What the heck is that plant? Is it beets? Is it spinach? No! It’s chard, or Swiss chard to which its often referred. This leafy green is one of the healthiest plants you can eat. It comes in green and white, green with yellow stalks, or the type I grow, green with beautiful red stalks. Foods belonging to the chenopod family—including beets, chard, spinach, and quinoa—continue to show an increasing number of health benefits not readily available from other food families. Containing powerful antioxidants and phytonutrients beneficial for all aspects of health, this amazing vegetable is an important component to the diet. And, it tastes great!
Swiss chard and kale growing beautifully in my Tower Garden!
I never knew what the heck to do with chard before I started growing my own. I grow it in my amazing aeroponic Tower Garden, which I absolutely love. I never had success with growing my own food before. The feeling of going out back to grab some homegrown chard, a few cucumbers, some kale and lettuce, or some strawberries, is like none other! I had read that chard was easy to grow so I bought the seedlings and in no time, I had these gorgeous, huge, green and red leaves ready to be eaten. The young, smaller leaves are good raw, but the mature leaves are too “green” tasting and bitter for me. I much prefer them cooked. The way I prepared them yesterday is my favorite so far. Up until then I had just steamed them, and eaten with a little sea salt and lemon juice, or added to pasta with marinara sauce. I’ve enjoyed all preparations, but this one is the winner so far.
*gluten-free if you use gluten-free (i.e. brown rice) tortillas.
- 4 large Swiss chard leaves coarsely chopped, stems discarded
- 1/3-1/2 cup black beans
- 1 tortilla I used a brown rice tortilla to make it gluten-free
- 2-3 tsp Cheesy Sprinkle optional. See in Recipes
- Steam or pressure cook chard until soft. I pressure cooked mine for 30 seconds at high pressure, then manually released pressure.
- Spread beans on surface of the tortilla. Place cooked chard on half, followed by Cheesy Sprinkle, if using. Fold tortilla in half and cook in skillet or griddle until brown on both sides, approximately 5 minutes per side. Serve with salsa, and avocado if desired.
