Contents
A little history...
Chard is a member of the Chenopodiaceae family (the same family as beet). It's prized for its melt-in-the-mouth leaves and mildly flavored ribs. What we love about chard: you can eat it all!
Originating in the Mediterranean basin, this vegetable has been known since the 17th century. It was previously used for medicinal purposes by the Greeks and Romans.
It is grown all over France and is produced from February to November.
This vegetable has many nutritional benefits. The fiber contained in chard helps regulate intestinal transit. Also rich in minerals, fiber and antioxidants, chard is an ideal accompaniment to healthy dishes.
Growing chard
Chard is sown in spring from March to June in rich, cool soil.
What to do?
- Plant the seeds, then, when the plants have germinated, you can thin them out (késako? keep the strongest plant so that the chard grows better).
- To keep the leaves tender, it's important that chard plants don't run out of water in summer. A little tip: watering with diluted nettle purin is very nourishing for these little plants.
- Leaves can be harvested 10 weeks after sowing, then as needed until frost. To harvest: cut the ribs flush with the ground, taking the largest ribs first.
Cooking chard
- Plant the seeds, then, when the plants have sprouted, you can thin them out (késako? keep the strongest plant so that the chard grows better).
- To keep the leaves tender, it's important that chard plants don't run out of water in summer. A little tip: watering with diluted nettle purin is very nourishing for these little plants.
- Chard leaves can be eaten raw or cooked.
- You can also eat the ribs, but not the little roots!
On the whole, this vegetable requires rapid preparation before it goes into the saucepan. It takes less than 10 minutes to prepare a delicious dish.
Recipe: Swiss chard risotto
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 300 g chard
- 300 g risotto rice
- 1 l poultry or vegetable broth* (if desired)
- 1 large onion
- 15 cl white wine
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 30 g butter
- 2 tbsp mascarpone
- 80 g grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper
Step 1
- Wash, peel (remove the thickest chard fibers), slice the ribs and chop the leaves very finely. In a casserole dish, reduce the volume of the chard with a little olive oil.
- Peel and chop the onion.
Step 2
- In a large saucepan, sweat the onion with the butter. Add the rice and let it "pearl" (become slightly translucent), stirring regularly.
- Pour in the white wine and cook, stirring, over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Step 3
- Prepare the stock: dilute the stock cube in 1 liter of boiling water in a jug.
- Add the chard to the pan and stir well.
- Gradually pour in the stock - as it is absorbed by the rice - and stir regularly (cooking time approx. 20 minutes).
Step 4
- At the end of cooking, just before serving, add the Parmesan and mascarpone. Mix well!
