What is Swiss chard? Is Swiss Chard Swiss?
Swiss chard or just chard is grown for its leaves rather than its roots. Chard is known for its brightly colored stems of red, yellow, pink, and purple. Swiss chard is actually native to the Mediterranean region and was given its name by Swiss botanist Karl Heinrich Emil Koch.
Did you know that Swiss Chard is actually a beet?
Chard is basically a beet that has been bred to have fat, juicy stems and big leaves instead of channeling most of its energy into big roots.
What does Swiss chard taste like?
Swiss chard is milder in flavor than beet greens and other bitter greens, But, does have a bitter aftertaste and tastes very similar to spinach but with a bit more crunch since its leaves are slightly thicker than spinach leaves.
How do you cook Swiss chard?
Before you cook chard, you need to wash it well by rinsing it in a sink full of cold water. Don’t wash chard until right before you’re going to use it, or it will wilt.
You will need to decide whether to separate the chard or leave it whole. If you’re cooking Swiss chard with thick stalk then you could separate the stalks from the leaves by tearing the leaves away, because the stalks will need to cook for a few more minutes since they are tougher than the leaves.
Cooked Swiss chard is generally sautéed (Stir fried), steamed or braised. Bitterness is caused by the organic compound oxalic acid, which is found in the stalk of Swiss chard and in other vegetables. It can be removed altogether or cooked out. When cooked, the vegetable loses the bitter flavor and makes for a more refined taste.
My recommendations:
if you plan to boil,
Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion (1 medium); cook and stir until tender, 2-3 minutes. Add garlic (3 cloves or more); cook 1 minute longer.
Add broth (1/4 to 1/2 cup or 60 to 120 ml of vegetable or chicken broth) and chard (1-2 bunches); cook and stir until chard is tender, 5-6 minutes.
Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice (about 2 tbsp or 30 ml.), salt and pepper (to taste).
If you plan to stir fry, you can boil stalks first
Then stir fry with
a lot of garlic and/or
onion.
If still too bitter for you, add to flavor the chard to your liking with
lemon juice,
honey, or
sweet soya sauce.
Up for some adventure, you could try
Hollandaise sauce or
Dijon mustard and dill
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