#2 World's Healthiest Vegetable!

Swiss chard -  #2 on the World's Healthiest Vegetable list (spinach is #1),  and we have a lot of it.  Chard is easy to grow, does well with neglect, likes poor soil and withstands frosts and mild freezes.  What more could anyone ask for?  It's also very high in vitamins and minerals, is an antioxidant, an anti inflammatory, and helps to regulate blood sugar levels.  Really, maybe we should eat it every day.  Some of us are. As of mid-October as chard is still thriving.

Chard is a member of the beet root family but only the leaves and stems are edible, no bulbous root.  On young leaves the stems are small and tender and may be eaten raw in salads. As the leaf gets larger the stems become tougher and must be cooked.  I often cut off the stems, chop and briefly saute them, then sprinkle them on the top of the cooked greens to provide a contrast in color and texture.  Our chard plants have been so prolific that I am constantly in search of new ways to prepare and serve chard. 

 I recently had the pleasure of joining a dinner party at the home of a friend of my daughter.  This group of friends frequently shares meals, and it is not unusual to find an assortment of children, siblings, parents and grandparents in attendance.  Good food and wine is always the order of the day.  Amy is the recipient of a CSA farm box and made this delicious salad with the chard that came with her weekly vegetables.  Fresh raw chard is chopped, stems and all then topped with a sprinkling of lightly candied walnuts, dried cranberries and crumbled feta.  A very nice combination.

Amy's Chopped Chard Salad

1 large bunch of Swiss chard

1/2 cup walnuts

1 Tbsp olive oil

maple syrup, a splash

 Dressing: 2 Tbsp olive oil

juice and zest of 1 lemon

1 garlic, finely chopped

splash of maple syrup

pinch of salt and pepper

1/4 cup dried cranberries or currants

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Place walnuts in frying pan and lightly toast.  Add oil and a splash of maple syrup.  Cook to lightly candy the nuts.  Set aside.  Rinse chard and remove stems.  Chop both stems and leave into 3/4" pieces.  Mix together dressing ingredients.  Toss chard with the dressing.  Top with a sprinkling of nuts, cranberries, and feta. Enjoy with friends!