IDEAS FOR SWISS CHARD

from SJ Mercury News, 2/19/97 & Mariqueta Farms website http://www.mariquita.com/recipes/chard.html

1. Saute chard with garlic in olive oil. Put a cover on the pan and allow chard to steam for about 5 minutes. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and , if desired, some hot pepper flakes before serving.
2. Blanch the leaves and add to soup. Try substituting chard for spinach or arugula in soup recipes.
3. Make a gratin with the stems: Boil the stems until tender (about 30 minutes). Put them in a gratin dish, add seasonings (such as a little garlic and parsley), top with a bechamel sauce and cook under broiler until golden brown.
4. Blanch the whole leaves and stuff them with meat or vegetable fillings. (Food writer Fay Levy says that in Lebanon, chard leaves are wrapped around rice fillings, like grape leaves.)