Chard grows wild around most of the Mediterranean and is popular in Provençal cuisine where it is grows abundantly in the Rhône valley because it can withstand cold weather.
A member of the beet family, chard has almost the same nutrient value as spinach. Just 1⁄2 cup of cooked chard has only 18 calories, yet provides 30-40% of the daily requirement of vitamin A, 20% of both vitamin C and magnesium, 13% of potassium, 5% of calcium, and 25% of iron for males, 11% for females.
Swiss Chard?
The name “Swiss Chard” is a bit of a misnomer, as the French and Italians, not the Swiss, have made the most use of chard, closely followed by the Spanish and Greeks. Its origins go back at least to the famous hanging gardens of Babylon, from which it eventually spread around the Middle East and to Western Europe.
19th century seed catalog publishers added the “Swiss” appellation to distinguish it from French spinach (cardoon) varieties.
Buying and Storing Chard
Select chard with crisp, not limp stems. They should look freshly cut, not dried or shriveled. The leaves should be deeply colored and not wilted. Chard will last for a few days in the refrigerator, wrapped loosely in plastic.
Cooking Chard
While chard leaves and stems can be cooked together, the leaves will be done long before the stems finish cooking, so many recipes like this one cook them separately. Soups, stews, or braises are the exception where they will cook for a long time. The stems can range from bright white to red, orange, or yellow. Be aware that their color is water soluble and will tend to leach into whatever you are cooking. This recipe calls for the green leaves only, cut from the stalks. Alternatively spinach or beet greens could be substituted.
Provençal Chard Omelette
You will need: a large non-stick skillet and a plate at least slightly larger
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 1½ pounds Swiss Chard leaves only
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, thinly slivered parallel to the core
- 5 fresh eggs
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Niçoise olives for garnish (oprional)
Method:
- Start water boiling under a steaming rack. Wash the chard in several changes of water and pat dry. Stack four or five of them and slice across them into thin ribbons. Steam the chard until wilted. Drain and press out any excess liquid with the back of a spoon.
- In a large frying pan over medium-high flame, add 2 tbsp of the olive oil and sweat the onions until soft, about 10 minutes.
- Add the drained chard and cook until the leaves are tender, another 2-4 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the chard mixture.
- In a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high flame, heat the remaining 2 Tbsp of oil. Pour in the egg mixture and immediately reduce the flame to medium-low. Cover and cook until the egg mixture is set around the edges. The middle should be almost set.
- Loosen the edges of the omelette and slide it onto a large plate. Invert the frying pan over the omelette. Hold the pan and plate firmly together and invert. Lift the plate off and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes.
- To serve, slide the omelette onto the serving plate, or serve individual wedges. Garnish with Niçoise olives if using. This omelette is equally good served hot or at room temperature.
In love with Provençal cuisine? Go here for more ideas.
Go here for French Omelette Basics.
Larry Ervin - Foodie, self-taught cook and cookbook addict, I never met a recipe I didn't want to twist, simplify, add or switch out ingredients.
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