Swiss Chard

Chard is one of our favourites for its beautiful bright colours, earthy green flavour and its tender texture. It’s not quite as tender as spinach, yet not quite as tough as kale so it can be cooked in a number of ways.

Cooking Swiss chard

You can eat the whole stem so nothing needs to be wasted. Finely chop the fleshiest part of the stem below the leaf and keep to one side, then coarsely run a knife through the leaves. Add a glug of olive oil to a hot, large page and scatter in the chopped stem. Season with salt and stir occasionally for 1-2 minutes. Add the leaves to the pan and stir for a further minute, adding more salt if needed. Remove from the heat, add a teaspoon of red wine vinegar and a pinch of freshly ground pepper.

This cooked chard will make an excellent side to a main meal, or with some grated garlic, a pinch of chilli flakes and a touch more olive oil it would be delicious tossed through pasta.