Swiss Chard

Swiss Chard is one of my favorite vegetables.  It is a member of the beet family.  The leaves can be eaten raw or sauted it can also  be cooked like asparagus or eaten raw.  Try filling the larger raw  stems with peanut-butter or cream cheese.  We grow chard outside and in the green-house.  I harvest chard for two years in the green-house because it is very hardy and will winter over.  After harvesting the second year I allow many plants to go to seed.  It will freely self sow.
 To serve it cooked you can cut the stalks into 1 inch pieces and cook them in boiling salted water for 5 minutes.  Then add the torn leaves and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.  Drain and serve with real butter.  Add salt and pepper and maybe even a little fresh ground nutmeg.  Or fold the chard into your favorite cream sauce.  You can also use fresh chard in a souffle, quiche or in a ring mold with creamed mushrooms in the center.

CHARD ROLLS IN TOMATOE SAUCE

1 1/2 lbs chard
1/2 loaf french bread
1 minced onion
1 minced clove garlic
1/2  cup chopped parsleyS
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1 tsp. salt
fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
4 eggs
1 cup tomato sauce.

Cook chard.  drain and squeeze dry.  Chop. Soak french bread in hot water and squeeze dry.  Saute onions and garlic in 2 tb. oil until limp.  Put chard, bread, onion, and garlic in a food processor and grind until fine.  Mix with the parsley, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and oregano.  Add 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.  Stir in eggs.  Chill mixture for several hours.  Shape mixture into sausage like links with you hands which have been floured. Chill links.   

Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil.  Drop in links, a few at a time.   Cook until they rise to the surface and are firm.  Remove and place in a greased baking dish.  Surround with tomato sauce.  Sprinkle with 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.  Cook 35 mins 350 degrees.

EGGS IN A NEST
Saute chard until limp.   Place chard in a greased 8x8 baking dish.  Make 4 nests in drop an egg into each nest.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and seasonings of choice.  Bake until eggs are done to your likeness.