This week we have a nice variety of spring vegetables for you to enjoy. The students and volunteers at the student farm have spent the last week harvesting the fixing for a great salad and some greens that are not only good but good for you.
Your salad will consist of fresh salad mix, arugula, pea shoots and even some carrots and radishes. The greens we will be providing for you are collards, dino kale, swiss chard, vitamin greens, spinach, and baby pac choi. We also included some sweet potatoes and popcorn for you to enjoy.
A lot of southerners know what collards and kale are but are not as familiar with swiss chard. One of the reasons for this is that is used to be a vegetable grown mostly in the north. Most southerners probably don’t know how to prepare it; I have a solution for that. I am including some basic instructions on how I prep it for cooking and a recipe for you to try.
Until I can prepare it, I keep it cool in my fridge, but you don’t want to keep it too long or it will start to lose some of its nutrients and quality.
This leafy green was identified by a Swiss botanist and is a variety of Beta vulgaris. Today, Swiss chard is most popular in Mediterranean countries. Swiss chard is a nutritional powerhouse — an excellent source of vitamins K, A, and C, as well as a good source of magnesium, potassium, iron, and dietary fiber. One cup of chopped Swiss chard has just 35 calories and provides more than 300% of the daily value for vitamin K. But skip this veggie if you’re prone to kidney stones; it contains oxalates, which decrease the body’s absorption of calcium and can lead to kidney stones.
https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/swiss-chard-9-healthy-facts#1
Prepare Swiss chard by rinsing the crisp leaves several times in warm water. Leaves and stalks can be boiled, steamed, or roasted. Here are a couple of recipes you can try.
Swiss Chard Potato Frittata: Ingredients- Makes 4 servings
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups diced potatoes (about 1/2 pound or use frozen hash browns)
1 large onion, chopped
4 cups (about 6 ounces) coarsely chopped Swiss chard (stems and center ribs removed)
4 large eggs
4 large egg whites
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup shredded low-fat cheese
Directions
1. Heat an 8- to 10-inch ovenproof skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Preheat broiler.
2. Sauté onions until browned, about 8 to 10 minutes; set aside. In the same skillet, sauté potatoes until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes; set aside. Add Swiss chard to skillet over medium heat, and cook about 6 to 8 minutes. Add cooking spray as needed.
3. In a medium bowl whisk eggs, egg whites, salt, and pepper until frothy. Mix in onions, potatoes, and Swiss chard.
4. Heat skillet with cooking spray over medium-high heat and pour egg mixture into pan. Cook covered 3 to 5 minutes or until set.
5. Spread cheese on the frittata. Broil 3 to 5 minutes until browned.
Per serving: 218 calories, 17 g protein, 20 g carbohydrate, 9 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 221 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 445 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 36%.
My simple recipe:
Ingredients:
2 lbs. Swiss chard
1/2 lb. Bacon with grease
salt and pepper
Fry the bacon and reserve for later. Chop the swiss chard and add to the grease in the pan and cook until wilted down completely. Crumble the bacon on top, salt and pepper to taste and enjoy.
My husband loves it this way. Hope you enjoy your veggies this week and hope you try the recipes.
P.S Would love to have shown you some beautiful pictures of your veggies, but my computer wouldn’t cooperate, lol.
Posted by Sherry Carroll
The Student Farm at CCCC 