard’s bitterness. Chard goes well with lamb and pork chops, but Chef’s favorite thing to pair it with is fish. Last week he served his sauteed chard with our catch of the day and a summer succotash of black beans, corn, onions and serrano ham – yum. No matter what you do with it, chard makes a great, summery addition to any meal. Check out Chef Kai’s recipe below for a quick and easy chard saute.
INGREDIENTS (all to taste)
- chard, stemmed and cleaned
- diced red bell pepper
- chopped garlic
- red pepper flakes
- a of squeeze lemon juice
- shaved parmesan
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine chard, bell pepper, garlic, pepper flakes and lemon juice in a large pan, and sautee until the leaves are wilted. Top with shaved parmesan and serve hot.