Swiss chard is one of my new favorite foods.
I used to shy away from it at markets. Its giant leaves and thick colourful stems were intimidating. But it held some weird power over me. It called out to me, singling itself out from the cluttered produce shelves. Repeatedly I would stop by it and consider if today was the day that I’d take some home. Questions like “Which parts are edible? How do you cook it? ” would ultimately defeat my curiosity and it would stay on the store shelf.
Thanks to my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) participation last year, that’s all history. My box of fresh veggies and fruits were delivered, and like every other week, I opened it with the excitement of a little kid on Christmas morning, and impatiently pulled out the treasures hidden inside. There it was. Swiss Chard. I remember looking at it on the kitchen counter wondering how it would fit in my refrigerator vegetable drawer.
It’s so delicious! After a little recipe research online, my favorite preparation became the traditional Mediterranean style, rinsing and removing the leaves from the stems, and sauteing the cut leaves in olive oil, garlic and salt. On occasion, I add a little chili pepper for an extra kick, or a little lemon juice. I wish I had headed its call sooner.
Now I’m growing it in our little veggie garden.
I’ve since learned that a cup of chard is an amazing source of vitamin A and C, and contains a surprising amount of iron and magnesium.
While I love the simple preparation above, rainbow chard with chickpeas has become a favorite lunch. Here’s the recipe.
Rainbow Chard with Chickpeas
- 1 bunch of chard, washed
- 1 tsp dried chili pepper
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed
- 1/3 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 tsp nigella
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup brown rice, cooked
Cut off and discard the bottom inch of the chard stems. Chop up the remaining chard leaves and stems, and cook in a covered pot over medium-high heat. The water from washing will steam stems and leaves. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, then remove lid and remove from heat. The chard should be wilty and dark green, and should have reduced in size considerably. Drain and set aside.
In a large saute pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and chili. Saute until onion is translucent. Add chard, chickpeas, lemon juice and tomatoes, and some of the salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Once heated through (about 5 minutes), add salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with nigella. Serve over rice.
The original recipe comes from www.everybodylikessandwiches.blogspot.com. It suggests a handful of parsley and a bit of feta cheese to top off the dish. I’ve made the recipe my own by adding the nigella (which I contend transform this dish to extraordinary), and switching lemon juice for the lime juice called for in the original recipe.
Enjoy!
