Nutritional Notes: One cup of raw Swiss chard contains 7 calories, 77 mgs of sodium, 1 gram of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber and 1 gram of protein.

Preparation: Wash and dry well. Trim tough stems and discard spoiled leaves. Store clean leaves in a cellophane bag in the crisper for up to a week.

Recipes

Mediterranean Swiss Chard

2 large bunches chopped Swiss chard
1 medium clove garlic, pressed
1/2 tbl balsamic vinegar or fresh lemon juice
extra virgin olive oil to taste
salt and black pepper to taste

Bring lightly salted water to a rapid boil in a large pot. Add the chopped leaves to the boiling water and simmer 3 minutes. Strain well and press out excess water. Toss with remaining ingredients when you're ready to serve.

Sauteed Swiss Chard

1 tbl butter
1 tbl olive oil
1 tbl chopped shallot
1/2 c dry white wine
8 c chopped Swiss chard (loosely packed)

Strip Swiss Chard leaves from stems. Roughly chop stems into 1" pieces, set aside. Roughly chop leaves into 1" strips.

Add butter and oil to a deep pan set over medium heat. When butter foams add shallots and swirl. Add chopped stems and when they start to soften (2 mins or so) add white wine. Wait 1 more minute and add leaves stirring well so that they wilt evenly and then turn off the heat. Cover for another 1-2 minutes.

Herbed Lemon Swiss Chard

2 pounds Swiss chard, washed
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbl minced shallots
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
2 tbl fresh lemon juice
1 tbl fresh tarragon, thinly sliced
2 tsp olive oil

Slice the chard on the diagonal into 2" pieces. Heat the chicken stock and add the stems of the chard and shallots. Simmer for about 3 minutes and add the chard leaves. Continue to cook until the chicken stock is reduced and the chard is tender, about 5 more minutes. Remove from the heat and toss the chard with the lemon juice and olive oil. Taste and add salt and pepper. Sprinkle with tarragon.