Always wash your greens right before eating them. If you wash them before storing them, you can encourage bacterial growth.
To save the stems for a later, put them in a perforated bag and then store them in your veggie drawer. Use them up within a couple of days. The stems require more cooking time than the leaves, so not every recipe calls for them. However, they are tasty in many dishes. You can cut the stems into pieces for soup, for instance.
For instance, try it tossed with honey mustard, feta, pecans, and dried cranberries.
For a berry smoothie, mix 2 chard leaves in a blender with 2 cups (470 mL) of water or other liquid. Once the chard is well blended, add in 1 cup (110 grams) each of blackberries and blueberries, as well as 1 medium banana (sliced). Sprinkle in a dash of salt, a couple of grates of lemon zest, and a small nub (the size of a shelled peanut) of ginger. Add in maple syrup to taste, and blend. [7] X Research source
Stir enough to completely dissolve the sugar in the vinegar. You can increase or decrease the sriracha to your liking. Keep the pickles in your fridge for up to a month.
If you have a lot of chard that won’t all fit in the pan at once, let some of the chard wilt before adding more to the pan. It will cook down. Sprinkle on a dash of salt at the end.
Drain the greens over a colander, and use a spatula to squeeze out any excess water. Add flavor at the end, if you’d like. For instance, add a dash of black pepper and a few splashes of apple cider vinegar.
Swapping the pans out helps the chard cook more evenly. Roasting draws out the moisture and caramelizes the natural sugar in the chard.
Alternatively, boil the stems for 5-10 minutes, and serve them the same way you would steamed stems. [14] X Research source
Add a clove or two of garlic at the beginning for a burst of flavor.
Try sprinkling a bit of Parmesan on the finished pasta. You could also add it as a layer in lasagna. [17] X Research source
For a vegan pesto recipe, wilt 6 ounces (170 g) each of Swiss chard and mustard greens (no stems) in boiling water. Pull them out after a minute to drain and cool. Place the greens in a blender with 1/2 cup (50 grams) of almonds, 2 finely chopped garlic cloves, 5 teaspoons (25 mL) of sherry vinegar, and a dash of salt and pepper. Start blending the mixture, and pour in 6 tablespoons (89 mL) of walnut oil in a steady stream as you blend it to a smooth paste.
Add the chard in the last 10 minutes of cooking, stirring occasionally.
