What We’re Eating: Rainbow Chard

What We're Eating

July 2, 2012 at 1:14 pm
by Michael Tyrrell

We cannot get enough rainbow chard this season. Whenever I see it in a farmer’s market I can’t resist buying a bunch or two. My normal M.O. is to trim, rinse, cut into two-inch pieces (including stem), and then quickly saute in garlic and oil. Seasoning is kept simple–salt, black pepper (or red pepper flakes for more of a kick). Mostly we toss it with cooked spaghetti or just enjoy it as a side dish.

For a change, this past weekend I cut off the stems and roasted them with a drizzle of olive oil, grated Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. They are tender after about 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Really a treat.

The leafy part was then sauteed and seasoned and became a topping for bruschetta. Really simple but so good I could have made a meal out it!

Chard is also a great addition to curries and stews. Supermarket chard is often not worth the effort since it usually hasn’t been handled properly and gets mushy from laying in water.

Michael Tyrrell is associate food editor at Family Circle magazine.

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