Cooking with Chard

I love cooking with chard!

Chard has a natural savory taste that reminds me of spinach, though less acidic in taste than spinach.

I like chard cooked in pasta, in a casserole or in a stir fry. It also goes well cooked with rice, especially wild rice.

Chard has a very complementary flavor when cooked with most things. It isn’t very strong like some other greens… just a nice savory flavor.

You can buy chard at most health food store or farmers markets. It has large beautiful leaves that even come in a rainbow variety in which the stems are yellow, white or bright pink!

Make sure the leaves don’t have any rot on them or too many holes from bugs having a snack in the field. I like cooking with chard that is younger and smaller, because it is often more tender.

Cooking with chard is easy and versatile. Start by washing and trimming off the ends. (You can toss the leaves in a salad spinner if you wish.)

My favorite way to cook chard is in my cast iron skillet. Make sure the skillet is oiled and don’t cook for longer than about 8 minutes or it can be like spinach and get mushy.

If you want to steam your chard, boil your water, toss in the chard and reduce the heat to medium. Again, I wouldn’t cook much longer than 8 minutes.

Chard doesn’t have to be cooked… it’s delicious raw too!

The only problem with eating chard raw is that it can be a little on the acidic side and sometimes irritates your tongue. This may be the case if you have a similar issue with foods like spinach or raw pineapple.

I hope you’ll pick up some chard and experiment cooking with this delicious, savory green!