FoodShare GFB Diaries - Swiss Chard
This post is an ode to Swiss Chard, because we get these fairly frequently in the FoodShare Good Food Box (GFB).
First, here’s how you store swiss chard
I don’t actually store my swiss chard, I usually cook it on the same day as I receive it. Same with collard greens and callaloo, and other dark leafy greens besides kale. Because if I don’t cook them same day, I’ll usually leave them for too long in the fridge.
I usually cut the stems from the leaves, and prepare them separately.
My go-to swiss chard leaves recipe is Honey Soy Swiss Chard. I prepare these the Japanese way (as per my mother), blanching the leaves in boiling water for about a minute. Then drain in a colander, wait until its cool enough for touch, and wring as much liquid out as possible, leaving them in a sausage-like shape on the cutting board. Then cut into strips. I mix together equal parts Japanese shoyu (soy sauce) and honey (or sugar if vegan) in the storage container I plan to keep them in, 1-2 tablespoons of each depending on the amount of chard. Then place the leaves in the same container, close the lid, and shake until combined. That’s it!
It’s a really simple, flexible side dish that keeps for a few days in the fridge: you can add them to a grain bowl (like in the photo below), bibimbap, donburi, soba noodles, or have a simple Japanese style meal with plain white short grain rice, maybe some sliced avocado dressed with soy and wasabi and smoked salmon or tofu steaks.
For the swiss chard stems, I usually chop these up and add them to stir fries, fried rice, donburi or fried noodles.
The image above shows a stir fry of firm tofu, swiss chard stems, dried shitake mushrooms (reconstituted), in a soy/sugar/mirin sauce.
If you add a couple of mixed eggs and place a lid on to cook the eggs and place that mixture over rice, it becomes a donburi (in my mind. In actual fact, a donburi apparently can be anything veggie or protein on top of rice).
One of my other favourite ways to use Swiss Chard is in Saag Paneer, cooking it in a similar way to this recipe, substituting the spinach for chard. I find it easier to blend the chard with a bit of water. In fact, I think I’ll dedicate a whole post to the techniques and shortcuts I use for this type of dish.
Happy cooking!