Swiss Chard

Season: Fall-Winter, Spring

Storage: Store dry chard in your refrigerator crisper. Greens will stay fresh up to 1 week.

Fun Facts: A favorite of PIF farmers and staff, chard is a great alternative to spinach in any raw or cooked preparation. These leafy greens are nutritional superstars with high levels of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber.  Try it as the base of a salad, sliced and added to soup, or braised with a splash of apple cider vinegar. Like many fresh greens, it can be difficult to keep fresh. One way to avoid spoilage, is to wrap a bag tightly around the Swiss chard, squeezing out as much air as possible. This should keep it fresh for upwards of 5 days. If you would like to store it long term, we recommend blanching the greens and placing them inside of the freezer. 

Get your local chard through our Farm Share or at local farmers markets. Don’t forget to share your favorite preparations through our Facebook page.

Sauteed Swiss Chard with Parmesan Cheese

By DannyBoy from Allrecipes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons of butter

  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon of minced garlic

  • 1/2 small red onion, diced

  • 1 bunch of Swiss chard, stems and center ribs removed and chopped together, leaves chopped separately

  • 1/2 a cup of dry white wine

  • 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, to taste

  • Parmesan cheese, grated to taste liking

  • pinch of salt to taste

Instructions

  • Melt butter and the olive oil together in a large skillet on med-high heat

  • Once melted, stir in garlic and onion, cook until fragrant

  • Add the chard stems in with the white wine. Simmer until the stems begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

  • Stir in the chard leaves and cook until wilted.

  • Add in the lemon juice and Parmesan cheese

  • Salt to taste

Note – you want to add in the Swiss chard stems and let those cook before the leaves. They are a bit tougher and take more time to soften. Some people also like to add in crispy bacon.

Francisca’s Swiss Chard with Peanut Sauce

By Francisca Hien – PIF Apprentice 2024

Ingredients

  • 2-3 cups of chopped swiss chard

  • 1 lb of diced stew meat (beef, pork, chicken), optional

  • 1/2 cup peanut butter

  • 1 tomato (optional to roast the tomato)

  • 2 cups vegetable stock or broth

  • 1/2 – 1 tablespoon of oil

  • Spices: 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

  • Vegan option: instead of meat use 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into cubes; 2/3 cup peeled and chopped carrots

Instructions

  • Create your sauce by adding the peanut butter, tomato, and spices to a blender or food processor and pulse to combine.

  • If you are using meat, heat the oil in a deep pot and brown the meat.

  • Add the broth, the peanut sauce, and the swiss chard to the pot (include the sweet potatoes and carrots for the vegan option) and allow the stew to boil for an hour or until the sweet potatoes or meat are cooked through.

  • Taste and adjust for spices. Serve with rice.

Spicy Swiss Chard Soba Noodles

From A Virtual Vegan by Melanie McDonald

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

  • green onion chopped finely, to taste (recommend 2 stocks)

  • 4 cloves of garlic chopped finely

  • 1 bunch of Swiss chard

  • 200 grams of soba noodles

  • 1/2 yellow onion

  • For the Sauce: 

    • 3 tablespoons Tamari
    • 3 tablespoons of maple syrup
    • 2 tablespoons of Siracha (can use hot sauce of choice)
    • Garnished with sesame seeds or cashews, to taste

Instructions

  • Fill large pan and bring to a boil

  • While you are waiting for the water to boil, wash the Swiss chard and cut the leafy bits from the stems.

  • Cut the stems like you would celery, and shred the leaves into bite sized pieces

  • Mix the sauce ingredients into a bowl and leave off to the side for later

  • In a separate skillet, over high heat, add in the onions, oil, and chopped chard stems

  • Drop noodles in water and let them cook for about 4 minutes. (They cook extremely quickly, so beware!)

  • Stir the onions and Swiss chard stem for about 3 minutes then add in the garlic and shredded leaves. Cook for one more minute. Stir frequently.

  • Quickly drain the noodles and throw into the pan with the Swiss chard. Mix them together.

  • Pour the sauce over. Stir to coat everything and give a minute for everything to warm.

  • Garnish with sesame seeds, green onion, and/or cashews

Note – you want to add in the Swiss chard stems and let those cook before the leaves. They are a bit tougher and take more time to soften. This recipe is vegan but can be modified by adding in your choice of meat, fish, or tofu!

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